Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
I swear she gasps before I face her as she steps into my space hidden by the open door. But she quickly clamps her jaw shut and swallows. If only I could toss her into the back seat and take her with me. Confess to my friends that I let the wrong girl go for the right reasons, eleven years ago. But now she feels like the right girl, but everything else in my life is going really fucking wrong.
She still looks at me like I’m the brilliant one, like every word that falls from my lips is the most interesting thing she’s ever heard.
“It’s only a two-hour drive,” she mumbles with her chin tucked as she slides her icy hands up the front of my long-sleeved T-shirt, teasing my abs. “I have the week off. I could visit you.”
“You took the week off to work on your barndo.”
She shrugs and lifts her gaze to mine. “I’m in no hurry.”
I stare at her without knowing what to say because the offer is tempting. There’s nothing I’d love more than knowing I could crawl into bed with her after a long day with my dad. But I can’t complicate my life. Not now.
“You can say no, and I won’t act like a bratty twentysomething.”
My composure slips, and I grin. “I’m an asshole.”
She slides her hands around my back, nails teasing my skin as she rests her cheek against my chest. “I’ll stay here and keep my hands folded in front of me. You have Karen to keep you warm on cold nights.”
I grin while pressing my lips to the top of her head, and I almost chuckle thinking of that tiny violin. “Karen lives in Bozeman. The chances of her being at her mom’s house are pretty slim.”
“Well, there are others. You told me as much.”
I cradle her face, making her look up at me. “I lied. Did you really think I was getting laid while my father was in the hospital?”
She frowns. “Well, if we’re being honest, then I must tell you I had no intention of dropping my panties for Kade, the running back for the Grizzlies.”
I lift my eyebrows as if this is a shocking revelation. “Really?”
Everleigh shakes her head. “I’m not a whore like you, Will. I try, but I just can’t.”
I bark a laugh, and she grins. She’s so damn beautiful. It hurts to let her go as I climb into the truck.
“Can I tell you something without you feeling the need to tell me what to do?” she asks, tugging on her sleeves to cover her hands.
“That’s your specialty, not mine.” I fasten my seat belt.
Her gaze sweeps along the mountainous horizon, eyes narrowed in concentration or maybe contemplation.
“I’m kidding. Yes, you can tell me.”
The smile she tries on her face doesn’t seem to fit. “Johns Hopkins contacted me. They’re offering me a position and so much grant money for research that I nearly gagged.”
“Well, you should take—”
“No.” She shakes her head. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. I already know what you’ll say. But this is my decision. I get to decide what I want to factor into making it.” Glancing down for a beat, she laughs, but it’s void of actual humor. “I know you won’t ask me to stay. But leaving isn’t easy, and it’s not just about you. I’m loyal to my patients. And I just purchased land and the barndo. I have friends here. Missoula feels like home.”
“I don’t know how you ever ended up here. You should have been at a place like Hopkins from the time you graduated.”
Her head whips up, lips parted. “Will.” She exhales as if something has knocked the wind out of her. “I came here for you.”
When she doesn’t follow up with a “Just kidding,” I slowly shake my head and chuckle. “That’s . . . no. That makes no sense. You’ve been here for what? Four or five years? No. You didn’t come here for me. If you did, it sure has taken you a long time to mention it, which makes you look like a stalker.”
“Mention it?” Everleigh runs her fingers through her hair. “You saw me at a fundraiser the summer I moved here. The second you laid eyes on me, you made a beeline for the parking lot. I was crushed and a little angry that you wouldn’t even give me a second glance. I thought you were holding a grudge over a white lie, not struggling with the emotional trauma, from the fear of going to jail. Don’t pretend that you didn’t talk to Tyler about me after their wedding. Victoria told me you had a lot of questions. And I would have answered those had you returned my calls. Tyler told you I was advanced. Has it really taken you this long to figure out that I’ve probably had better offers than Missoula, Montana?”