Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“You know you don’t owe anyone anything, right?” he asked.
“I know. I know. I just, I want to do this. Like today, I helped with that woman, or young woman. She needed help, and I was able to help. Today has been a really good day.” Cyrus’s cell phone went off, and he glanced down with a grumble. “I’m needed at the school. It looks like some asshole kids have decided to mess with the damn electrical points.” He rolled his eyes. “You know, I was a kid in high school, why can’t they just do shit, like looking bored?”
Willow couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re saying you weren’t rebellious?”
“Oh, trust me, I was, but I didn’t cost the school a fortune.” He shook his head, getting to his feet. “You owe me a hot coffee and one of your mom’s cinnamon rolls.” He came in close and Willow was shocked as he kissed her.
It was so natural of him to do that, and it took her by surprise, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t like it.
“Until tonight,” he said.
She couldn’t help but feel her heart start to race.
“Oh, Willow,” he said.
She thought he had already gone and she was touching her fingers to her lips. They tingled from where he touched.
“I do know all of your secrets, W. Evans.” He winked at her and then left the room.
At first, Willow didn’t move. W. Evans was her pen name. It wasn’t exactly original as her mom had told her to just use her name, but she had been too scared. How did Cyrus know she wrote under that pen name? She didn’t know how he had found out, and if he had told anyone. Why did he tell her now?
She paused and suddenly didn’t know why she was panicking.
He winked at her and there had been a smirk on his lips. Also, he was taking her dancing tonight. What did that mean?
“It means, Willow, that you think too damn much.”
Her mother had told her repeatedly that she had a very negative disposition and she thought too much. She needed to learn to lighten up.
“That’s what I am going to do, Mom. I’m going to lighten up and just have fun. That is exactly what I am going to do.”
Chapter Four
Cyrus had every intention of keeping that little morsel of information to himself. Only, he didn’t want any secrets between them. He knew about Willow’s writing as her mother had dropped that little nugget several years ago.
He hadn’t told anyone, and besides, being a Reaper, they all had to know what was happening in the town. They made sure no one made any bad investments that would bring bad blood to the town. They kept an eye on everyone and everything.
Willow’s writing was harmless, and his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and yes, he read a few of her books. He loved them. He also knew Willow had a very wild imagination that amazed him.
She didn’t have to say anything but he knew she was a virgin and had never been with a man. Her devotion to her family had kept her off the dating scene, and he also knew she hadn’t dated through high school. She never went to prom, and instead stayed home, spending time with her parents. It had been a rough decade, and he intended to make up for such a bad time.
Arriving in his truck, he went and knocked on the door, waiting for her to answer.
He expected her to make some kind of excuse not to come with him, but as it was, she opened the door wearing a beautiful dark blue dress with a lighter shade of blue flowers. It hugged her breasts and waist, and flared out at the hips, in a full-style skirt that came to below her knees. She had pulled her brown hair back into a clip so it was still around her shoulders but away from her face. She looked so stunning.
“Evening,” he said.
She had minimal makeup on.
“Evening.”
He held out his hand. “Are you ready?”
She looked nervous. Even as she squared her shoulders, she appeared as if she was going into battle, but she didn’t have anything to fear.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
She closed up her house, placed her arm through his, and he helped her into his truck. Closing the door, he rounded his truck and climbed inside, then put it into gear and took off toward the bar.
Cyrus didn’t say anything, giving her the chance to get accustomed to being in his car, and just letting her think. He had nothing to say, and it was good just having her vanilla scent close.
By the time he pulled up to the bar’s parking lot, she hadn’t said a word. He already heard the music coming from the bar, and as there was no band tonight, he knew it was from the stereo.