Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
I stopped. That sounded nice. Sunshine sent a warm rush through me. Apparently, I liked being outdoors. “I can do that? I mean, will it be okay?” With Luther or Linc? I wasn’t sure who made the decisions around here.
From the way they spoke, it seemed that Linc was the one in charge, but Luther acted as if he was in charge. The thought of Luther made me smile without thinking. He’d come down to read to me this morning. It was something he did daily. I looked forward to it the most.
“Of course,” Jayda said, nodding her head toward the elevator. “I’ll even get you a change of clothing. The hospital gowns you’ve been wearing aren’t really needed anymore.”
I looked down at the light-blue gown, much like the one I’d had on yesterday and the day before. Jayda had been bringing me a new one and helping me sponge off the past few evenings before I went to sleep. She’d said that she would wrap up my cast and I could get in the shower tonight. The idea sounded heavenly especially now that it didn’t hurt to touch my head. The first few times Jayda had brushed my hair had been awful even though she had been gentle.
Jayda pressed the elevator call button, and the doors slid open immediately. She waved a hand for me to enter. Excitement at getting to go somewhere else and just move made the pain it caused worth it. Besides, the doctor had told me when he came by earlier that it was time for me to start getting around more. So, I knew I wasn’t hurting myself, even if it felt like it.
“Let’s break out of this joint,” she said with a grin.
She was impossible not to like. Although the first time I’d seen her with Luther, it had bothered me. She was stunning. I didn’t remember what I looked like without the bruising and swelling on my face, but I was sure I didn’t compare to her in appearance. She was comfortable with Luther, and he’d tease her, making her roll her eyes. But the more I was around her, the more I found to like about her.
“I was going to ask if you like dogs, but I guess you don’t know that.” She looked at me curiously.
An eager rush welled up in my chest, and I smiled. “I…I think I do,” I told her.
“Let’s hope so. Because when I said we were the only ones here, that wasn’t necessarily true. Maui is a large smoky-colored ball of curly fluff who is overly friendly. Although he has been trained and doesn’t jump, he will do his best to love on you. He likes attention and is spoiled.”
Happy. I was happy. My lip was healing, but it hurt from the grin that spread across my face. “He sounds wonderful.”
Jayda nodded. “Oh, he is. But aggressively affectionate. The only person who can get him to calm down with one word is Luther. He will sit at Luther’s feet and put his head in Luther’s lap and go to sleep. For everyone else, he’s a wild man.”
“He’s Luther’s then?” I asked, liking him even more for having a dog.
I must have a dog or maybe several. Where were they? Was someone taking care of them?
“Oh, no. He’s not Luther’s, but you’d think he was. He belongs to Stevie, Linc’s daughter. She’s equally adorable and full of energy. They make a good pair. She has her own head full of curls, but they’re blonde. She isn’t here today though. It’s best you meet them one at a time anyway.”
The doors opened, and Jayda noticed my hesitancy. She stepped out, then looked back at me with a reassuring smile. I followed her, taking in my surroundings. We were in a long, wide hallway. There weren’t any pictures on the walls, and there was only one other door at the very end.
“Follow me,” she instructed before turning right and walking toward a closed door.
It seemed like there was a lot of wasted space here, but I didn’t say it.
When we reached the door, she lifted a flap to reveal a keypad and tapped in a code. A click followed, and she let the flap close, then turned the knob to swing open the barrier that seemed heavy, as I watched her have to push hard.
She had barely stepped through when she paused and called out, “Whoa!”
I watched as the large fluff she’d told me about barreled into her legs, shoving them apart, and wagged its tail wildly as he stared up at me curiously. The sight they made with her now having to straddle the dog caused me to laugh out loud, and the sound was as familiar as it was strange. I’d not laughed before—or at least not since waking up here. I was sure I’d laughed at some point in my life.