Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“What happens if I don’t watch her closely?”
“The last time this happened, she ended up almost getting frostbite because she walked out into the snow barefoot and didn’t take any clothes, boots, or protection. We had to send out a search party in my dad’s neighborhood. We found her sleeping in a doghouse with a dog.”
“Smart cookie,” I said as we walked toward my truck. “She’s not suicidal or anything, is she?”
“Not suicidal, no. But she’s crazy. She’ll do things that she shouldn’t. Say things that are way inappropriate. And when she’s done offending the whole entire world, she’ll pass out and forget everything that happened.”
“I think I can handle it,” I said. “Can you give your number to Weaver to share with me?”
Cody said something under her breath I didn’t catch, but slowed so that she could talk to Weaver.
Weaver murmured something quietly.
“They all hate me,” Mable grumbled.
“Who does?” I asked.
“Everyone everywhere,” she muttered.
It was then that I realized she was crying.
How did I realize that? Because she lifted my shirt up and wiped her damp face along the bare skin of my back.
The freezing cold temperature made her hot tears all but freeze in an instant.
“No one hates you,” I said as I paused at the passenger door to my truck.
Her fingers clenched in my shirt, causing the fabric to go taut across my chest.
“Everyone does!” she wailed.
Cody came back to my side and opened the door as she said, “She gets like this. She’s a very depressive Benadryl junky. She’ll cry for the next several hours, I’m sure. But don’t worry, she won’t remember any of this. If you lie and tell her she just slept, she’ll probably believe you. That’s what I sometimes do.”
I gently placed her in the passenger seat of my truck and buckled her in.
“You’ll need to get your chains on before you leave if you’re heading out of town,” Cody mused.
I looked down at the snow chains that were on the floorboard with Mable’s feet resting on top of them and said, “That was my plan, actually. Being outside of town sounded like a great idea until I realized I had to deal with snow.”
“You’re not from here?” she asked.
“Texas,” I said. “But I’ve driven in snow before. My grandparents lived in Idaho before they retired to Texas. We spent most of our winter break up there.”
“Good.” She paused. “Make sure that she doesn’t freak out and reach for the wheel. It’s best to lock the seat belt.”
“This seat belt doesn’t lock. Truck’s too old,” I answered. “But I’ll be careful of her.”
She grabbed a snow chain and started walking to the back of my truck. I grabbed the rest and laid them out before starting the truck and moving it into place so I could attach the chains.
Cody helped me on the passenger side and then looked worriedly through the glass of the truck. “I’m serious. You’ll have to watch her every single second.”
“Okay.”
“I had to handcuff her to the bed last time she had to have Benadryl.”
My lips twitched. “Bet she loved that.”
Cody’s eyes were mischievous when she said, “When she woke up, she said it was a good thought, but she’d rather wake up to a man on the other side of the bed she’s handcuffed to next time.”
“She might have her wish then,” I joked. “I don’t think her going outside tonight would be a good thing.”
Cody’s eyes went serious. “No, definitely not.”
“You have her dog? I don’t mind stopping for him.”
Her head tilted toward me. “You miss him, huh?”
I wouldn’t lie to her about that. “He was a good friend over the last half a year.”
“I have your number from the Hulk there,” she said. “How about we meet at her place and I help you get Brawny in the truck.”
“Show me the way,” I said.
She headed toward the truck that was halfway across the parking lot.
“You sure about this?” Weaver asked.
“Yes.”
Weaver nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.” He paused. “I’ll head back inside and listen in on what’s going on.”
Meaning, he would go as far as he needed to, and not a single inch closer.
“Thanks,” I said. “Be careful going home.”
Weaver gave me a chin jerk and headed back toward the bar.
I got in my truck and held my hands out over the heater that was on full blast.
I hovered there as I waited for Cody to start moving, but kept glancing back and forth between Cody and Mable.
Mable who was staring morosely at the road in front of her. “I miss the sunshine.”
My gaze went to her. “You do?”
“It never seems like it’s bright enough during the winter,” she grumbled. “I have seasonal depression.”
I turned to face her. “You do?”
“Yeah.” She scrunched up her face. “Sometimes I think about moving to Florida so I know that I’ll have sun year-round. It’s the only thing that really seems to help.”