Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
She glances at his hand on her shoulder, giving me the impression that it bothers her.
My skin begins to crawl on her behalf, and I have to bite back the words when the urge to tell him to get his hand off her surges through me.
Kelcie turns her head to me, giving me a pleading look. “You’re staying for dinner, right?”
Without thinking twice, I nod.
She glances at Colby again. “Say hi to your parents for me.”
He reluctantly pulls his hand away from her, and with a scowl on his face, he mutters, “I’ll come by to check on you tomorrow when you’re not busy.”
“Jill is coming over tomorrow.” The words burst from Kelcie as she gives him an apologetic look. “You don’t have to check on me. I’m fine.”
A tense smile forms on his face. “I just want to make sure my favorite girl is okay. I know it’s a difficult time for you.”
Anguish flashes over Kelcie’s features, and I grind my molars to keep from telling Colby to take a hike.
Having had enough, I signal to Lick to take an attacking stance, and my dog doesn’t let me down. She darts to her feet and begins to growl threateningly.
Colby glares at her, then mutters, “You should put a leash on that dog.”
“Usually, she loves people. It’s the first time she’s reacting like this.” Knowing she won’t listen, I say, “Down, Lick.” She intensifies her growling, and I lean over to take hold of the thick fur around her neck before glancing at Colby again. “You better go.”
“I’ll call you later when you don’t have company, Kelcie,” Colby spits out before finally walking away.
I pat Lick’s head and gesture for her to sit. She instantly obeys and pants happily.
Kelcie leans over and brushes her hand over Lick’s head and neck. “I wonder why she reacted like that to Colby.”
“She probably senses he was agitated with my being here.”
Kelcie lets out a sigh. “He means well.”
Right.
Keeping her gaze locked on my dog, she continues, “Colby had a crush on me in school, and he’s been trying to get me to go out with him the past six years.” Her shoulders slump, making me think she’s exhausted with his advances. “He’s a good guy, and he has been there for me . . . during hard times.”
“Doesn’t mean you owe him a date.” I give my opinion.
“Yeah.” She lets out a half-hearted chuckle. “I still feel bad, though.”
Wanting to divert her attention away from Colby, I say, “You mentioned dinner?”
She glances over her shoulder at the house. “The townsfolk dropped off enough food to feed a small army. Want to see what there is, then you can choose what you’d like to eat?”
“Sure.”
She looks at the half-empty bottle of wine and our glasses. “You don’t have to drink it. I have sweet tea and sodas.”
“Sweet tea would be great.” I smile as I climb to my feet and pick up the glasses. “I’m not much of a wine drinker.”
“Me too. Jill left the bottle here.” When she sees I don’t recognize the name, she explains, “Jill and her daughter, Holly, live over there.” She points to the light blue painted house to our right.
“I’ve seen them around,” I mention.
When we walk to the back door, I begin to feel a little antsy. Everything I’ve done today is far out of my comfort zone.
We step into the kitchen, and I place the glasses in the sink before looking at Kelcie.
She waves her hand over six dishes sitting on the counter. “Pick one.”
I move closer, and when I’m standing beside her, I realize she’s much shorter than me. The top of her head barely reaches the middle of my chest.
She smells like flowers.
She opens all the containers, and I gesture at the cheesy chicken casserole.
“Good choice,” she says. “I love cheese.”
Suddenly, there’s a flash of extreme pain on her face, and when her breath hitches and speeds up, I don’t hesitate and place my hand on her lower back.
I keep my tone as gentle as possible as I murmur, “Just breathe through it.”
She closes her eyes, and while a thin layer of sweat beads over her forehead, her lips move as she silently counts until the wave of grief passes.
As soon as she’s regained control over her breathing, she whispers, “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
She moves away from me and takes two plates from one of the cupboards.
Only then do I realize I touched her and felt no disgust. Shock ripples through me, and I look down at my palm and fingers, thinking how warm and fragile she felt.
When I met my ex-wife, touching her didn’t fill me with disgust but instead only made me uncomfortable. It was something I could live with.
But that’s not the case with Kelcie.
My palm itches with a need to touch her again, to see if it will feel the same. It’s unnerving as fuck for reasons I can’t quite fathom.