Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Fable
My whole body is prickly, my heart is pounding like mad in my chest, and I feel like I am in the middle of a takeoff, ready for my triple axel and not knowing if I’ll land it with ease and confidence or by the grace of God.
Or if I’ll fall flat on my ass.
Every single part of me is vibrating.
I have the urge to run to my room, call my therapist, and tell her I felt something.
One touch.
His eyes.
His little smirk.
All that, and I felt the gush of wetness.
My clit tingles.
Holy shit, what does this mean?
Did I imagine how I felt back then, or is this just a one-off? No one really touches me now, but he didn’t hesitate. That’s not true, though, because when Chad kissed me the other day, I didn’t get aroused; I wanted to wash off his kiss. It’s always been different with Jett, though. We had a connection, but I chalked it up to us skating together. However, it’s been twenty years, and he only had to hold my hips for me to feel that connection once again.
What does that even mean?
I’m so caught up in my thoughts, I don’t know what’s going on when my name is called.
I look up to Jami, our family lawyer, who is holding out a letter to me. Confused, I glance around the room, where my family and Jett are seated. Mom and Dad are on the love seat to the left, Dad holding Mom’s hand, matching looks of annoyance on their faces. It’s normal for them to look like that when I’m in the room. I ignore them before I glance at Kitty where she sits in a black wingback chair like the one I’m sitting in, her legs crossed, her eyes on me expectantly. She looks so damn sad, and it shatters my heart. Then I settle my eyes on Jett. He’s sitting with one ankle on his knee, his suit pants tight along his thighs, pulling up a bit to show off his green socks that have little hockey sticks all over them. His jacket is unbuttoned, strained along his shoulders and his tie looks as if it’s strangling his neck. He’s so much bigger than I remember. He’s always been tall, but now, he’s all rugged and thick.
Well, there goes my clit throbbing again.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I tear my gaze from his dark-brown eyes to look back at Jami. She’s still holding the letter out to me, waiting not so patiently before I finally get up and take it from her. The moment my eyes fall on the handwriting, my chest aches. It’s just my name, but it’s in my grandpa’s handwriting.
“This one is for you, Jett.”
She holds an envelope out to Jett, and unlike how I took forever to get mine, he’s out of his seat to grab it. She has one for Kitty and then my dad. “He asks that you all wait until you’re alone to read the letters.”
I cross my legs as I run my fingers along the messy handwriting of my name. I’m unsure what his words will say, but I know they’ll be tough to read. I almost don’t want to read them. Maybe if I don’t, none of this will be real. I swallow past the lump in my throat as Jami starts to go over the assets that are left to Kitty, and then what my dad and mom will take over in Grandpa’s place. When I hear the amount of money he left me, I feel nothing. He always threw money at me, so I’m not surprised.
But Jami isn’t done.
“There are stipulations to the inheritance, Fable.”
I don’t want the money, honestly, but in reality, I could use it to open my own rink. To start my own legacy. I always thought the Ice Thistle would be mine. Given that Jett is here, though, and after what my mom said, I assume it’s being left to him. It’s fair; he’s been here when I haven’t. I want him to have it. He’s worked for it, and I haven’t. Plus, it’s in the place my mom is, so I’ll open my own in Canada.
“This includes you, Mr. Cook.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Jett sit up straighter, his brows drawing in. He runs his fingers over the neatly groomed hair along his jaw and asks, “How so?”
Jami looks very uncomfortable as she opens the file and exhales. “For Fable to get her inheritance, she has to stay in Thistlebrook for a year and help run the Ice Thistle alongside Jett Cook.”
She’s met with silence that I guess she assumes means she should continue.
“Ms. Winthrop will own half of the Ice Thistle for a year and help grow the skating department. She will work alongside Mr. Cook to make the Ice Thistle bigger and better than ever. After the year is up, Mr. Cook will take over one hundred percent of the Ice Thistle, and Ms. Winthrop will be given her inheritance.”