Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Lily nodded. Only him. Because she was it for him.
“I won’t ever do this again. I promise you, I won’t ever do anything like this. I won’t ever leave you again, Harvey. I want to be with you.”
“Good, because you’re going to be with me for the rest of your life.” He hugged her tight.
She let the safety of his embrace surround her.
This was her man. This was her home. She sank into him like she never wanted to leave.
“Fuck, I was so scared. So scared. Not sure I can ever let you leave my sight again, Lily. Thank God you’re all right.”
She hated that she’d caused him so much pain and angst.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Shh,” he said. “I know. I know you weren’t thinking properly.”
“Every bad thought in my head just seemed to magnify and take over,” she said. “I just felt so wrong. So wrong for you.”
“Well, you’re not. You’re the best person I know. You’re everything that is right for me, my amazing, wonderful girl.”
He drew her back and kissed her again. This time it was softer, sweeter, and she loved that too, even though she felt like she still needed to make amends.
“I’m glad that Clem called and told you that I was here. I didn’t know how to do it myself, even though I wanted to. I kept picking up my phone and trying to find the words.”
“Well, I’d tell you that next time you’re just to call me. However, there won’t be a next time, will there?”
“No, Sir,” she said with a small smile.
“Now, how do you suppose we’re going to get this steer out of the way so I can get my car up the driveway?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure we’re not. Rump Roast moves in his own time. Do you want to come meet the rest of them?”
“Rest of them?” he asked.
“Yeah, the rest of the animals,” she said. “I’ll take you on a tour.”
“All right. But first I need another one of these.” And he kissed her again. This kiss felt less like a punishment or reunion and more like their normal kisses.
Then he drew back and gave Rump Roast a slightly wary look. “Sure you don’t want me to make a move? What if I beep the horn and drive closer to him? Surely, he’d move then.”
“No, he’d probably just dig in his heels. Rump Roast is very stubborn. We have to go check on Chuck Roast first because Clem said he’s had a sore stomach. She thinks he’s constipated.”
“How does she know he’s constipated?”
“I honestly have no idea, and I don’t think I want to know. You don’t either. Sometimes it’s best not to ask when it comes to Clem.”
He nodded, and she decided to be brave, sliding her hand into his. Okay, so for most people holding someone else’s hand wouldn’t take much bravery, but she was terrified of being rejected.
However, he didn’t hesitate. He simply took hold of her hand and let her lead him further along the driveway, around Rump Roast, who was still chewing happily on driveway grass.
“Are you home alone?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“Clem’s gone into town to pick up some stuff, and Jaret is somewhere on the ranch.”
He frowned. “And you’re left to look after all the animals?”
“Well, I don’t really have to do much. I just let the pigs out. I wonder where they’ve gone. Pork Chop! Come here, Pork Chop. Crackling!”
“Their names are Pork Chop and Crackling?” he asked.
“Yeah, like I said, Clem has some really unusual names for her animals. Oh, here they come. Hey, Pork Chop. Good mama. This is Pork Chop and her babies, Bacon, Ham Hock, Crackling, and Emma.”
She picked up Crackling as she spoke, and the little pig snuggled into her.
“Emma?” he asked.
“I thought it was weird too, but when you think about it, it’s probably the least weird name out of the lot. This is Crackling. He’s my favorite. Do you think we could take him home with us?”
He blinked down at the pig. “I think that if you really want to, sure. We have a big backyard. I guess we’re allowed to have animals in it. There might be some bylaws about farm animals, though. I’ll have to check it out.”
“We could if we lived at the cabin,” she suggested.
“You want to live at the cabin?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I know it’s probably not possible, but I really want Crackling to come live with us and your house . . . it’s, well, it’s kind of cold. We could redecorate, like you said. But maybe we could live somewhere where Crackling could roam.”
Lily glanced away, wondering if she was being selfish. “I’m sorry. That sounded really ungrateful. Forget I said anything.”
“I will not forget you said it,” he told her. “You were honest with me, and that’s what I want from you. I don’t want a Lily who tries to hide what she’s really thinking in order not to offend or upset me. I want the Lily who tells it to me straight. You don’t want to live in that house? We won’t live in that house. I don’t know about living in the cabin, at least not full time. I don’t want to spend too much time commuting. But perhaps we can find something else that suits both of us.”