Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 114068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
“Amazing news.”
“I’m not sure the timing will work out, but it’s a start.”
“I’m relieved to hear there are options available at all.”
“You know it’s not a crime to get what you want, right?” Mollie’s voice is soft. “And it doesn’t make you stupid to hope for the best.”
Wheeler chuckles. “As long as I can still expect the worst too.”
“Now, that’s something we gotta work on.” I step onto the porch. The late afternoon light streams through the new leaves on the trees overhead, dappling the ground with gold. The air is warm but not humid.
Gonna be another gorgeous evening.
Mollie and Wheeler look up. They’re bent over the picnic table Ryder and I recently built out of leftover lumber. Wheeler is holding a boot in her hand.
It’s square-toed, the shaft—heh—made of smooth brown leather, but the toe box is covered in this cool ostrich-type leather that’s the same shade of brown.
A little Texas flag is stitched onto the side of the heel.
Pressure, hot and sudden, appears behind my eyes.
Wheeler smiles. “Hey, baby.”
“Oooh, I like the way that sounds,” Mollie says. “And she’s working on her optimism, Duke. I’m doing my best to convert her.”
I’m choking on my heart, but I still manage to gruffly reply, “Thank you kindly. We’ll make a believer of her yet.”
“So.” Wheeler turns the boot in her hands one way, then the other. “What do you think of your creation?”
I try to clear my throat. “Our creation.”
“Y’all are making beautiful babies and beautiful boots together.” Mollie beams at us. “It’s so perfect I almost hate you for it.” Then she goes up on her toes to press a kiss to my cheek. “Thanks for the ideas. You get a ten out of ten from me, no notes. Wheeler did say you were willing to go naked in the advertising campaign. That true?”
“I’m always willing to get naked.”
Mollie laughs. “For once in your life, that’s a good thing.”
“There’s been other times that it’s a good thing,” Wheeler shoots back, giving me a saucy look.
But Mollie just waves us away. “Y’all can go bone in a minute. First, we need to get your approval on these masterpieces. And then we need to ask you something.”
Wheeler holds out the boot, and I take it. Thing’s got heft. Leather really is soft. Proportions look right. Bet it’s comfortable.
She puts her hand on my shoulder. “It’s your size. Wanna try it on?”
“My size?” Shit, I’m really gonna cry. “How’d you—”
“I snooped through your closet, of course.”
“Did you find the old Playboys?”
Wheeler bites her lip and nods. “Hot.”
“I think Wyatt stole them from my dad, and I stole them from him.”
Mollie makes a face. “That’s not weird at all.”
“Hey.” I shrug. “Our internet was slow. Needs must.”
Toeing out of my sneakers, I drop the boot on the ground. I bend over and carefully tuck my foot inside it, using the ear pulls to finish the job.
I straighten. Put my weight back in both feet.
Perfect fucking fit. There’s just enough cushion to make me think I could wear these all damn day but not so much that the sole feels mushy or my foot feels cramped.
When I open my mouth to say as much, I find I can’t breathe.
Instead, I meet Wheeler’s eyes. They’re uncertain but hopeful too.
She’s trying.
A tear slips out of my eye. I don’t know what else to do, so I take her face in my hands and pull her in for a kiss.
A messy, warm, trembling kiss.
I’m in love with you, I want to say.
“You made the fucking boots,” I say instead.
She nods. “You wanna travel—do something different—well, come make these boots with Mollie and me. Come sell them with us. Come do this thing with us, Duke. Not as our employee but as our partner.”
“We’d love to have you on board,” Mollie says. I can tell by the way her voice shakes that she’s crying too. “Sorry to be the third wheel, but I’m too obsessed with these boots not to be involved.”
I let out a gruff chuckle. “I’ll allow it.”
Wheeler pulls back, keeping her eyes closed as she rolls her forehead against mine. “If you can’t make it work with your cowboy schedule, I totally understand—”
“Ella’s graduating preschool soon. She can fill in for me.”
That makes Wheeler laugh. “She’d whoop all y’all’s asses.”
“God, I love that kid,” Mollie adds.
I run my thumbs over Wheeler’s cheeks. “I’ll figure it out. I wanna do this with you, Blue. I’m—Christ, so honored y’all would go out of your way to…”
I can’t finish.
“You’re making my dreams come true,” she replies steadily. “I want to do the same for you.”
“Oh yeah?” I sniffle. “What would those dreams of yours be?”
“For starters, having not one but two amazing best friends. Obviously you and I are more than friends too, but you get my point.” She searches my eyes. “I needed a friend like you more than I knew.”