Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 131387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Tonks had learned workshop time meant she didn’t get close to me unless I called her (see? she was so smart—totally special), so, since I’d stripped the shelves that week, I stained them that morning.
I then turned my attention to the Coach bags, removed the hardware, went to town on them with Brasso, before I thoroughly cleaned the bags with leather cleaner. I stuffed them with tissue paper to bring back their shape, and they’d get a massive moisture massage with leather conditioner once the mild dampness of the cleaning had dried.
At this point, I realized I was hungry, so Tonks and I went back into the house.
And now I had a dog at my feet, watching with extreme focus as I made my sandwich, and a cat sitting on the stool opposite the counter from me, just her ears and yellow eyes appearing over the surface, and she was doing the same.
As for me, I’d tried to keep busy, but my mind was consumed with what happened with Hutch yesterday.
No, not true.
It was consumed with what had happened with Hutch since the beginning.
Yesterday, he was not Mr. Grouch.
Yesterday, he was amazing.
Friendly, great with kids, awesome with a basketball.
“Was it a peace offering?” I asked Moxie.
I was sure she cared about the state of play between me and Hutch, but she was more interested in my turkey sandwich.
I broke off a piece of turkey and put it on the counter in front of her kitty face.
She got up on her paws on the counter, sniffed the meat, sniffed it again, gave it a cautious lick, then took hold of it in her teeth, jumped off the stool and dashed somewhere she could eat in privacy.
I pulled a whole slice off the pile and tossed it to Tonks.
Whereas Moxie would make the treat last, Tonks caught it mid-air and swallowed it whole.
“I wanna be a Moxie with food,” I told Tonks. “But I’m a Tonks.”
Tonks woo-wooed her approval.
I finished making my sandwich, put the stuff away, and went with my plate and my phone to the couch.
Tonks came with me, giving me you know I’m starving eyes.
“You got yours, this is for me,” I told her. Then ordered, “Down.”
She didn’t hesitate. She lay down but put her head on the couch seat in front of me so she could continue to assert that she was starving.
“So, if that was a peace offering from Hutch, I should accept, right?” I asked my dog.
At the sound of the word “Hutch,” hear ears cocked, and when I was done talking, she woo-wooed softly.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” I said. “And I know what that was, what started us. That was then. This is now. If he wanted something more, he’s had ample opportunity to communicate that to me. And I’m far from looking for any romantic entanglements. We know where we stand. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, right?”
That got a stronger woo-woo.
“Right,” I agreed.
I took a bite of sandwich, and while chewing, I grabbed my phone.
I then texted Hutch, Right, Larry Bird. What gives?
I put my phone down and went after my sandwich, not expecting an immediate response.
But I got one…ish. It didn’t come immediately, but a few minutes later a text from Mr. Grouch (how I’d programmed him in, but if recent circumstances held strong, I might want to change that, and yeah, I was considering Larry Bird) showed on my screen.
I snatched it up, half expecting him to tell me he didn’t appreciate getting texts from clients on a Sunday (not that I was paying him, but still).
He didn’t tell me that.
He told me, Basketball scholarship. Purdue. Point guard. And I didn’t let myself get rusty.
I knew I had turkey and Swiss teeth as I grinned at my phone.
I swallowed that, took another bite, and while chewing, texted back, Color a girl impressed. Or three of them, Emma, Abigail and me. Also the entire town of Misted Pines.
I got back, A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. A pink teddy bear was on the line.
Oh yeah.
Yesterday was a peace offering.
This was a whole new man.
I didn’t know what prompted his change, but I wasn’t going to let the opportunity slide.
In all seriousness, that was really cool of you.
It wasn’t a big deal, he replied.
It was to Emma, I returned.
And me, I did not type out.
I watched the three dots swirl, then, Kids need golden moments when they’re growing up.
I stared at my phone for a long time, knowing that was the absolute truth.
Then I typed, Yeah, they do. She’s young, but I doubt she’ll forget that.
Before he could text again, I added, Also thanks for the apple.
More watching the three dots then, Couldn’t let it go to waste.
So, Navy SEAL, dog trainer extraordinaire and car thief? Even more impressed, I sent.