Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Don’t stress about going to see our brothers,” Eli told her. “They will love you.”
“What makes you think that?” she asked.
“Because you’re lovable,” Eli said.
“And we’ll make them,” Kellan added.
Great. Just great.
She stared around the house as she walked through it. The few things that had survived the rampage had belonged to Mrs. Taylor.
Nothing of hers had survived. But, thankfully, she hadn’t owned anything she truly cared about. The stuff that had hurt the most was her baking gear and laptop.
But she could replace all of that. At the moment she was using Iona’s baking equipment. However, she was going to buy her own once she got some more money saved up.
Her phone rang and she was surprised to see Pop-Pop’s name on the screen.
“Pop-Pop?” she asked. “Everything okay?”
Eli turned to glance at her but she smiled and walked outside. There wasn’t anything that needed to be done in the house.
“Just checking on you, my girl. I hadn’t heard from you in a few days.”
“Shoot, sorry,” she said.
“Anything to report? Have they found who broke into your place? Where are you staying?”
“No, they haven’t found them. And that deputy I was telling you about? The one who was a dick? Well, he’s disappeared. Oh, and I’ve got a new friend who is letting me bake in her café like Wilma did. Until we find a place.”
“We?” he boomed. “Who is this we?”
“Oh, well, me and my two boyfriends.” She glanced over at Eli and Kellan who had followed her out. Eli was locking up while Kellan and Horse stayed with her. In the distance she could see Abe walking toward them.
“Two boyfriends?” Her grandfather boomed with laughter. “Well, the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree, did it?”
She had to smile at that. “I guess it didn’t. Still got your two lady friends?”
“More than that, I have a third now.”
“Pop-Pop! How can you keep up with three girlfriends?”
“They keep me young. Hey, maybe we’ll move to your town and I can add some more.” He was still laughing when she ended the call.
Abe waved over to her and she moved toward him, Kellan, Eli, and Horse following.
“Hi, Abe, are you all right?”
“I’m good, dear.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yeah, yeah. All this fuss over me.” He waved a hand through the air. “I’m fine. But I don’t want him worrying.”
She nodded at his grouchy reply. She knew this was likely hard.
“Thing is, this home has been in my family a long time and my nephew doesn’t want to move in, but I don’t want to sell it to strangers. How about you three buy it?”
His question was blunt and it took her a moment to realize what he was saying.
He wanted them to buy his beautiful house? She sucked in a breath. “That’s such a kind thought, but I don’t know if we could afford it.”
“How much were you thinking?” Eli asked suddenly. She hadn’t realized he’d joined them.
Abe named a sum that seemed way beyond her capabilities. Disappointment filled her.
“You want this house?” Kellan asked her as Eli spoke to Abe.
“I love the house. But it’s too much money.”
“We’ll take it,” Kellan said. “After an inspection.”
Shocked, she gaped up at him. Then over at Eli who was smiling and nodding.
“Inspection won’t find anything. Solid house, this is.”
Abe left and she was still staring at her men in shock. “You can’t . . . why . . . don’t you want . . . I mean . . . what just happened?”
“We just bought a house,” Eli told her, drawing her close to his chest. Kellan moved in behind her. “We’re going to have a home.”
“One you want, right?” Kellan asked
“I love that house . . . but that happened so quickly. What about the two of you? What you want? Can we afford it?”
“We can afford it. Money isn’t something you need to worry about. In fact, we need to have a discussion about your car. The one you have isn’t safe.”
“My car is fine.” She shook her head. “This is all crazy. Are you really sure this is what you want? I don’t want you to do this for me and then regret it.”
“We won’t regret it,” Kellan said.
“The two of us will always be happy wherever you are,” Eli told her.
“Although we’ll be putting in better security. And we need to find out where those noises and lights came from.”
This was nuts.
And yet, it was everything she’d ever wanted.
Maybe she’d had to suffer through hell to get the life she’d always desired.
But it seems it might just have been worth it.
37
“Hello, can I help you?” a young girl asked from where she sat behind the front desk at Ravina’s office.
“Hi, I’d like to see Ravina, please.”
“Have you got an appointment?” The girl didn’t bother to even glance up from where she was filing her nails.