Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“I’ll be okay,” I assured.
“We want him up for the weekend. Soon. Robbie’s ecstatic he has someone to chop wood with.”
First, I had to wrestle with the concept of Robbie being “ecstatic” about anything.
Then, I had to tamp down all the goodness that bubbled up at the thought of watching Gabe chop wood.
Finally, I said, “We’ll figure that out. And we’ll do it soon.”
She gave me another hug, tapped my cheek with her finger, and then she sashayed out.
I grabbed my phone and texted Gabe about the change of plans tonight and his parents going to Prescott.
His reply was, Dad called. All good.
I then texted, Mom told me you have Robbie’s approval. Beware, this means when we go to Prescott, you’re not reworking rebar, you’re chopping wood.
On that, Gabe dropped a thumb’s up.
So my man wasn’t an enthusiastic texter.
But as mentioned, he was a lot of other things.
And Mom and Robbie approved.
So yeah.
Maybe boring wasn’t bad when everything was all good.
I tucked my phone away.
And got back to the cookies.
I was returning to my car after delivering the towers when my phone rang.
I dug it out, and since it was Gabe, I took the call.
“Hey, baby,” I greeted.
“Hey, we got plans Sunday?”
I folded into my car, closed the door and answered, “Yes. To sleep, fuck, eat, and sleep some more. Why?”
I heard his soft laugh.
I loved his soft laugh.
And then he said, “Roxie called Roam, and he’s rounding up whatever guys have Sunday free to go put in a drip system and some plants at Tex and Nancy’s.”
Ruh-roh.
“Uhhhh…” I drew that out. “This request came from Roxie? Roxie Nightingale? All the way up in Denver. And not from, say, Tex or Nancy? The people whose yard you’ll be installing the drip system in.”
It didn’t take a genius to read between the lines of that, but my guy had a master’s degree, so he cracked it instantly.
“You know something I don’t?”
“I know I was all in for Tex to lose his battle against Annette and the Rock Chicks so he and Nancy have a nice yard, instead of what he wants, rocks and dirt, and I put money down on him losing said battle. So I also know that right now, I’m caught in a pickle, because I want that, but I don’t want you in Tex’s line of fire.”
“You put money down on it?”
“New pool,” I told him.
“What’s the buy in?”
“Ten bucks.”
“Chump change,” he teased. I rolled my eyes. He continued speaking. “Put me in for Tex going down. I’ll tell Roam I can’t do this Sunday, but I can do next.”
Was he…?
“Wait a second, are you fixing the bet by horning in on the activity that would win the money?”
“Sure,” he replied on a verbal shrug.
“Masterful, oh Sage One,” I joked.
“Smartass,” he replied, but I still heard his humor. “See you later, babe.”
“Definitely.”
We hung up.
And I started my car and drove to Gabe’s.
TWENTY-FIVE
YOU BITCHES ARE THE SHIT
It was post pork chops, potatoes and roasted carrots that Gabe and I had thrown together in his kitchen (he was impressed with my use of mayo and Dijon to get the panko to stick to the pork chops, so dinner was a win for me).
It was also post hearing word that the parental units were safely back in Prescott and headed into town to find somewhere to eat dinner.
We were cuddling on the couch in the last minutes we had to cuddle before I had to head to the storage units to meet up with the girls and go see Titus.
Gabe was fiddling with a lock of my hair and seemingly happy being quiet and Zen.
I was multitasking. Wallowing in a moment of peace and stillness in a life overflowing with busy, enjoying Gabe playing with my hair and thrilled he seemed happy being quiet and Zen.
Gabe broke the silence.
“Drove by this afternoon, didn’t have time to stop, but saw your sign. It’s even better than the picture.”
This caused me to feel so much, I shifted up and shoved my face in the side of his neck.
“Your cupcakes are the best I’ve ever had, baby. Cookies too,” he said softly. “You’re already killing it. This means you got the chance to own it completely. And you’re gonna do that.”
He mistook my movements.
I wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t do Tex, Tito, Mom and Robbie, but mostly myself, proud (okay, I was, but not overly worried).
I was thrilled I had a man who would take time out of his busy day to drive by that sign.
I didn’t correct him about that because now I was dealing with having a man who believed in me and didn’t mind sharing it.
Instead, I whispered, “Yeah.”
“Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m super fuckin’ glad you’re pulling Titus into this sitch.”
I lifted my head to look down at him. “Why?”