Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Please continue to suck face. Don’t mind us,” Gunner drawled.
“Hush,” I told him, still grinning.
Tallulah laughed and pressed her fingers to her lips as she looked at Nash. He was a different man with her in his life. The twinkle in his eyes was back.
Gunner put Nonna’s pies and brownies on the table, then sat down, pulling me into his lap. I looked at him, confused. He shrugged. “You said you wanted to stay close to me today. I’m keeping you close.”
“I didn’t mean this,” I told him.
He winked at me, making my stomach feel fluttery. “I did.”
Shaking my head, I glanced over at Tallulah, who was watching me. “Are you okay?” she asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah, just family drama. More than I was ready to deal with.”
She seemed to understand and walked over to take the cover off one of the pies. “This smells delicious,” she said with a sigh.
“It is,” I assured her.
“If I eat this I’ll have to run three miles,” she groaned, and Nash walked up behind her, taking her waist in his hands.
“If you think you need to burn calories, I have a better idea,” he whispered, loud enough for us to hear.
“Nash!” she squealed as her cheeks turned bright pink and he leaned down to nibble her ear.
I looked away and reached for one of the chocolate cookies on the table, then took a bite. Gunner leaned over and sank his teeth into the cookie, then pulled it from my grasp.
“Nash! No,” I heard Tallulah say and looked back over at them. Nash had her arm and was pulling her away from the table.
“Come on,” he urged her, and I could see her body slowly caving in as she let him draw her to him and toward the door.
“Y’all keep that shit down in there. I’m eating,” Gunner told them just as they reached the door to the kitchen.
“I make no promises,” Nash called back as they disappeared through the doorway.
“Maybe we should go somewhere and give them some privacy,” I suggested. “They just got back together after two years.”
Gunner seemed to think about it for a moment then nodded. “Yeah, okay. Grab some of those cookies and brownies, though. I’ll go get my keys.”
I stood up and he grabbed my butt, making me squeal in surprise. “Damn, I love your ass.”
I glanced back at him and smiled. “Good, because I’m about to eat a brownie, and I am not at all worried about the calories. There will be no running them off for me.”
CHAPTER FOUR
GUNNER
Willa had been silent most of the way to her grandmother’s house. I knew she was nervous. She had been so distracted all afternoon that when I got the call that the owners of the house that had once been mine accepted my offer, she hadn’t questioned who I was talking on the phone or what it was about.
That had worked in my favor, but I didn’t like seeing her so tensed up. I had taken her hand in mine to keep her from fidgeting with them. I thought maybe my touch would calm her, but so far that wasn’t working. The closer we had gotten, the more tense she had grown.
When I pulled into the driveway, I parked the car, then reached over and took her chin between my fingers to turn her face toward me. Her eyes were wide and so many emotions were on display I wanted to pull her into my arms and run off with her. Somewhere that nothing could hurt her or upset her. It wasn’t rational, but that was what I wanted.
“I won’t leave your side. If at any moment you need to get out, you take my hand and I will make our excuses. Everyone in there loves you. One just doesn’t know it yet, but she will. Take a deep breath,” I said, then leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. “It’ll all be fine. I swear.”
She nodded and squeezed my hand. “You’re right. It’s time I start making up for not being there,” she whispered. “Let’s go.”
I got out of the G-Wagon and walked over to her side to take her hand in mine. We walked to the front door just as it opened up and Chance stepped out. He and Willa shared the same smile. That had thrown me the first time I met him.
“God, I’ve missed you!” he said, coming down the stairs, and I let her hand go so she could go to her younger brother.
He enveloped her in a hug, towering over her and me. By the time he was seventeen he had been six feet, five inches. It was a shame he didn’t care for basketball. He’d have been great at it.
I watched them hug tightly. Chance looked at me over her head and nodded with his friendly smile. “Good to see you too, Gunner. Looks like you’re taking care of my sister.”