Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
With a heavy sigh, I force myself out of bed and across the hall to the bathroom. My sisters keep trying to talk me into moving into the primary bedroom, but that was our parents’ room. Although being thirty-two and still sleeping in the same room I did when my parents brought me home from the hospital is weird, I can’t bring myself to take over their room. I don’t care that I’m the oldest. I’ve told all three of them they can fight it out over who gets it, but none of us wants it. So, instead, it sits empty. A few years ago, Gram and Gramps convinced us to donate their things. That was a hard day, but the four of us, with the help of our grandparents, got through it together.
It’s amazing what a little bit of makeup can do to hide the evidence of tears. A few drops of Visine in each eye, and I’m headed back to the Manor. It’s a short walk from the main house, and I could use that time to let the Visine do its job.
Stepping inside the Manor, I see Leighton at the front desk. “Hey, what are you doing out here?” I ask my sister.
“Beth had a dentist appointment. I told her that I’d cover her until she got back. Where have you been?”
“I went to see Mary for a little bit and took her the cookies that Courtlynn made for her.”
Leighton studies me. “What else?”
I sigh. There’s no use in hiding it from her. “While I was there, Copeland showed up. He came home a day early to surprise his mom.”
“What?” she shrieks.
I shrug. “It’s fine.” I wave my hand in the air like I wasn’t just crying so hard I could barely breathe over running into him today.
“Ellie—” she starts, but quickly stops when the door behind me opens.
Leighton puts on her customer-service smile before her eyes dart to mine, giving me a look that tells me more than her words could. Although I didn’t need that look from her to know who it is. I can feel his presence. I must have been a total bitch in another life to have all of this anguish raining down on me. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and turn to face him.
“Copeland.” I nod in greeting.
“Ells,” he says. The name only he’s ever called me rolls off his tongue with ease. His using that name sliced through me earlier today, and that same pain makes itself known this time, as well.
“I’ll leave you to it,” I tell Leighton, and rush off toward my office at the back of the Manor. Thankfully, the kitchen is close, and so is the bathroom. Maybe I’ll get more work done since I plan on locking myself either in my bedroom or my office until he’s no longer a guest.
Plopping down in my chair, I groan because, damn, this thing is not comfortable. Opening up my laptop, I push my ex to the back of my mind and get to work. At least, that’s the plan. I get maybe a solid forty minutes in before Leighton appears, with Courtlynn right beside her. They make themselves at home in the guest chairs in my office, which I’m certain are more comfortable than mine, and stare me down.
“What’s up?” I ask, pretending like my world hasn’t been tilted on its axis this afternoon.
“Please hold.” Courtlynn holds up her index finger, reaches around to remove her phone from her back pocket, and taps at the screen.
“Great,” I mutter. She’s including Baylor in this conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters. I love the bond that we share, but I’m not in the mood to talk about Copeland. Not today, not tomorrow, and probably not ever. I need to keep him and his strong jaw and those muscular arms pushed to the back of my mind.
“What’s up?” Baylor asks.
“We’re about to interrogate Ellie, and we thought you’d want to be here for it,” Courtlynn explains.
“I’m down. Give me a second to close my office door,” she says. There’s rustling, and then, “I’m back. Let’s do this.”
“Ellison Moran, would you please share with the class, aka your loving sisters, how your meeting went this afternoon?” Courtlynn asks in a mock professional tone.
“We’re not doing this,” I tell them.
“Oh, we’re doing this,” Baylor says. “Court, I need details.”
“Well, I don’t have many. What I do know is that Ellie went to visit Mary earlier and took her some cookies I made for her. They were both surprised when Copeland walked in. He’s home a day earlier than planned.”
“No way!” Baylor exclaims. “Ellie, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assure them, and I’m damn proud that I’m able to keep my tone level. Not a quiver of the lips in sight.