Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 42379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
“Rio, bring me water next time, okay?” Maisie whispered to the bartender. She got the distinct impression he’d fallen on hard times during his life and would understand.
“Gotcha,” the handsome bartender acknowledged with no further questions.
With that taken care of, she turned back to speak to Beau, who stayed at her side while the crowd swarmed toward Colt to congratulate him on his winning touchdown. It peeved her they didn’t recognize the player who’d launched that skillful pass.
“Shouldn’t they be smacking you on the butt, too?”
“I’m just part of the team. There were a lot of us on the field. Besides, hopefully, this has gotten Colt a scholarship.”
Distracted by that thought, Maisie turned to look at Colt. She’d love for him to land on his feet after high school. A great scholarship would make things easier for him.
“Have you found a university where the professors can stimulate your brain instead of you challenging theirs?” Beau teased, drawing her attention back to him.
“I think so. They seem very cutting-edge from my interviews. I’m going to absorb all the information they can shove into my brain,” she answered with a laugh.
Maisie loved her high school teachers, but she’d quickly exceeded their level of knowledge. Her math and science teachers had worked together to establish a link with the college they’d both attended to allow her to sit in on advanced science and applied calculus classes. She still took the same tests as others in her assigned high school classes. Maisie just didn’t waste time studying things she had already mastered.
The only person she taught was Beau. His mind was so sharp. He loved science almost as much as she did, but his skills in debate and as an athlete were the talents everyone noticed about him. She knew he would bow to his father’s desire that he go to law school and then into politics. It’s what his parents had groomed him to do since birth. Perhaps she could influence the future of the environment and ecology by fueling his love of science and data.
Looking at the tall teenager next to her, Maisie saw a glint of silver. She reached out to stroke the hair on his temple. “You’re going gray.”
“I know. It just cropped up. My dad was completely gray by age thirty. His started going silver in high school as well. He’s way too happy that I’m his mini me,” Beau said with a grimace.
“As if you could be anyone’s mini me,” Maisie protested. “You’re nothing like your dad.”
“I’m more similar to him than I’d like, but I do think he tries to use his political power to do the right thing. His ideas and mine differ.”
“I’ll say.”
Changing the subject, Beau suggested, “Let’s sign up Harper and Colt for karaoke.”
“I know the perfect song,” Maisie enthused.
Someone should be able to love the person who meant the most to them in the world. Maisie peeked up at the handsome senior next to her and tried to ignore the thought that popped into her mind.
It could never work out between an aristocratic guy from the rich side of town and a scrawny girl who has cardboard in her sneakers to make them last a few more months.
CHAPTER 2
Avondale High School
“Maisie, you’re going to trip. Put down your notes for two minutes until we get through the parking lot.”
“That’s all I need to memorize these formulas. Don’t worry about me, Beau.”
“Whoa!” Beau caught himself on a nearby car as he stumbled over an object on the ground.
“See? Worry about yourself,” Maisie said tartly before asking, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Beau assured her with a smile and reached down to pick up a thick book he’d tripped over. He glanced at the title and stiffened. Daddy. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
“Maisie, go on ahead. I’m going to put this in my car.”
“You can’t just take someone’s book. Take it to the lost and found,” Maisie instructed, rounding the hood of the car that separated them.
“I can’t take this book there.” He tilted the cover slightly to allow her to read it before turning so she could look as he examined it. The tattered edges of the pages clued him in that someone had read this book over and over. Beau opened the cover and read the dedication:
To my sweet Little girl.
He turned a few more pages and ran his finger down the chapters in the table of contents. It appeared to be an instruction book for Daddies and Littles. He looked at Maisie and knew his expression was equally astounded.
A loud burst of laughter behind them alerted the couple that a group of their classmates approached. Beau snapped the cover shut and nodded toward the building. “Go.”
Without a peep, Maisie walked toward the building as Beau tucked the book between several he carried. When it was concealed, he doubled back to his car.