Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Roman raised his hand like this was a classroom. “I might be wrong, but I thought she hated you.”
“Exactly,” Ryan agreed. “I was there when she threatened to shoot you.”
That much was true, but I flashed my famous Derek Gregory smile and took a swig of beer. “No woman can hate me for long. I’m irresistible.”
Roman barked out a laugh. “Oh I get it, she got kicked in the head by a cow, and you asked her out at the right time.”
Everest laughed from his seat beside Keri who was engrossed in her phone. “We don’t have cows.”
“Fine, a horse,” Roman shot back with a grin.
“Don’t have those either.”
“Goats?”
“Too small to kick her in the head unless she’s lying on the ground,” Everest answered, his expression full of amusement.
“Wait.” Roman held up both hands, his expression one of pure disbelief as he pointed at me. “So, you’re saying that she just, likes this guy? This one, and not me?”
Everest chuckled and shrugged. “Seems like it.”
“Well hell,” Roman groaned. “I guess I gotta get back to LA where the women have actual taste.”
“Very funny, little brother. I think you mean where being a celebrity is enough to get you laid.”
Roman frowned. “Isn’t that what I said?”
Even more laughter exploded around the table just as the screen door smacked open and Bella came out, looking exhausted. And worried.
Everest and I were on our feet at the same time, both of us rushed towards her like excited children. “What happened?” I asked and rubbed my hands up and down her shoulders.”
“What did she say?” Everest scanned Bella’s face for any sign that things were going to be all right.
“Is everything all right?”
“Are they going to make me stay with my mom’s parents?” Everest’s tone grew frantic, and I put what I hoped was a soothing hand on his shoulder.
Bella held up a hand to stop the barrage of questions and flashed a patient smile. “Kathy and I talked at length. She answered my questions, and I answered hers as best as I could. The house is well-kept and Everest has his own space and feels at home. She found no issues that would work against me, and that’s about it. I’ll call Ian tomorrow to see what happens next. Now, no more questions please. I need a drink, cold and strong.”
“Here you go honey.” Angelea appeared, seemingly out of thin air, with a tumbler filled with ice cubes and amber liquid. “Chilled Maker’s Mark.”
“Thanks Mom. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Angelea grinned. “I’m just glad you’ve learned to accept help.”
“What about me?” I grinned cheekily at her now that I knew there was no immediate danger of her losing her kid. “Are you glad I’m here?”
Everest snorted beside me and Bella laughed. “You know what? I am glad to have you here. It’s nice to have eye candy after a long and stressful day.”
I laughed and shouted over my shoulder to the table. “You hear that? Bella called me eye candy.”
Roman rolled his eyes.
Bella laughed. “Is that pecan pie? I love pecan pie,” she enthused and hurried to the table with a smile and wrapped an arm around Everest who hadn’t left her side.
“Eye candy is a good start,” Angelea whispered. “My advice? Tell her how you feel before you do something to mess it up. Again.” With a gentle pat of my cheek, she joined the others and I stood there lost in my own thoughts of the past and the present. Of my fake relationship with Bella, and of the real one I was starting to want.
Chapter 21
Bella
“You guys are leaving?” I frowned at Mom and Everest. Everest had helped me pack—over pack, actually—a picnic basket for movie in the park night, and now they were abandoning me. Technically they were abandoning us, because this was another date night with Derek.
Mom smiled, and there was an unmistakable twinkle in her eye. “You kids will be fine without us, won’t you?”
“That’s not the point. The basket is overflowing with food, some of which you both requested,” I whined and pointed at her and Everest.
“Oh yeah,” Ev said, as if he just remembered something, and doubled back to root around in the wicker basket. He smiled when he found what he was looking for. “Can you believe Keri has never had homemade potato chips before?” He shook his head and grinned at me. “I’ll take sandwiches too if you think you couldn’t possibly eat them all.”
“Take them,” I encouraged. “At least then I’ll know you’re eating real food and not just cotton candy and soda.”
He perked up. “There’s cotton candy here?”
“Go,” I urged with a laugh as Everest and Mom scampered off to meet their friends, that left me all alone with Derek.
“You can’t avoid me forever, sweetheart.”
I laid out the blanket and ignored his comment until I was seated comfortably with the basket between us. “I’m not avoiding you, obviously. It just doesn’t make sense to spend all that time making all of this stuff only for them to leave.”