Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“I’ll text you when my plane lands, and I’ll call you tonight.” I nodded, and he gave me the most wistful look before turning and starting to make his way to the check-in counter with his luggage.
A million emotions rose up in me. It was totally overwhelming. I called his name, and he turned back to me. I wanted to fall to my knees and beg him to stay.
Instead, I jogged over to him, pulled him close, and pressed my lips to his. The kiss was passionate and laced with need. I hoped it told him all of the things I couldn’t find the words to say. The kiss I got in return was just as urgent, just as full of longing.
When we stepped back, I tried to smile as I said, “Until next time.” He touched my cheek with some sort of strong emotion in his eyes. Then he went to check in for his flight, and I left the terminal.
I sat in my truck for a few minutes with my eyes pressed shut, fighting to keep it together. Finally, I left the airport and drove to Tank’s condo.
My friend stuck a huge Bloody Mary in my hand as soon as I stepped through the door. “I figured you could use a drink,” he said. “I also figured you’d turn down a beer before noon on a Sunday.”
“Thanks.”
I’d brought in a small ice chest, and when I handed it to him he asked, “What’s this?”
“Tamales, made with my Gran’s secret recipe. I know how much you love them, so I brought you a dozen.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re my hero, Woods. When did you make these?”
“Last night, with Hal.”
As I followed Tank to the kitchen, he teased, “I can’t believe you two spent your last night together doing something that wholesome.”
“It’s not actually possible to have sex twenty-four hours a day. We occasionally had to pause for other things.”
“Point taken. So, how was the visit?”
“It was wonderful.” I took a sip of my drink and fought back a cough. “This is about ninety percent vodka.”
“Well, yeah. Otherwise you’d just be drinking tomato juice, and what’s the point of that?” He was right. I took another sip as he asked me, “How sad are you that he’s gone?”
“I want to curl up in a ball and stay in bed for a week.”
“I figured this was going to go one of two ways.” He stuck the tamales in his refrigerator and turned back to me with a concerned expression. “Either you two weren’t going to get along at all and he’d bail out in less than forty-eight hours, or it was going to go so well that you’d miss him like crazy when he left.”
“The latter.”
“Let’s go sit down. I want to hear everything, including how the city boy handled ranch life.”
We moved into the living room, where Tank had a Bloody Mary of his own and a pitcher of refills waiting. Like me, his home had been decorated in “American Bachelor” with a huge TV, a giant, dark blue sectional sofa, and a coffee table big enough to hold an extra-large pizza. He’d one-upped my decorating style by framing football, rugby, and hockey jerseys and hanging them up in place of artwork. He was passionate about sports, and I’d always admired the fact that he’d turned that passion into a career as a sports journalist.
“It was rough at first,” I said, as we settled onto the sofa. “Not between him and me. We picked up right where we left off. But the ranch was completely alien to him, and I think most of the animals freaked him out. He settled in after a few days, though. He even bonded with the dogs and some of the horses—not to the extent that he was willing to go horseback riding, but he made progress.”
“So, when are you going to see him again?”
“June. He’s coming back as soon as he finishes school, hopefully for a week or two. But I have no idea when I’ll see him after that.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure he’s going to be offered a job in his field after graduation. Once he starts, it’ll probably be months before he can take a vacation.”
“He must be good, if you’re that certain he’ll land a job fresh out of school.”
“He’s brilliant. He brought along a pair of sketchbooks, and they were full of the most beautiful, creative designs—stuff most people wouldn’t be able to dream up on their best day. He has a lot of self-doubt, but he really shouldn’t because he’s incredibly talented.”
“Well, if he can’t come to you, you can always go to him. Between Dwight and me, we can hold down the fort for a weekend.”
“I appreciate the offer, and I’m sure I’ll take you up on it when the timing is right. But he’s going to be busy while he’s trying to get established at some big, fancy company. I don’t want to get in his way, or make demands on his time when he’s already going to be stretched thin.” Tank sighed, and I asked, “What was that for?”