Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Mostly because it hurt my heart that I’d missed all of those firsts.
It also pissed me way the fuck off that her mother had done that to me.
I sure did know how to pick my baby mamas.
“Long story short,” Webber said, reading the confusion on her face. “Laney didn’t tell Gunner he was the father. Gunner didn’t know that he’d even slept with Laney, who was married to Audric at the time. She and Audric had a sort of open marriage. They were just best friends who got married for the benefits of Laney’s inheritance. Laney and Audric shared no love between them. So Gunner wasn’t committing some unknowing faux pas because he slept with her.”
“I know the kind of character Gunner has,” Sutton said quietly. “I learned that in high school when he took responsibility for a child that their own mother wanted nothing to do with. Thank you for the explanation, but I think you misread the question on my face. I was more curious about how this arrangement would work, me staying with him.” She turned in my direction. “Would you even let me pay?”
Her confidence in me was surprisingly freeing.
I liked that she didn’t question my character after having learned all of that.
“Let’s talk logistics.”
Five
Some things are better left alone. Like me, for instance.
—Sutton to her ex
SUTTON
The last place I’d ever thought I’d be was at Gunner Lewiston’s—now Penn’s—house.
The name change had come somewhere after Jett’s death, and I’d never asked him any questions as to why the name change.
I’d asked Rocky once, but she’d had no clue and hadn’t cared enough to ask why.
I also never expected to see Gunner again.
I’d heard from Rocky’s parents that Gunner had moved up to Dallas a few years ago, but I hadn’t gotten much more because Gunner’s dad was estranged from Gunner, and nobody really said why.
The question was on the tip of my tongue when Webber pushed off of the counter where he’d just finished cooking us breakfast and said, “Lottie’s coming with me today.”
Gunner’s brows rose. “Why?”
“Because you need to show her around and convince her to stay.” Webber laughed as he slapped Gunner on the back, knocking him forward.
I giggled, which surprised me, because I wasn’t a giggler.
I actually didn’t laugh all that much.
Usually when you’re the butt of all the jokes, you don’t get the chance.
Hell, I’d been somewhat normal looking for a few months now—thanks to all the swelling finally going down, and the scars disappearing into my hairline thanks to my hair regrowing there—and I was only just now thinking that people laughing in public weren’t laughing at me.
Webber left with Lottie, but only after Lottie got a bunch of hugs and kisses, one even from me.
When the door closed behind Webber’s back, I looked over at Gunner and said, “How do you always end up with such awesome kids?”
His smile was soft, but sad.
“Lottie is much more outgoing than Jett ever was. I remember walking into the stadium once, and there was a new trainer there, and swear to God, he screamed his little head off. Lost his ever-loving mind because there was a new person in there. Lottie, however? She loves everyone. Has never met a stranger. It slightly terrifies me because I don’t think she’d even cry if someone came up and took her.”
“Surely she would.” I frowned. “You’re going to have to teach her about stranger danger.” I hesitated. “Just sayin’, but maybe she just trusts y’all implicitly. You wouldn’t let me close if you didn’t know me.”
“That’s true.” He nodded his head. “But still.”
I slipped off the stool to take my plate to the sink and groaned as my body nearly gave out. The only thing that saved me was the counter that I clutched on to.
“I’m going to be so damn sore tomorrow.” I groaned.
“I think you’ll live.” He smirked. “Webber asked me if we were going to run Boston…are you?”
“It’s one of my goals,” I said. “I might apply for it. But I’m not really sure how it’ll be affected with my training schedule for the Olympics. Running twenty-six miles and running fifteen hundred meters isn’t really the same thing. The training is completely different.”
“Run it,” he suggested. “You said you weren’t sure about the Olympics anyway.”
“The Olympics is a young person sport. I’m not all that young anymore,” I admitted. “At least not where I was for the first two.”
“I think you should still try out. But I wouldn’t put your life on hold for an almost mile if that’s not where your heart lies anymore.” He studied my face for a second before he said, “You could always start training to run the marathon.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’d need someone to train with me to do that.”
His eyes were intense when he said, “Then move in here, and we’ll start training.”