Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Despite my own desires to spend time alone, I know Larkin needs to be socialized outside of the time she spends with me, Nora, and Leo.
I find my eyes looking up from my task more often than they probably should. I watch him as he works, the pen in his hand tapping his chin when he concentrates on certain aspects. For some reason, it's endearing, and I picture him wearing glasses instead of squinting like he's having a hard time reading stuff.
He must struggle with something tonight because I'm done before he is. Instead of bothering him, I head to the office. It’s in such a mess, I feel like it's something I can help with. Besides, I have nothing else to do. I have no one to go home to. I won't be picking Larkin up until the morning, even though I hate that Nora is right about getting her out in the middle of the night.
I hate that they'll have already fed her instead of waiting to hear her calling my name from her toddler bed, wanting pancakes and scrambled eggs.
Working here is helping me a ton, but it comes with a handful of sacrifices and regrets. I picture myself paying off all the debt and being able to work a single job and spend lots of time with her. Maybe I'll be able to do that before she's older and forming opinions, no doubt whispered to her or overheard from Nora, about how I should spend my time.
"You don't have to do that."
I look up at Walker standing in the doorway of the office before looking down at the handful of paperwork in my hands.
"How do you find anything?"
"I don't," he answers. "I just pray that I never get audited. Thankfully, the health department doesn't care how messy the office is or I'd be shut down."
"I don't mind helping."
"I appreciate the help, but not after such a long day. Didn't you have the vaccine clinic this morning? I thought I saw a sign up at the post office earlier this week."
"We did," I confirm. "I think we gave over a thousand shots. It's so nice of Dr. McBride to hold them twice a year to keep costs down for everyone."
Buying vaccines in bulk and using them all at the same time makes it less expensive for all, and Dr. McBride transfers those savings to the community because he's just a really nice guy.
"If you want to help when you're less tired, I can get you a key so you can come up here when you have time."
I almost snort. Less tired? When I have time?
His ignorance is more about his lack of experience with kids than an attempt at being disrespectful. Thankfully, I catch myself this time before launching off into some sort of monologue about just how little single parents have in every aspect of their lives.
The man knows I need money, and maybe this is his way of giving me the chance to make more of it.
"That's very kind of you," I say as I place the stack of receipts I've gathered to the side, knowing full well what organizational progress I have made tonight will be ruined before I step in here again. "Let me get out of your hair. I don't mean to keep you here longer."
He steps back, giving me an appropriate amount of room to get past him, but there's something in his eyes that stops me in my tracks.
Instead of overthinking, something I've never really had a problem with in the moment, I press my hand to his chest a second before pressing my lips to his.
He doesn't kiss me back immediately, and I feel like a fool. But when I pull back, he stops me, his eyes darting between mine before he leans in and takes my mouth the same way he did the first time he kissed me.
Chapter 15
Walker
There's only so much room left for maneuvering in this tiny office, and I felt the warmth of her body when she brushed past me to go clock out. I never imagined when I pulled in a breath that on the exhale, her lips would be on mine.
It shocked the shit out of me, but my recovery was quick. When she pulled back, no doubt thinking I wasn't interested, I knew I had to move quickly.
She moans into my mouth, and you'd think I was sixteen all over again. But this isn't the janitor's closet at the high school, and she sure as hell isn't Sage Douglas, the first girl who ever kissed me.
My body responds much the same way it did back then. Truth be told, it hasn't done that with a single sound in a very long time. Back then it was from new experiences and raging hormones. I'm old enough to know that it's something much deeper than that surface shit now.