Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 105825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“The new hospital. The ground-breaking ceremony is tomorrow.” Her face fell as she remembered something. “I’ve got to give a speech!”
That protective need unfurled in my chest and I took a half step towards her before I could stop myself. She was barefoot and that made her smaller and even more vulnerable. I just wanted to pull her into my arms and shield her from everyone and everything. But if I did that, I wasn’t going to be able to stop.
I crossed my arms so I couldn’t do anything stupid. “You’ll do great.”
She shook her head. “I’m not my dad.”
“No, you’re not. You’re you,” I said sincerely. “And you’ll do great.”
She cocked her head to one side and frowned at me, utterly confused. Why?
And I just stared right back at her. Because you’re amazing. If she didn’t believe in herself right now, I’d damn well believe enough for both of us.
She flushed and gave a little shake of her head, turning away. “This is Cody’s room,” she told me, knocking and then pushing open a door. Cody was at a desk, doing his homework. He looked up and beamed when he saw me. “JD!”
I grinned back but a cold hand was squeezing my heart. Right above Cody’s desk was a huge poster of a Blackhawk helicopter. Max had been obsessed with military hardware, too: for him, it had been jets.
Lorna went in and asked Cody about school, while I stood in the doorway and took in the rest of the room. Swimming medals, video game posters…and one whole side of the room given over to a city made of Legos. A monorail wound around buildings and there were solar panels on all the roofs. That’s the next generation of McBride architects, right there.
“Paige’s room is that one there,” Lorna told me, pointing across the hall. “And this is my room.” She opened the door just long enough for me to get a glimpse—
A big, wooden bed with soft white pillows and a dark green comforter. There was an old-fashioned, wind-up alarm clock by the bed. Everything was tidy except…there was a bra. A black bra, the cups made of filmy material that her nipples would definitely show through. It was hanging off the dresser as if it had been tossed there in a hurry and suddenly, I was imagining her standing there, unhooking the bra at the back as she lifted the cups free from those gorgeous breasts—
I flushed. Lorna closed the door but the image stayed in my mind.
She pushed open the door next to hers to reveal a long room with a double bed, couch and desk. “This is the guest bedroom. You can stay here…if that’s okay? She flushed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, this all happened so fast, I asked you and you said yes: we didn’t talk about all the stuff we should have talked about. Like how this is going to work? And how long can you be here for? And what I’m paying you.” Her eyes went wide with horror. “Oh God, you know I’m paying you, right? I’m not expecting you to do this for free! And look, if you’ve changed your mind or—”
I could see she was spiraling so I grabbed her hands. “Lorna!”
She broke off so suddenly and looked up at me so meekly that I swear I nearly lost it and just kissed her right then. One tug on her hands and she’d be against me…
“Now listen,” I told her. “One, it’s fine. We’ll figure it out. Two, I’ll be here as long as I need to be. Three, you don’t need to pay me. And four…” I got distracted staring at her mouth. “...four,” I said, rallying, “no, I haven’t changed my mind.”
She stared up at me. I could see the shock in her eyes and then she gulped, overcome. Jesus, hadn’t a guy ever done something nice for her, before? Or had her ex treated her so bad that she thought we were all assholes?
“Thank you,” she told me softly. Then her voice grew firm. “I’m paying you, though. That’s non-negotiable.”
I nodded, and I couldn’t stop a smile pulling at my lips. She was beyond cute when she got firm. “Yes ma’am.”
She nodded to the room. “I’m sorry it’s not bigger. There should be an extra ten feet at the back, but there was a mistake on the plans. The penthouse originally had a private elevator up from my dad’s office, one floor down. He changed his mind, figured it was an indulgence too far, but by that point the shaft was already in and he had to just wall it up. This room was going to be a hallway leading to the elevator, that’s why it’s so long and thin—”
I grinned. “It’s great.” Hell, it was the same size as my whole apartment, back in Mount Mercy.