Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Competitive with what the hospital pays,” Odin answered.
“I’m contracted out as a travel nurse, so I doubt that you can pay me that,” I admitted. “But I’d be willing to take a pay cut to stay.”
Anywhere Gentry was, I’d be, too.
This was the first time in years that I’d felt completely safe, and that had everything to do with Gentry.
I wouldn’t leave him.
The safety was worth it.
I could sleep. I could go to the store. I could go to work.
Never once did I worry that I would die.
“Then less than what you’d get paid travel nursing, and about the same as you’d get paid if you worked at the hospital,” he said. “I want permanent staff. So it’ll be a competitive pay with yearly raises. Plus, you’re Gentry’s. It’s nice to have family around.”
Family.
Gentry’s.
Was that what I was?
I didn’t feel like I was.
I felt like I was the reason he didn’t have a family…
“When would you need me to start?” I wondered.
“As soon as possible.” He took a sip of his beer. “When does your contract end with the hospital?”
“Four days,” I answered. “You saved me from having to apply at the hospital that I hate.”
If I would even get that job after today…
“Then it all works out.” He paused. “Can’t bring that dog, though. Constance has a little girl. I can’t risk it.”
I nodded. “He’s getting better, but he’s not there yet. He may never be there. I wouldn’t bring him around adults, let alone children.”
“Maybe he will.”
“Maybe who will what?”
Gentry.
“Maybe her dog will get better. But he won’t get better at my place of work,” Odin grumbled. “Why are you wearing so much glitter?”
Gentry flicked his fingers at Odin, and flecks spread through the air to land on his torso.
Odin winced.
“Kids, especially girl kids, come with a lot of glitter,” he informed us. “And for some reason, Major’s grandkids are all dressed in glitter dresses with glitter in their hair and on their nails, and they want to share it with everyone.” He paused. “Why would Neo ever come to your place of work?”
Odin tipped his beer bottle in my direction. “Because I just offered your fake wife a job.”
“She’s my wife,” Gentry growled. “No need to add fake to it.”
The vehemence in his voice took me off guard.
He looked like he was about ready to fight his club brother.
Apparently Odin was very hard to get along with at the best of times. But I hadn’t thought he’d said anything offensive enough to get Gentry’s hackles this raised…
“Huh.” Odin’s eyes sparkled. He was enjoying pissing Gentry off. “Well, seems to me like she’s been wandering for twenty minutes looking for you, and not once did you come and greet her. Seems to me, if she was a real wife, you would’ve clocked her the moment she pulled into the property and been at her side. Instead, you were sitting there talking to one of those club women with her clean clothes hanging from your arm.” Odin leaned forward. “Let me tell you something. No one, and I do mean no one, likes to wear their dirty clothes from the hospital longer than they have to.”
Silence.
But then he turned to me with a frown, his mouth opening and closing as if he’d forgotten completely that he had my clothes.
“Let’s go change,” he said instead of apologizing.
Mable gave me a wink.
Odin leveled a look at me. “We start Monday.”
I gave him a thumbs-up. “What time?”
“Uhhh.” He hesitated.
“Eight,” his girl answered for him. “That’s when most doctors’ offices open, right?”
“Sure.” Odin shrugged. “Eight.”
“How about nine?” I teased.
Odin’s grin widened. “I like nine better, dear.”
His girl rolled her eyes. “Whatever, loser.”
He caught Constance’s neck and pulled her to him. When he had his kiss, she softened into his hold, placing her head underneath his chin. When he was done, he looked back to me where I was still shamelessly staring at their display of affection and said, “Eight thirty.”
I gave him a thumbs-up and turned to Gentry. “Lead the way.”
He did, weaving through people, grills, tables of food, wild children, and even the occasional dog.
I wished Neo could be around people…
“You’re wishing Neo could be here,” Gentry said as he got to the back deck that led inside a metal building.
“I am,” I admitted. “He would’ve loved being in the middle of all this before.”
“I think he’ll get there eventually,” Gentry said optimistically, even though we both knew it’d take quite a bit to get him there. Maybe too much to get him there. “This is the clubhouse.”
I looked around, surprised.
Or not.
I mean, I expected Spartan, seeing as this was practically a bachelor’s pad on steroids.
However, this was…
“It’s like a hunting cabin with eight million recliners.”
“Everyone has their own,” he admitted. “I swear they love to see us coming at La-Z-Boy in Bozeman.”