Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“Thanks, mate,” he replied to Ned.
“When do you leave?”
“I suspect Mum’s changing her plans in order to leave today. I may go with her. Though, I’d planned to stay a couple of days. I’ve never been to Arizona. Judge told me about some trails. We’ve made tentative plans to hit them.”
“This is beautiful country. I hope you have the chance to enjoy it, but I can understand you wishing to see to your mother.”
“Aye.”
“If you stay, please come to dinner. Blake’s very good in the kitchen.”
Blake could cook?
This he had to experience.
“If I stay, you can be certain I’ll be there.”
“Not surprised,” Ned said quietly, then in a normal tone, “Until then, Dair, thank you again for looking after my daughter, and I don’t envy the day you’re going to have today.”
“It’ll be had, then it’ll be done.”
“As it always is. Goodbye, Dair.”
“See ye efter.”
They hung up, Dair pulled on a shirt, nabbed his keycard and walked down the hall.
He knocked on Davi’s door.
Nothing.
He banged on Davi’s door.
“Shaddup! I’m up! I’m up!” she yelled from inside. “And tell Mum I’ll be at breakfast!”
Dair smiled again, walked back to his room and texted his mother with that info.
The coffee and croissants arrived, and once the server got tipped and left, Dair went to the bathroom door.
He knocked and said through it, “Coffee.”
He didn’t get the chance to step away before the door swung open, and at what hit his eyes, he stood stock-still.
Blake looked like she’d just come from a spa.
Dramatic wedding makeup gone, a fresher, more natural look in its place. She was wearing a sleeveless jumper top in beige that had a mock turtleneck and slits at the sides that came all the way up under her arms. This with matching drawstring pants. Her feet were bare.
And her glorious mane was a mass of lush curls and waves dripping over her shoulders.
What she did not look was hungover.
She looked ready to do a photo shoot.
She glared at him like his simple existence ruined her day, something that tickled the fuck out of him, then she looked beyond him, and her amazing face lit up.
“Coffee!” she cried, skirted him and walked right to it.
Dair peered into his bathroom.
Her tote had exploded in there.
There was a spent towel shoved haphazardly on the rail, her gown was a rumpled pile on the floor, makeup, brushes, perfume, deodorant and other women’s face shite was all over the basin.
Now he knew why the fucking thing weighed so much.
But there was something about her mess, God help him, that he liked.
This shook him.
Signe, his ex-wife, was a slob.
They’d had a housekeeper that came in once a week to clean, stock the kitchen, change the sheets and do the laundry.
Signe had wanted one that lived in.
The woman didn’t work, and she had no hobbies, outside shopping and trying to one-up her girlfriends (who seemed more like fellow competitors) with how expensive her outfits and handbags could be. Why she couldn’t tidy up after both of them between housekeeper visits, he had no idea. Especially when he was in season.
But for fuck’s sake.
Blake’s mess turned him on.
Jesus, he was in this deep.
He turned to see she was pouring coffee at the same time sucking back one of the two ice waters she’d ordered.
He walked her way as she put the coffeepot and water down to grab her cup.
“That’s yours,” she said, motioning to the other filled cup with her own.
He reached toward the sugar.
“I did it already, Dair,” she said like she was chiding a child. “Two, right?”
Startled, he turned to her. “Ye ken how I take my coffee?”
She did an exaggerated eyeroll, adding a derisive squint. “You made a huge deal about starting to drink it when you were fourteen. To be certain we didn’t forget you were all grown up, you kept ordering us all to get you a cup. Of course I know.”
“That was over twenty years ago, lass.”
She seemed concerned. “Have your preferences changed?”
“No.”
Now she seemed annoyed.
“So…?” she let that trail irritably.
He picked up his cup and sipped it through yet another smile.
Blake retaining this knowledge didn’t say casual acquaintances.
You didn’t remember something that immaterial about someone you didn’t give a shite about.
She caught his smile, let out a huff, grabbed a croissant and threw herself into the couch.
“I can take you to a rental place so you all have a car,” she offered before she munched.
“We’ll do that after breakfast,” he replied, getting his own croissant and joining her on the couch.
She looked to her pastry then to him.
“Mum wants us at breakfast in her suite in about five minutes,” he explained.
Her eyes widened and now she was openly panicked.
“Including me?” she asked.
“She expressly said, if ye were here, she wanted ye there.”
“Why me?”
“Maybe because she’s worried about your state of mind?”
“Mine?”
“Ye smacked the shite out of your own mother, hen,” he said carefully.