Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I nodded, and we both sat down on the steps. We hadn’t been there long when she lightly bumped me and said, “I had a really good time tonight.”
“Even with the terrible golf?”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“I don’t think I could’ve been worse.”
“I think we proved we’re both equally as bad at it.”
“I missed a ball six times, Rae… Six times.”
“Yeah, you did. It was quite impressive.”
“Ah, now you’re just fucking with me.”
She giggled. “You’ll do better next time.”
“I hate to break it to ya, but I doubt there’ll be a next time.”
“Well, that just makes me sad,” she snickered.
There was something about her smile that had me watching her for a second too long. I was suddenly hit with an unwelcome memory. It wasn’t a full one, but it was enough to remind me what happens when you let yourself have something good.
It was like she knew my head had gone somewhere it had no business going, and she tried to pull me back by asking, “You mentioned earlier that you’d been on the road for a while… Where all have you been?”
“Too many places to name.”
“Okay, then, how about a favorite place you’ve visited?”
“The Dakotas are nice, but the weather can be tricky. Same for Colorado. Like the mountains, but the winters can be brutal. All in all, I like quiet places where nobody asks questions.”
“I get it. Seems like all anybody does around here is ask questions, and it’s usually the ones I don’t want to answer.”
“Every damn time.” Intrigued, I asked, “So, what’s the question you hate the most?”
“Anything to do with Dan and CeeCee. You know, the ex and the best friend.” She rolled her eyes. “It seems everyone is curious about that. They’re always asking things like are you guys still cordial? Do you want to get back together? Did you know CeeCee is pregnant?”
“Oh, damn. Those sound pretty tough.”
“They are, but I’ve gotten pretty good at deflecting.”
“Is that right?”
“Hm-hmm. It’s all in the tone.” She gave me an easy smile as she asked, “So, what do you do? Besides riding across state lines and sharing words of wisdom to teens in diners?”
“A little of this and a little of that. I’m pretty good with my hands… building and working on bikes and… Oh, wait. You were just doing that deflecting thing, weren’t ya?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s impressive,” I chuckled.
“I try.”
“So, what about the librarian thing? Is that something you’ve always wanted to do?”
“Since I was old enough to read. I loved being surrounded by books… the smell and the quiet.”
There was movement behind us, and we both stilled, trying to decipher whether it was the boys or not. After a moment, I turned my attention back to Rae and said, “I should get going.”
She nodded, and we both stood. Before I could overthink it, I stepped toward her, and her breath caught, just barely. But she didn’t move. She just stood there, watching me as I brought my hand up and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, gently tucking it behind her ear.
It was a simple gesture, but it was also intentional.
Very intentional.
I wanted to touch her, and a simple tuck of hair wasn’t enough.
My eyes never left hers as I slipped my hand over her shoulder and rested it at the nape of her neck. I held it there as I stood there staring at her, watching as she barely raked her teeth over her bottom lip.
I knew she was expecting me to kiss her. I could see it in her eyes, but this wasn’t about that. This was about me trying to stay there in the moment, to be in the moment, with her. I didn’t let my mind wander. I didn’t think about what this meant or what it could turn into. I didn’t think about what I might lose.
I kept waiting for the memories, the guilt, the weight of the past to bear down on me, but they didn’t come.
None of it.
I just felt warmth, real and steady, and it engulfed me in a way I hadn’t expected. I searched her eyes for some kind of confirmation that she’d felt what I had, and before I could truly read her, I pulled back my hand and looked away.
That’s right.
I, a man who’d done unthinkable things, killed and tortured, and a man who’d faced death head-on without so much as a flinch, looked away. I couldn’t stand the thought of being wrong about this, wrong about her, so I did the only thing I could.
I got the hell out of there.
Without any warning, I turned and started down the driveway. “Good night, Raelyn.”
“Goodnight, Walker.”
I got on my bike and put on my helmet. I could feel her eyes on me as I turned the ignition, and against my better judgment, I glanced up at her. She was standing in the same spot with her arms loosely folded and hair catching the porch light. She didn’t wave or call out. She just stood there, silently watching as I started down the drive.