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)
“Chuck, you’re getting a good meal tonight,” Tanner said with a nod.
Jaret had obviously told them everything over the phone.
“I’ve got a question for you, Clem, while we’re waiting,” Harvey said.
“Ooh, Clem, sounds like you’re in trouble,” Tanner sang.
“How can I be in trouble? This has nothing to do with me.” Clem waved a hand down at the guy on the ground.
“It’s not about this situation,” Harvey said. “After I discovered Lily was gone, I called you and asked you to contact me if she turned up at your place.”
“And I did,” Clem said.
“Five days later,” Harvey said.
Jaret turned to Clem. “What? That isn’t what you told me. You said you called him the day after Lily arrived.”
“Technically, I believe I said I messaged him.”
“I never received a message,” Harvey told her.
“Well, that’s your fault, isn’t it? For not understanding telepathy,” Clem huffed.
“Really, Clem? Telepathy?” Jaret said with a frown. “You told me that Harvey said he couldn’t come for a few days. I’ve been calling him all sorts of names in my head.”
“Someone isn’t going to sit well tomorrow,” Tanner sang.
“Who? You?” Clem asked.
“No, you,” Jaret told her before turning to Harvey. “Look, I’m sorry about that. You must have been really worried about Lily. But the truth is, Clem’s heart was in the right place because she and Lily needed this time together.”
Harvey glanced over at Lily. “I can see that they did and I’m not angry. It was just a long five nights.”
“Sheriff’s coming,” Alec said as another truck made its way down the driveway. Suddenly Rump Roast appeared out of nowhere, moving in front of it and stopping the sheriff from getting any further up the driveway.
Jaret sighed. “There are some days when I question my choices in life.”
“You’re not questioning your choice to be with me though, right?” Clem asked.
Jaret gave her a fierce look. “Never. I’d never question that, Clem,” he said as he, Tanner, and Beau walked over to move Rump Roast.
“So, does this mean you’re going back with Harvey?” Clem asked Lily, as Harvey wrapped his arm around her.
“Yeah, I am,” Lily said. “But I’m really going to miss you, Clem.”
Clem nodded. “Yeah, I’ll miss you too. So will Crackling.”
“Yeah, about Crackling . . .”
44
Lily stared out at the large, imposing house as they drove up to it.
She’d been to Ronan’s house before when her mother was being held in the basement. And she’d been anxious back then, but this was a different sort of anxious. Today, she was going to meet all of Harvey’s family.
They’d arrived back home yesterday and had gone straight to the cabin. Harvey had already put his other house on the market. This weekend, they were going to look at houses that were closer to his work, but offered a bit more outdoor space and flexibility.
She wanted more animals. Surprisingly, she really liked being around them. They helped calm her, well, some of them did. A number of Clem’s animals actually caused people’s blood pressure to rise.
They’d stayed a few more nights with Clem and Jaret, getting everything sorted. Her attacker was being held without bail until his trial. Which apparently could take a while. The police figured out his identity through his fingerprints, and discovered that he had a record from a few years ago for stalking an old girlfriend.
The police had raided his apartment in New York City and found pictures of her all over the apartment that he’d taken from the videos that Doctor Wallace sent him.
Everyone was certain that he’d be put away for a long, long time, although Harvey didn’t seem all that happy about that. She was pretty certain he wouldn’t be happy unless the other guy suffered a slow and agonizing death.
Lily was just glad that she and Harvey were back together, and that the future was looking a lot more hopeful. Sure, she still had things she had to work through, and she knew she wasn’t magically all better or anything like that.
But she felt steadier in herself and more confident in their relationship. Of course, it might have helped that she now wore a huge rock on her ring finger. Harvey hadn’t wasted any time in getting her an engagement ring.
She hated that she’d worried him so much, but she’d also needed some time away to sort out her heart and her head. Turns out, Clem had realized that. Which is why she’d waited a few days to call Harvey and let him know that Lily was there.
“Don’t be stressed, all right?” he said. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, not even my own family. They will like you.”
He said it like it was a command, and that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted them to like her of their own free will.
Not because Harvey told them that they had to.