Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
She placed a hand over my mouth. “Stop talking. I adore this house, and that barn is amazing. I don’t think they’ve ever used it. It looks brand new.”
Smiling, I leaned down and bridged our mouths with a soft kiss. “You know the best part?”
“What?” she asked back.
“We get to break in every single room in the house…plus the barn.”
Her cheeks turned red. “The barn, too, huh?”
“Hell yes. That’s going to be the most fun to break in.”
After one more kiss, we walked hand in hand back into the house. For the first time in years, a peace I’d thought was long gone settled over my body.
Lord, please don’t let it all be too good to be true.
“Where do you want this box that’s marked ‘extra’?” Caden asked as he stood before me.
“Extra?” I asked, walking over and looking at what he was holding. “I don’t know what this box is. I don’t remember packing it.”
“Could your mom have packed it?” he asked, setting it down on a chair.
Taking out the box cutter, I opened the box and looked in. “This is Caroline’s stuff. How in the hell did it get mixed with mine?”
Caden let out a long breath. “Should I burn it?”
I shot him a non-humorous look. “No, let’s just put it in that corner. I’ll text her later and ask her what she wants me to do with it.”
Rhett came racing into the living room, his newest friend and our closest neighbor, Timmy, on his heels. I’d already accidentally called Timmy by Jimmy’s name, and vice versa. I was hoping his next friend wasn’t named anything close to either of those two.
“Don’t run, guys!” Emeline called out. “There’s stuff everywhere, and you’re going to trip.”
“Wow,” Caden stated with a smirk. “You sound like our mother.”
Emeline shot him a dirty look. “I do not.”
“Daddy! Daddy! Timmy asked if I could spend the night tonight.”
I officially got the keys to the house on August 1st, and Rhett and I set up the tent in the living room that first night. I made a fire, and we ate pizza and roasted marshmallows. It’d been so much fun, especially since it was just the two of us in our new place.
“I’ll call Timmy’s mom and talk to her about it,” I replied as I pulled out my phone. After a quick conversation, Timmy’s mother told me she’d be by in thirty minutes to pick up both boys.
“You keep working on bringing things in, I’ll help Rhett pack an overnight bag,” Emeline said with a smile. Her eyes sparkled, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was.
Alone time in the new house.
Kissing her on the cheek, I winked. “Thank you, Em.”
“No problem. Come on, boys, let’s go pack up a bag.”
I watched as they headed up the half-log stairs to the three additional bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. “Don’t forget your toothbrush!” I called out.
“I won’t, Dad!”
I sighed, and Caden laughed. “Looks like he’s back to calling you dad.” A swift slap on my back caused me to stumble forward. “Kid’s growing up. Come on, let’s keep unloading. We’re almost done.”
“I appreciate the help, Caden. I know your time is valuable and you’re busy at the ranch.”
He waved me off. “Gatlin’s got it covered. It’s a nice break, and a different way to use the muscles.”
He flexed his biceps, and I rolled my eyes.
Four hours later, everyone was gone, and it was just me and Emeline with take-out Mexican from El Rey’s.
“First thing on the list to buy—a kitchen table,” I said as I set my to-go container on my lap where I sat on the living room floor.
“I’m also surprised you didn’t have any furniture besides Rhett’s bedroom stuff.”
I chewed and swallowed my bite of chicken fajitas, then wiped my mouth. “I didn’t want any of the stuff I had with Caroline. I wanted to start fresh, but it wasn’t fair to Rhett not to bring his bedroom set. He got it last Christmas, so it’s pretty much still brand new.”
“What did you guys do with the rest of the furniture?”
I shrugged. “No clue. I left it all for Caroline. The house sold pretty quick, and the people who bought it didn’t want the furniture. I never asked her what she did with it all.”
She nodded and set down her Diet Coke. She glanced around the living room. “Once you get some new furniture, and get it all decorated, it’s going to be so cute.”
“I was hoping you’d help me with that.”
“Decorating? Or furniture?” she asked.
“Both. I don’t have an eye for that kind of thing. I mean, I know I want leather. I think it stands up better to Rhett and his friends.”
“I agree, leather’s the way to go. My parents have had the same sofa and loveseat since I can remember, and it’s lasted through at least three of their dogs and Moose. That last one says a lot.”