Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Rolling her eyes, Essie gathered herself before answering, “I brushed it. I do that when I’m aware that guests are hanging around.”
“I’m not a random guest,” Zander answered, grinning at her. “Consider me a boarder.”
“Why are you in my office, Zander?”
“I brought you breakfast. Those bars aren’t nutritious. Have a good morning.”
He was gone before she could answer. Essie slumped against her desk. The heavy piece of furniture slid a fraction of an inch, making her jump away. She glared at it. “Sure. Now, you move.”
The desk didn’t answer but sat there mocking her. Sighing deeply, Essie turned to see a tray sitting on the coffee table in the center of the room. Curious, she plopped down on the couch and pulled off the metal plate cover. A delicious aroma wafted up to her.
“Might as well not let this go to waste.” She picked up her fork.
As she devoured the meal, Essie sent her mental thanks to Zander. The fluffy eggs and crunchy toast tasted amazing. Much better than her overprocessed snack bars. The way he took care of her reminded Essie of how well her relationship with Zander had started.
They’d first met when she was six. Zander’s father had passed away. He and his mother had moved onto his grandfather’s estate. Sadness clung to him. Even with five years separating them, Essie could feel how much he missed his dad and, of course, his old house, his friends, and school.
With no other kids living nearby, Zander had explored his grandfather’s land. He zipped around on an ATV as if he were a race-car driver. Instantly, he’d earned hero status in Essie’s eyes.
Her mother had visited Aunt Esther frequently in those days. Essie loved to talk to the barn cats, pick vegetables and flowers with the gardener, and practice skipping rocks on one of the ponds’ surfaces. She was superb at meowing and harvesting. Essie sucked at stone tricks.
“Hey. You have to choose a flat rock.”
Essie looked up to see an almost-teenager leaning on the fence watching her. “I know. I can’t get them to pop back up. They just plop and sink. Can you make them skip?”
“Yes. Is it okay if I climb over and show you?”
“Who are you? I’m Essie.”
“Hi, Essie. I’m Zander.”
“Hi, Zander. I’d love it if you could teach me.”
And that was how their friendship had started. The difference between their ages and the fact Essie didn’t live there all the time didn’t matter. When she came to visit, she’d hug her aunt, grab two cookies from Sara, and head across the field to the fence line where Zander always waited for her.
She idolized him. He knew things. Skipping rocks. How to whistle incredibly loudly. Essie loved spending time with him. Their families were pleased they’d become friends. Sara or his mom fed both kids as they roamed between the two estates.
Of course, Zander became a teenager. His attention turned to pretty cheerleaders and sports. A younger kid trailing behind him had to annoy him, Essie guessed, but he’d never acted like she was a bother. Meeting her at the fence died out as they got older. He was at football practice or hanging out with kids at school. Essie missed spending time with him.
Spotting his car at the local malt shop, Essie had begged her mom to drop her off. She scrambled out of the car with a ten-dollar bill in her pocket in case she wanted a treat. After bursting through the door, Essie searched the tables to find Zander. Her gaze floated over to a couple kissing in the corner booth.
Hearing Zander’s voice, she scanned the room to spot him still leaning toward the pretty, petite teenager on the seat next to him in that secluded spot. Her red lips and blue eyelids looked so glamorous. Not allowed to wear makeup at eleven, Essie compared herself to the other girl, and instantly her idea to join Zander seemed dumb. Her hand crept up to cover the blackberry stain on her T-shirt. Zander could never be interested in her.
Two big boys knocked her out of the way. Her money fluttered to the ground.
“You’re as big as a door but not as useful as one,” the larger jerk told her. And the other snatched the bill from the ground. “Today’s my lucky day, Pete. Malts are on me.”
“Hey. That’s mine. Give my money back,” Essie shouted before thinking.
“Essie?” Zander called her name.
Out of the corner of her vision, Essie saw him try to slide from the booth, but his girlfriend wouldn’t move. “Jennifer. Let me out. Essie’s a friend of mine.”
“If you like her so much, you can hang out with her,” Jennifer snapped and stood before flouncing toward the exit. She, of course, rammed her shoulder into Essie’s as she sped by, knocking Essie on her butt. The impact made Essie’s bottom hurt almost as much as her heart did.