Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“I saw you sneak off,” he says as he passes me a plate of pie. “You can’t walk away from pie. I think it’s a federal law. Mind if I sit with you?”
“I don’t mind at all,” I reply as I accept the plate and take a bite. “My mom is one hell of a cook.”
“Hell yes, she is.” Will grins over at me. “Food is my favorite thing. Well, besides my wife.”
“You’re still so smitten with her.” I frown when I realize that I said that out loud. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why not? It’s true. I’m fucking obsessed with Megan. I have been since the day I met her, though she didn’t like me back then.”
“Why not?”
“Well, she worked on the pediatric floor of the hospital. She’s a nurse and worked with very sick kiddos. She’d contacted my agent a few times, asking if I’d come by and cheer up the patients. I never got the requests because my former agent always declined them right away.”
“That’s kind of them.”
“It was bullshit. Of course, I would want to go. So, when I found out about it, I got a few of my buddies from the team to go with me, and we took up a bunch of gear and merch for the kids and spent time with all of them.”
“I bet that helped put you in Meg’s good graces.”
“It helped,” he agrees. “She’s also partial to chocolate cupcakes, and I had those delivered, too. The key is to pay attention. It sounds silly, but it’s true. Anyway, I charmed her. And I can say with absolute certainty that my life wouldn’t work without her.”
“That’s what everyone wants in the end. To find the person that makes their life better.”
I feel him glance my way before turning back to the view. “I’m going to be brutally honest with you, Remington.”
“That’s the way I prefer it.”
“I don’t like your age difference. In my opinion, you’re too damn old for my daughter.”
“I would probably say the same thing if it was Holly in a similar situation.” I nod and take a bite of pie.
“My opinion doesn’t piss you off?”
“It’s reasonable. That doesn’t piss me off. Your daughter makes my life better. Not just because of how amazing she is with my kids, although that has to be a piece of it because Johnny and Holly are the most important part of my life.”
“I get that.”
“It’s more than that. She doesn’t give herself enough credit for how damn smart she is. She’s witty and fun. She loves my home—not just this house, but the land it’s on and Bitterroot Valley—and that’s important to me. I didn’t plan to fall for your daughter; it just sort of happened, and I’m grateful that it did. Sure, there’s an age gap, but she’s well into adulthood. She’s not a kid.”
“No, you’re right about that. It would be a different story if she were eighteen or nineteen.”
“I wouldn’t have been interested in someone that young, no matter how drop-dead gorgeous she is. Besides, I’m thirty-six, not seventy-six. It’s not creepy or anything.”
That makes him laugh.
“I can see with my own two eyes that you’re good for each other,” Will says at last. “I’m not blind. I like the way you’ve stepped up to protect her, and I can tell that you treat her, and all of your family, very well.”
“My father would kick my ass if it were any other way.”
Will nods thoughtfully. “Sounds like you were raised a lot like me. And I like that. Where do you see this going, Rem?”
“All the way.” I blow out a breath, and Will reaches over to pat my shoulder. “Scares the shit out of me.”
“If it wasn’t real, it wouldn’t scare you. Now, let’s change the subject. Who’s your favorite football team?”
“I’ve always liked Denver.”
“And now you’ve fucked it up.” He punches me on the arm, and then we laugh.
“It’s so quiet with the kids gone,” Erin says a few days later. Dad just drove away with a car full of kids and luggage and Mom in the passenger seat, on their way to Washington. “I mean, I know they’re gone when they’re at school, but this feels…different.”
“It always throws me for a loop,” I agree and sling my arm around her shoulders, tugging her against me. “I enjoyed spending time with your family this week.”
“Me too,” she says and smiles up at me. “I was sad to see them go.”
“I have plans to keep you busy over the next few days so you don’t think about that.”
I grin at her and drag my knuckles down her cheek. I’d love nothing more than to spend every minute of those three days in bed with her.
“I know that look,” she whispers. “We won’t survive that.”
“But it would be fun trying.” I grin. “First on my list is a more thorough tour of the property. The tour we gave your family just skimmed the surface.”