Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
“Dad—”
“I love you, Bridgett,” he cuts me off before I can tell him why I don’t think that’s a good idea. “I know I haven’t said that enough, and I know I don’t deserve anything from you, but please give me this.”
The plea in his voice does me in, and I give in with a sigh. “Okay, Dad.”
“Okay.” His fingers squeeze mine. “Now, tell me what’s going on with Conner. Has he signed the papers?” he asks, and I drag in a deep breath, then tell him everything that’s happened, leaving out anything that might cause him stress, including any talk of Mom.
My mother might have wanted me to marry rich and stay that way, regardless of the emotional damage it might cause, but my dad did not, and he made it clear more than once that he did not like Conner. He even tried to talk me out of walking down the aisle on my wedding day, but hope blinded me, and I was convinced my story would be different than his.
I was obviously a fool with blinders on, but at least he’s never said, “I told you so.”
When his nurse comes in with his dinner, I give him a kiss on the cheek and say goodbye to her before leaving and heading home. As I climb into bed, I don’t think about the fact that I agreed to work for my dad, even though I’m not sure it’s something I really want to do because I’m not sure I’ll be able to change how the people working for him feel about me.
Instead, I dwell on my meeting with Noah and overthink every single second of it.
CHAPTER 8
I’VE GOT A ROOM
Noah
Sitting in my squad car with my speed gun aimed up the road, I wait for someone to inevitably drive by going over the speed limit. Some get pissed that we have routine speed checks. But having had to console a woman whose daughter was killed by someone driving recklessly and witnessed firsthand the aftermath of a wreck that could have been avoided…. Yeah, I do not mind one bit that people get pissed when they’re pulled over for breaking the law.
When a car comes around the bend, I glance down at the numbers that appear on the device, then set it aside and flip on my lights before pulling out behind them. As they start to pull over onto the shoulder of the road, the radio in my car cuts on, and Winnie who works at dispatch asks officers to respond to a fire at the townhomes where Bridgett lives.
With a curse, I speed by the car that has now pulled over and head into town, trying not to think about why the fuck a ball of some emotion I’m not ready to recognize is sitting heavy in my gut. When I arrive at the complex, the fire trucks are already set up in the lot, along with an ambulance and two other cruisers.
I notice right away they’re focused on the building Bridgett’s unit is in, but I don’t see any flames coming from the structure, which connects three separate townhomes. There’s only a plume of black smoke rising above the building, where they are aiming the water. I park at the curb and get out, doing a scan of the lot for Bridgett’s car, but I don’t find it in her designated parking space.
With it being after four in the evening on a Tuesday, its absence brings me some relief because it’s likely she’s not home right now and instead at work.
“Have you guys cleared Unit B?” I ask as I walk past the fire chief and the other officers gathered on the sidewalk.
“The building has been cleared,” David, who’s been the fire chief in town for the last year, shouts at my back. I still head for her doorway to check for myself. I knock and wait, then pound again. When I get no response, I head to the group of men gathered out front.
“You know someone who lives here?” David asks, and I jerk up my chin.
“My best friend’s sister has been staying at his place.” I look over at the ambulance and notice they have an older woman on a stretcher. “What happened?”
“Kitchen fire. The woman who lives in Unit A had a pan on the stove, and it caught on fire when she forgot about it and went to bed. She phoned in the fire when she noticed smoke filling her place. We were able to put it out, but…but there’s currently a hole in the wall that gives a nice view into the unit next door, along with damage to the roof between the two homes.” He glances at the building. “The building and units A through D will be uninhabitable for at least a couple of weeks. If you have your friend’s number, you should let them know.”