Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Okay, yes, I could have gone ahead and kissed him instead of waiting and hoping, but the ball was in his court. I’d had a crush on him since the day we met, so he had to know I’d be into it. At the same time though, he was shellshocked by his last breakup, and he claimed he didn’t want to get involved with anyone, ever again. If we were going to redefine our relationship, it had to come from him, on his terms, and at his pace. That was just the way it had to be.
And there was literally no way I could ask him about that moment in the den. What if I was wrong, and the thought of kissing me had never crossed his mind? I’d curl up and die of embarrassment.
I was contemplating all of this about an hour before Miller had to leave for his meeting. We were in the backyard, which had become our favorite hangout. He was answering emails on his laptop, and I was sneaking glances at him while pretending to read something on my phone.
When he looked up and caught me staring at him, I asked, “Are you nervous about your meeting?”
“A little, but I know I gave it my all, and I’m proud of what I produced. I’m going to try my best to sell them on it, but if it still misses the mark, then there’s not much I can do about that.”
“They’re going to love it. Your drawings are amazing, and you had so many great ideas. They’d have to be nuts not to see that.”
“But maybe they want apples, and I gave them oranges. Who knows?”
A few minutes later, my phone rang. Jeannie’s name was on the screen, so I answered with, “Hey chickie, what’s up?”
She yelled, “I’m in labor, and Brad’s out of town!”
That was so loud that Miller heard it, too. We both leapt to our feet, and I put the phone on speaker as I asked, “Where did he go?”
“To Seattle, for work. I called him and he’s on his way back, but it’s about a seven-hour drive.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! He’s an air conditioning repairman. Was there some kind of air conditioning crisis in Seattle, so it’s all hands on deck?”
“His boss sent him for training.”
“Now, when his wife is thirty-nine weeks pregnant?”
“My other babies were late, not early. I wasn’t due for another week.”
I asked, “Where are you right now?”
“On the way to the hospital.”
“Please tell me you’re not driving.”
“Hell no. I’m in a tow truck, and Dwight Carver is behind the wheel. Remember him from high school? He was a sophomore when we were seniors. I took my minivan in for an oil change and went into labor while I was at his garage.”
I definitely remembered Dwight. He was a sweet, quiet Black guy who’d chosen the marching band over the football team in high school. Since he was six-five and built like Thor, people in our football-obsessed town had been less than thrilled about this choice, but I totally respected it.
“Okay, good. Dwight’s a nice guy, and I’m glad he’s with you.”
“He’s awesome.”
“Let’s switch to a video call. I want to see you.”
Jeannie appeared on my screen a few moments later. Her short hair looked wild, and she was flushed and sweaty. She pointed the camera at Dwight, who nodded to me and said, “Hey, Collin. I heard you had surgery on your heart. You doing okay?”
“Hey, Dwight. I’m fine. Thanks for helping my bestie.”
A second later, Jeannie let loose with a high-pitched scream and clutched Dwight’s arm. The poor guy was going to end up with bruises. It was about a minute before she collapsed against the seat, panting and sweating. I asked, “How far apart are your contractions?”
“I don’t know, but they’re close.”
We didn’t have a hospital in our small town, so if you needed one it meant driving to the county seat, which was thirty miles away on a two-lane country road. I exclaimed, “Step on it, Dwight!”
“Oh believe me, I’m flooring it,” he muttered.
“Why are you in a tow truck?”
“It was this or my motorcycle,” he said. “Jeannie’s van was up on the rack with all the oil drained out of it.”
I asked Jeannie, “Where are your kids right now?”
“It’s a school day. My mother-in-law is going to pick up Scotty and Allie after school and take them back to her house. She was already watching the baby, so I could run some errands.” At that, she started crying and exclaimed, “After today, she won’t be the baby anymore! My sweet little Maddy girl is growing up!” Those pregnancy hormones were really putting her through it.
“Who’s meeting you at the hospital?”
“Nobody.”
“I’m so sorry, Jeannie. I should be there with you! Why did I leave while you were pregnant?”