Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“What do you want?”
“Well, I came to apologize for all the noise yesterday,” she said, holding out the container with the cake in it. “I made you a cake.”
She waited for him to tell her to get lost.
Some parts of this move really weren’t working out all that great. Nearly spending the night in her car. Having the police called to her place because of Horse.
Bossy men telling her what to do all the time.
Her neighbor huffed. “What flavor is it?”
“Um, chocolate. Is that all right?” She hadn’t considered whether he’d like that flavor or not.
Shoot.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked gruffly. “Who wouldn’t like chocolate?”
“I suppose there are some people.”
“Stupid people,” he said.
She had to hide a smile. “Well, here you go.” She held up the container again.
“Don’t be one of those stupid people.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Come in, girlie.”
“I can’t leave Horse outside, sorry. He makes a lot of noise if he’s on his own.”
“Does he? Big, isn’t he?”
She grimaced. “Again, I’m so sorry about the noise yesterday.”
“What noise? Come inside. Bring the mutt and that cake with you.”
She followed him in and set the cake down on the counter. He had a gorgeous house. It was wooden with a large wraparound porch. The inside was light and clean. Dark wooden floors and creamy-colored walls.
“Big cake,” he said as she pulled off the lid.
“Sorry.” Shoot. Was it too big?
She’d designed it to look like Horse’s face. He was holding a bone in his mouth that had: I’m sorry written on it.
“You say sorry a lot. Also, your cake looks like your dog. And it’s also saying sorry.”
“It’s meant to. I didn’t have a lot of time or I would have done a better job.”
“Far as I can see, the job you did was perfect. Too good to cut and eat.” He sounded put-out.
“Oh, I can do this again,” she reassured him. “Or something else. I hope you like cupcakes too. And cookies. I like to bake and decorate. It’s kind of what I do for a living.”
And she really had to film some content soon or her followers were going to start worrying about what had happened to her.
“Yeah?” He shook his head as he sat. “Strange jobs you kids have nowadays.”
She had to bite her lip against telling him that she wasn’t exactly a kid. He directed her on where to find plates and a knife. She let Horse go, hoping he’d behave himself and the dog went and settled in next to the old man.
She gave Horse a surprised look.
“Nice dog. What did you call him before?”
“Horse,” she said.
He snorted. “Good name.”
“You’re the first person that has thought so. Um, what’s your name?”
“No accounting for taste. I’m Abe Johnson. Why is your dog apologizing to me?”
“Oh, for all the noise yesterday.”
“What noise?”
“You didn’t hear Horse crying while I was gone? When I got home there was a deputy sheriff at my house and he said a neighbor called in about the noise?”
“Wasn’t me,” he said. “Didn’t have my hearing aids in yesterday. Only put them in today because my nephew is coming around. He’ll like this cake. Don’t hear much when I don’t have my hearing aids in. Good thing too or I’d never get any sleep, apparently.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
He took a bite of the cake. He ate several bites and she realized she was on tenterhooks, waiting to hear what he thought.
What was wrong with her? What did it matter if he liked it or not?
“This is good, girlie.”
“Thank you. What do you mean you wouldn’t get any sleep?”
“Oh, Val used to say that she could hear stuff at all times of night. Kept her awake. Hope you sleep deep.”
What were the noises?
“Was the deputy that idiot, Wane or Dane or what’s his name?”
“Zane,” she said.
He grunted. “That’s him. Idiot. Don’t know why Jake took him on.” He reached down and patted Horse’s head. “You can leave him with me when you go out. Seems like he’d be good protection.”
“I guess he would be. It’s pretty safe around here, though, right?” she asked.
“Ain’t nowhere that’s fully safe,” he replied. “The sheriff and his deputies try. But they can’t be everywhere at once.”
She guessed that was true. “If I get stuck that would be great if Horse could come over and stay with you. Although he’s not mine. I have to find his owners. I found him on the side of the road.” Horse came over and put his head on her lap.
“Seems like he’s pretty happy with you, girlie,” he replied.
After they finished their cake, she headed back to her place.
“Weird about those noises, huh, Horse?”
Horse let out a small chuff.
“I haven’t heard anything, have you?”
Horse chuffed again.
“Exactly. It’s a quiet, peaceful town. And other than the overly bossy men, it’s going to be a great place to live.”