Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 28
ATLAS
Ihelp Nora into her coat, and then into my truck. “Sit by me.” I pat the middle section of the bench seat. “We’re not going far.”
She raises her brows in suspicion. “How far is not far?”
Smirking, I shrug and crank the engine, driving us toward the tree line at the back of the property.
“The road’s the other way.”
“Oh, is it?” I ask, feigning confusion. “I didn’t notice.”
“Smart aleck.” She knocks her knee into mine, smiling.
I bring my hand down onto her leg, curling my fingers around her thigh, squeezing softly. “I was going to take you out somewhere fancy, dinner and a movie and all of that.”
A small, and I mean microscopic, part of me is still worried she’ll be disappointed by what I have planned.
“What made you change your mind?” There’s a softness in her voice though, and it tells me she doesn’t mind one bit.
“This is our first date—your first date. I don’t want to share this with anyone.” I come to a stop a few feet away from where I have everything all set up and shift my truck into park. “Want you all to myself tonight, Pip.”
“Well.” She twists around to face me. “You have me.”
“Damn straight.” I skim my knuckles along her jawline, just barely resisting the urge to kiss her. “Now, wait here.”
I jump down from the truck and make quick work of a few last-minute details before returning to my truck for Nora. “You ready?”
She bounces in her seat and then scooches toward me, allowing me to help her down. “Yes.”
A small gasp slips past her lips as we round the back of the truck. “Atlas!”
I glance her way, pleased to see her eyes are wide with wonder.
“You did all of this for me?” she asks, taking in the set-up. Her pretty hazel eyes bounce around, not knowing where to look first.
There’s a fire going in the pit, with a pile of soft blankets a safe distance away. All the fixings for s’mores are in a basket, and there’s a full-on picnic set up buffet style along my truck’s tailgate, complete with a few bottles of water to wash everything down.
Her voice is tinged with a mixture of awe and disbelief as she takes it all in. She deserves all of this and more, and knowing that I’m the man who’s going to give it to her? It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.
It also makes me want to keep this up for eternity—to constantly find little ways to show her how much she means to me, so that she never forgets just what she means to me.
“Of course, I did.” I tug on her hand, pulling her into my chest. “I love you.”
“Thank you,” she whispers into my shirt before looking up at me from beneath her lashes. “I love you, too.”
My heart freezes in my chest before kicking into overtime. Holy fuck—my girl loves me.
“Sweetest words I’ve ever heard, Pip,” I murmur before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. I mean it, too, because with those three words, I know all the way to my damn soul that she’s mine every bit as much as I’m hers.
“What do we do first?” She steps out of my embrace, but not completely away from me. “I honestly don’t know where to start.”
“Anywhere you want.” I reach down and interlace our fingers. “Are you hungry?”
Her stomach rumbles before she can reply.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I guide her toward the tailgate. “It’s not exactly gourmet, but we’ve got all the stuff to make sandwiches, fruit, chips, and a few bottles of water…”
“It’s perfect.” She pops up onto her toes and presses a kiss to my scruffy cheek. “I mean it. I couldn’t think of anything better than this.”
I can’t help the grin that splits my cheeks. For a second, as I was listing our choices, a thread of doubt tried to worm its way in, but here Nora is, effortlessly reassuring me and setting me at ease.
We’re far from conventional, but it’s times like these that I can’t help but think she was made just for me.
“This is just the start.” I pass her a paper plate and nudge her closer to the truck so that she can make her sandwich the way she likes.
“What does that even mean?” she asks, slathering a generous serving of mayo across both slices of bread.
I shrug and then set to work on my own sandwich.
“Atlas!” She huffs in annoyance as she adds ham and muenster cheese. “That’s not fair. Friends don’t keep secrets.”
“Good thing you’re not my friend.” It’s a shit response, but I’m banking on her reaction.
“What?” Outwardly, she’s calm but I hear the slight crack in her voice. “I’m not?”
“Hell no, Pip.” I set my plate on the tailgate, lean into her space, and cup her cheek. “You’re so much more. You’re my everything. My entire reason for being.”