Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
“Sorry,” a voice calls out in the darkness. I recognize that gritty tone even though we just met earlier tonight. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
My body relaxes instantly when I realize it’s Griffin. It was obvious from the way Ernie and Lorna were doting on him that he’s close to them. He’s been out here for a long time, but I don’t comment on that.
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell him as I open the back door to my car and settle Daisy inside with a few quick and efficient clicks. Being on the run means I’ve spent countless hours practicing how to get her into the car quickly. I have it down to less than thirty seconds now.
I move to the front and climb into the driver’s seat. Like in the lobby, I’m aware of his presence the entire time. I think again of how his hands felt against my hips, the way he was so strong. The look of heat that flared in his gaze.
Turning the key, I pray the air conditioning starts tonight. But it’s the wrong prayer to mutter because the engine won’t start. I try twice before I put my head against the steering wheel.
Daisy stirs in the backseat, letting out a soft cry. It’s almost time for her next bottle, and she’s already getting fussy. Before I can decide what to do, there’s a gentle rap on my window.
I yelp and turn to see Griffin standing there. So much for being situationally aware.
Grasping the handle, I roll it down. Yeah, my car is that old. My budget didn’t stretch far enough to get me anything made within the last twenty years.
He leans down, his face so close to my own. He gives me a sympathetic look. “Do you and the little one want a lift?”
Chapter 2
Griffin
There’s a moment when everything feels right in your world. For me, that moment was the first time I wrapped my hands around Missy’s hips. Holding her close felt like stepping into church after a long time away. Holy and sacred. It was an experience that I knew I wanted again and again for the rest of my life.
That’s why I’m hanging around the parking lot of Ernie’s Diner. He’s already flipped the sign to closed, but I’m waiting for Missy, the new waitress in town. She’s a pretty little thing with eyes as blue as a Carolina sky after a rainstorm.
She felt the chemistry between us. I saw it on her face when she was in my arms. But she’s scared of something. I don’t know what it is yet, but I plan to figure it out. Then I’ll help her put those fears to rest so we can start building a life together.
Aunt Dorothy, the woman who raised me, always said love will hit you out of the blue. I didn’t quite know what she meant until today. Now, I get it. The moment I laid eyes on her, my soul took its first breath. I was born the moment she smiled at me.
Standing in the dark behind my truck, I fiddle with my phone. For a moment, I debate calling Luke, the local sheriff and my boss. It feels weird to say that about a man I grew up with, but I got tired of being a beat cop in the city. Saw too much crime and too many politicians hamstringing us from doing our job.
If I had it my way, the victim would get to decide the punishment. Not a district attorney who’s more interested in making a name for himself than actually standing up for truth and justice. Crying shame, if you ask me. No one asked me though, so I quietly left.
I can’t deny that I’ve felt a pull toward home for the past year. Now I can’t help but wonder if it was her. Sweet Missy calling me home. What if I’d continued to ignore the churning in my gut that said to come back? What if I’d never met my sweet angel?
The thought sends an unexpected pang of pain through my being. I laid eyes on her for the first time today, and I’m already having trouble at the thought of letting her go. That’s why I’m still hanging around the parking lot.
I need to know she gets home safe tonight. I need to know she’s safe every day. If that makes me obsessive, I don’t care.
Finally, I pocket my phone. I won’t call Luke and demand he run a background check on the new waitress in town. I’ll be patient and let her tell me what’s made her so skittish.
The door to the diner swings open, and I straighten at the sight of my curvy woman leaving. Only, she has something she’s carrying. It’s too square shaped to possibly be a garbage bag. I squint in the dark, trying to make out the shape, when it hits me clear in the chest what it is. She has a baby car seat clutched in her hand.