Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Who?” I force a smile, calling on some untold patience as the older woman rambles sweetly. God love her, she could talk the ear off a post, that one.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I thought you’d want to see for yourself.” Linda moves away, gesturing to someone out of my line of sight, who appears from the side of the barn. “Our dear Charley is back.”
My heart balls into a tight little fist in my chest and nearly explodes.
“Charley?” I echo. My gaze locks on emerald-green eyes.
Her eyes flash, round and wide and burning up at me through a fan of dark eyelashes.
“Hi, Liam.” She twists her hands in front of her. A backpack hangs off one shoulder, and her eyes are red and tired. “It’s so good to see you.”
I gnash my teeth, a grating sound against the uncomfortable silence. My skin pricks, simmering with rage, and a thousand questions claw at my throat, desperate to be spit out.
“See, Charley and Penny don’t have a place to stay,” Linda continues. “Charley explained to me on the way out here that she got custody of her little sister after their parents passed away, but she doesn’t have anywhere else to turn, no family to speak of…”
“Wait a second…” My mind files through the memories of our last summer together before she unceremoniously disappeared from my life. “Your parents passed away?”
My gaze moves from Charley to Penny. The girl is small for her age. She must be eight or nine. I search my memory, but for the life of me, I can’t recall the details. Probably because Charley's leaving hurt so fucking much that I blocked everything out to survive.
“They were on a couple’s getaway with friends when they were caught in a snowstorm up north,” Charley breathes. “The road was icy. The car flipped multiple times. It was… quick.”
My heart sinks. My instinct is to wrap my arms around her and let her know she’s safe. That I’ve got her, and everything will be okay. But I don’t. I stay silent because, as much as my heart wants to reach for her, my mind simply cannot allow it.
“I’m sorry,” I finally reply. “If there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate—”
“Actually,” Linda interrupts, moving closer, “the girls could use a warm place to sleep. The hostel is no place for two young ladies, Liam. Penny is only seven. As soon as Nancy mentioned they didn’t have even a single bed for them to sleep in, well, I thought of putting them up in my guest bedroom. But it’s piled to the ceiling with my unfinished sewing and knitting projects, so that wouldn’t work. Then I thought about you and all those empty rooms up at the main house.”
Linda’s smile is sweet, giving, and hopeful. It falters as she takes my extended silence as a bad sign. “I’m here four or five times a week. I can help them settle in and teach Charley the ropes so she can take over some of my duties. I may not look my age, but I won’t be around forever, dear.”
“I…” I pause, thinking about how horrible Linda’s plan sounds. “I don’t know…” My eyes bounce from Linda’s pleading gaze to Charley’s green one.
Penny’s attention is glued to the working Clydesdale horses gathering at the fence line to take sugar cubes from the tour group. “Can I go check out the horses?”
Linda waves her off before she’s in my ear again. “Country life would do that girl some good.”
I suppress a groan, casting a sidelong glance at Charley, who avoids my gaze. My heart cracks as I look at her. The weariness etched on her features is so different from the girl I remember—a girl who was full of life. The inquisitive sparkle that always danced in her eyes is dimmed, clouded with a sorrow I can’t decipher. It’s been years. Her misery shouldn’t be a bullet hitting me directly in the heart. But it is because I can’t forget what Charley meant to me, what we were to each other.
She was the girl who pressed her lips to mine in an epic first kiss. Held me when my life crumbled. Inspired me to invest every ounce of my heart into this business. Uprooted every plan for my future when she moved away. The girl who’s always owned my fucking soul.
“Fine.” I grit out, not at all sure what I’m agreeing to. “But only because it’s Christmas time.”
Linda claps joyously. “It’s not often we see your festive side.”
Charley’s eyes narrow. “This is festive Liam?”
I glare at her, uncomfortable with the idea of her piercing the cushy little bubble I’ve created for myself here at the farm. “I’m festive as fuck.”
Charley cracks a grin, and Linda stifles a giggle before they both burst into uncontrollable laughter.