Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Sure, what can I do?”
“You can come sit with me and help me pick out a gift.” I tap the cushion next to me on the couch, where I’m sitting with my iPad.
“Oh, spending someone else’s money? I’m in. Who are we shopping for?” She takes the cushion next to me, kicks off her shoes, and pulls her legs beneath her.
“One of my best friends is getting married this weekend, and I need a gift.”
“This weekend? Foster! What if it’s not here in time?” she asks, looking panicked on my behalf.
It’s cute as hell.
“I’ll expedite the shipping or do in-store pickup or something.” I shrug.
“That doesn’t always work. What if what you want isn’t in stock?”
“Then I find something else.”
“Oh, brother.” She sighs. “What are you considering as options?”
“I don’t have any. That’s why I need your help.”
“Okay. Well, do they have a house? Are they already living together?”
“Yes, and yes. He has a son, who is hers out of love,” I tell her. Then I go into the logistics of Baker and Sloane’s relationship.
“Wow,” she breathes. “I love that for them. I feel sorry for little Camden, but I’m glad he has Sloane in his life.”
“Yeah, they’re both lucky to have her.” It’s the truth. Even though she’s been in our lives for quite some time, Sloane working for Baker as Camden’s nanny brought my friend back to life. He’s happy again, and she did that.
“Okay, so they have a son, a house full of things already. What about something like a personalized picture frame with their wedding date on it? Crap, never mind. I don’t think you could get that before this weekend. You’ve put yourself into a pickle,” she tells me.
“A pickle?” I laugh.
“Yep.” She grins at my amusement at her choice of words.
“That’s a good idea. Let’s see if we can find a place locally, or if I can do expedited shipping.”
“You’re going to pay so much more than necessary because you waited.”
“That’s okay. I can afford it.”
“Foster,” she scolds as she pushes on my shoulder. “That’s not the point. Just because you can afford to, doesn’t mean you need to be frivolous.”
“I happen to agree with you. However, if I can’t spend my money frivolously on my family, then what’s the point of having it?”
“Fine,” she concedes. “I see your point. Next time, plan ahead so you don’t have to. How long have you known about this wedding?”
“A few months.”
She sighs. “What am I going to do with you?” she asks, taking the iPad from my hands and tapping at the screen.
I don’t even try to hide my smile. Leaning a little closer to watch what she’s doing, I inhale her vanilla scent, letting it wrap around me. It’s subtle, and I know it’s a scent that will forever remind me of the woman sitting next to me.
“There’s this one site I see all over social media…” she says, turning the screen so that I can see it. “We have to pick something and then add it to the cart to see how soon we can get it.” She types in wedding frame, and all the options pop up. She leans into me, and I’m already leaning into her, which has our bodies aligned as she scrolls through the options.
“I like that one.” I point at a frame, and she taps the screen. I tell her all the details, and she adds it to the cart.
“You’re in luck, Mr. Vaughn. You can pay an overnight rush fee and have it here by Friday.”
“Perfect. The wedding is Saturday. Let’s see if they have a family one. Something they can put a picture of all three of them in. Something like the Sinclair Family or something similar,” I suggest.
“Oh, love that idea.” She goes back to typing and tapping at the screen, and I watch as she scrolls.
“That one.” I point to a frame.
“That’s my favorite, too.” We repeat the process of me giving her the details and adding the second frame to the cart.
Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out my wallet and hand her my black AmEx card. “Here.”
Eden takes my card, enters all the details, and hits Submit. “There, mission accomplished.”
“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.” Taking my card, I slide it back into my wallet, and then she hands me back my iPad. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” I ask her.
“Nothing much. Scrounge around in the fridge for something for dinner, then some laundry.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“No plans. Do you need me?”
“I thought maybe we could go back to the children’s home. I mean, if you want to go with me.”
“Sure, I’d love to go. Should I meet you there?” she asks, biting down on her bottom lip.
“I can pick you up. Just text me your address. Say, nine?”
“That works for me.” She moves her legs and groans a little.