Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I get it. You’re a good sister, you know that?”
“Are you kidding? I’m the best sister.”
We waited in line for what felt like forever, and when we finally got to the register, Jasmine rang us up.
“Damn, girl! Looks like a party.”
“It’s Cian’s birthday tomorrow,” I replied with a laugh.
“Getting your boy all set up, I see.” She lifted up a pair of jeans. “Good choice.”
“Hopefully they’re long enough,” I mused. “He’s taller than me now.”
“They do that,” she commiserated with a nod. “Always eating all your food and growing out of the clothes you just bought ’em. Pains in the neck, every single one.”
I laughed. Jasmine adored her two kids. She’d had her first during her senior year of high school and the second a little less than two years later, and from what she’d told me, life had been absolutely nuts for her. By the time I’d met her, they were in grade school, and she felt like she had some time to breathe.
“It’s okay, Grace,” I called out as another coworker rushed toward our lane. “I can bag it!”
“Aoife knows what she’s doing,” Jasmine added with a little laugh.
“I’ve worked here too long,” I told her quietly. “I like my bags packed a certain way.”
“I hear you,” Jasmine agreed. “How you doing, boyfriend?”
Richie smiled and winked. “She hasn’t kicked me to the curb yet, so I’m all good.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Jasmine replied. “Heard you got a new job. You liking it?”
“I love it,” Richie confirmed.
“Good. Figure out your shit so when I end up with a plumbing problem you can come and fix it.”
“I’ll do that,” he replied easily.
They were so smooth about it, chatting like best friends, that I didn’t realize Richie had paid for the groceries until I had everything bagged and made my way back to the keypad.
“What did you do?” I snapped in exasperation, looking up at him.
“Don’t worry,” Jasmine said smugly. “I took off your employee discount.”
“Traitor.”
“Pfft. You know I’m gonna let my girl’s guy pay if he wants to. Say thank you, and get outta my lane, you’ve got people behind you.”
“I’ll see you Tuesday,” I grumbled with a wave, hip-checking Richie out of the way so I could push the cart.
“Don’t be mad,” he crooned in my ear as we walked out of the store.
“I saved up,” I bit out. “So I could pay for Cian’s birthday stuff.”
“I know, but now you don’t have to.”
“I don’t need you to pay for things.”
“I know that, too,” he replied, stopping me at the trunk of my car. “I like helping you out. It makes me feel good to know I’m taking a little of the load off your shoulders.”
I clenched my jaw, trying not to explode. This was what I could do for Cian’s birthday. It wasn’t huge or elaborate, but I’d worked for it and planned it. And maybe that made me petty or ungrateful or rude, but I was angry that Richie took it away.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his eyes searching my face. “This isn’t the normal pissed you get when I pay for things. I fucked up, didn’t I? You wanted to get Cian’s stuff.”
In an instant, my anger was gone. I hadn’t had to say a word, and he understood. He knew me better than I knew myself. Sometimes, I forgot that. The remorse on his face made me feel like an asshole.
“It’s okay,” I replied with a sigh. “I’m still getting his skateboard. I already paid for that, so you can’t sneak attack.”
Richie smiled, threading his fingers through my hair so he could pull me in for a kiss. “He’s gonna love it. Meet you back at the house?”
“Yep.”
We put the groceries in my trunk, and then I watched with a small smile on my face as Richie returned the cart and sauntered over to his truck. I wasn’t the only one who felt settled lately. We’d found a rhythm that worked, and both of us had a little extra bounce in our steps.
Richie was right behind me when we pulled out of the parking lot, and I couldn’t help but check my rearview mirror over and over again to see him. I used to hate when he drove behind me, watching my every move. I knew I drove like a little old woman, I didn’t need him observing me while I did.
Richie waved at me, and I laughed. He could see right in the back window.
We got stopped in some traffic about a mile from my house, and I did an obnoxious dance in my front seat to make him laugh. When I stopped to look at him in the mirror, he was dancing, too. I laughed until my eyes watered as he just kept doing it, his lips pursed into a look of mock concentration.