Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Uncle Maverick, do you think we could get burgers while we’re in town?” Standing by the side of my car, Hannah cut into my ruminating. “I like the arcade games at the diner.”
“Absolutely. Text Willow that we’ll do burgers after shopping. Bet I can beat you both.” The old arcade game might well be the only thing I was good at, but Hannah didn’t need my bad mood on top of her earlier disappointment.
Taking a page from my past, I faked having fun long enough to actually start enjoying myself. I took the girls south to one of the bigger stores in the area. I was of zero help in the feminine hygiene aisle other than to suggest we add copious amounts of chocolate and several colors of nail polish to the cart, but the girls seemed to have fun, which was all that mattered.
We had a nice early dinner at the diner on our way back into town. Aunt Georgia wasn’t there, but the burgers were as good as always and the gaming was the distraction Hannah and I both needed. For her part, Willow had her father’s reflexes and handily beat both Hannah and me in a race to kill off the most alien invaders.
“Drop me off at my house,” Willow said as we returned to the car. “My dad texted that he’s home.”
Despite my uneven day, my pulse sped up at the prospect of seeing Colt. He met us in the driveway, greeting Willow with a hug. He had the barest hint of a limp left from his twisted ankle. Willow and Hannah ran into the house so Hannah could borrow some book they’d talked about on the drive. It was a nice evening with a hint of a much-appreciated breeze.
“Thanks for taking Willow shopping.” Colt leaned against his truck. He was still in uniform, and I wouldn’t ever get used to how freaking hot he looked in khaki.
“No problem.” I restrained myself from drooling over how his shoulders pulled at his summer uniform shirt. “I should be thanking Willow, not the other way around. We needed to shop for certain…girl things.”
“Say no more.” Colt gave a knowing chuckle. Unlike me, he’d been surrounded by sisters and aunts and such and been a girl dad long enough to not be as uncomfortable as I was in the feminine hygiene aisle. “You’re a good uncle. You doing okay?”
“No.” With anyone else, I’d lie. Hell, if Hannah were there, I’d lie. But alone with Colt, I could be honest in a way my soul dearly needed. “Faith needs help, but I have no idea how to get her to take it. Hannah needs structure Faith isn’t giving her. Grayson needs money answers for fall, which means another meeting feeling unprepared with the trust people.”
Colt whistled low. “That’s a lot.”
“Yeah.” I studied my dusty shoes. “Sorry for the word vomit.”
“Hey.” Colt lightly doffed my shoulder, forcing me to look up. “I’m here. Spew at me anytime. That’s what friends are for.”
We were so much more than friends, but all I could do was swallow hard. “Thanks.”
“Tell you what, Tiffany called earlier, wanting to know if Willow could babysit Friday night. She said it was fine if Hannah came along.” Colt paused, then nodded. “Why don’t you and I do something?”
“What do you have in mind, Sheriff?” I’d waited a hell of a lot of years for Colt Jennings to ask me out, so I was going to enjoy this moment, including the way his tanned cheeks turned dusky.
“I’ll come up with something.” His tone was more resolute than playful, but I liked the take-charge attitude. “You’ve got enough on your plate.”
“Can it include some privacy?” I offered him a heated look to make him blush further.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Chapter 22
Colt
I knew precious little about romance as most of its presence in my life had happened accidentally, with others taking the lead. But I’d volunteered to come up with a distraction for Maverick, so I’d try my best.
He’d looked like shit the other day, face lined and weary, shoulders slumped, the weight of his problems apparent with every step. I wished I could solve Faith’s problems for all of them, but absent that, I could be a good friend. Or at least decent. Friday was crowded with work meetings, leaving me scrambling to make it to the store with Willow, shower, change, and be ready on time for Maverick and Hannah to meet us at my house.
Willow was excited enough for all of us, bouncing up and down and rushing to greet them at the front door.
“You’re here!” She hugged Hannah before dragging her to the couch where two decorated cardboard boxes sat. She’d been busy while I’d been at work, repurposing some of her old art supplies, books, and toys from when she was younger. “Look! I made us babysitting kits!”