Total pages in book: 174
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
Silently begging me to say that it was going to belong to both of us.
“It’s perfect, Cash.” Her whispered words broke into the tension, the woman static and standing facing away.
Didn’t matter. I could still make out the awe in her expression. Like the cabin was exactly what she envisioned.
But I guess neither of us could have envisioned the way I would destroy our lives.
“Spare room is down the hall, first door on the right,” I mumbled low. “Third room at the end of the hall is off-limits.”
My office was even more fortified than the rest of the house, which was basically a fortress.
I could feel Daisy wanting to ask about it. To pry into who I’d become.
But she could never know that. Details of my life were off-limits even if I wanted to share them with her, which I sure as fuck did not.
“You can take my room,” I rumbled from behind.
Daisy hesitated, body itching, before she peeked back at me. “That’s not necessary. I can share with the kids.”
“Not gonna happen, Daisy. Can see you need your rest.”
Maybe I shouldn’t point it out. Shouldn’t let her know that I noticed the exhaustion and strain that crimped the edges of her eyes and dimmed her sweet aura. But I’d always been able to read her plain as day.
She shuffled her feet, glancing around. “Where will you sleep?”
“On the couch.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to get in your way.”
I took a step forward, voice cut low. “Too late.”
Surprise rocked her back, and she choked over a disbelieving laugh like maybe she wanted to put me in my place, before she seemed to school herself and turned back around and started to herd the kids toward the spare room.
A room that had never even been occupied before.
Forever vacant.
A hollow reminder of what I’d done.
“Well, I guess if you want to give up your bed, I’m not going to argue with you,” she rambled as easily as she could, though the words were edged in uncertainty. “God knows, I could use a good night’s sleep.”
I opened the door on the right, and the kids blew into the room. I dumped their bags inside before I immediately dipped back out.
Unable to stay inside with the laughter and voices that collided as Addy and Colin argued over which bed they got.
I could hear Eva talking and clapping her hands while Duke barked in enthusiasm, clearly far more excited by the company than me.
I turned my full focus on Daisy.
In discomfort, she shifted her weight where she stood in the cramped hall. I towered almost a foot over her, her slight frame appearing fragile in the bare glow coming from the kitchen.
I leaned in close to her, and the words left me like an accusation. “You need a good night’s sleep, considering you’ve been sleeping in a tiny tent for the last two days.”
A tinge of pink kissed her cheeks. “And in my car for two weeks before that.”
A bolt of rage blistered through my senses.
The urge to wrap her up. Hold her. Promise her I was going to fix whatever the hell had gone wrong in her life.
“And you didn’t think to come to my door when you got here?”
Her tongue swept across her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. I was…nervous.” Sadness flashed through her eyes, and she let go of a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s not like you’re excited to see me.”
She peered up at me, and I knew she was thinking about the way it used to be. The way I couldn’t wait to hear her tapping at my bedroom window.
“Don’t exactly get guests,” I admitted.
Those eyes creased at the corners as she studied me. Like she could see the loneliness scored inside me.
“You’re alone,” she seemed to surmise.
Anxious, I raked a hand over the top of my head. “For the most part. Have a few people…”
I stalled out, unable to actually say it.
People I consider family.
I thought Daisy heard it, anyway. Felt it.
Softness filled her features, and her voice shifted into a gentle tease. “And here I thought I was always going to be your best friend. I had some foolish notion that you might jump for joy when you saw me. You always said I was the light at the end of the day.”
Main fucking problem? I was elated to see her face.
And that was dangerous.
I blew out a sigh. “Why don’t you help the kids get cleaned up? There’s a bathroom through there.” I pointed at the door across the hall. “Then you can get yourself a warm shower. I’ll put your things in my room on the other side of the house, then I’ll see if there’s anything I can put together for dinner.”
“That’s not—”
“You came to me, remember?” The words were gravel.
She fiddled with her fingers, gaze dropping before she peeked back up at me. “I don’t want to put you out.”