Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Laken was in much need of a break, and I was about to give it to her, even if that meant losing any chance I might have of making her mine.
6
LAKEN
I’d been lying in bed for hours, but I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about my date and how I’d completely ruined a perfectly wonderful night. It kept replaying in my mind like a cruel movie I couldn’t turn off. From the very start, it had been an incredible night. He showed up at my door with freshly pressed shirt and a handful of flowers.
A sexy smile played on his lips as he walked me out to his truck, and I could feel the electricity in the air as he helped me inside, making every nerve in my body tingle with a sensation I’d never felt before. I’d never known a man who was so unbelievably handsome.
He was the kind of hot that made a woman forget to breathe just by walking into a room. He could’ve had any woman he wanted, but he was there with me. And he looked at me like I wasn’t just some tired maid with a kid, but something more. Much, much more.
I’d never felt so beautiful, and that was all him. It was the way he looked at me and talked to me. It was the way he held the door open for me and asked questions about myself, like he sincerely wanted to know everything he could about me. And God, his smile did something to me that I don’t even know how to describe.
The restaurant was wonderful, and we talked without really trying. It all came so easily. And then, I had to go and ruin it all with one stupid slip. I had no business telling him about the electricity. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was such a stupid mistake. The look on his face wasn’t even pity. It was just concern, but somehow, that made it worse.
I didn’t want him to see me that way. I didn’t want him to know how close to the edge I really was. And there was always the chance that he might think I’m not doing right by Baylor and call child services. They would come asking questions, and if they didn’t think I was doing enough, they could take her away. Just the thought of losing her made my stomach turn to knots.
I inched over to her, curling into her warmth, and kissed her softly on the temple. She was my whole world, and I wouldn’t make it a day without her. Thatch didn’t have kids. There was no way he would understand that. I just prayed I wouldn’t have to explain, not to him or anyone else.
Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, and I slept hard. I had no idea what time it was when I woke with a jolt. My heart was hammering in my chest, and for a split second, I thought there’d been some kind of explosion. Light flooded the room, the TV blared to life at maximum volume, and somewhere over in the corner, my hair dryer kicked on and blew my makeup off the counter.
I sat upright and blinked at the sudden brightness. Baylor squealed and clapped her hands as she cheered, “We got lights, Mommy!”
“Yes, we do.”
I was still trying to make sense of it as I tossed the covers back and got out of bed. I rushed over and turned off the dryer, and after I turned down the TV, I started turning off some of the lights.
We had power, but it didn’t make any sense. I hadn’t paid the bill. Not even close. The reconnection fee alone was a hundred bucks, and I didn’t even have that. I’d been planning to apply for a credit card or to talk to the office manager about picking up some extra shifts, but I hadn’t gathered the nerve.
Regardless, I had to find out what was going on. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, and Baylor danced around me as I dialed the number to the electric company. It rang a few times, and then a voice way too chipper for so early in the morning said, “Good morning. Mid-State Electric. How can I help you today?”
“Hi. I’m calling about an issue I’m having with my electricity.”
“Oh? Are you experiencing an outage?”
“No. Actually, the power just came back on.”
“Okay. So, what is the issue?”
“Well, it was disconnected a few days ago, and I haven’t been able to make a payment yet. I think there’s been some kind of mistake.”
“Are you calling from the number connected to the account?”
“I am.”
“Let me take a look for you.” The line went silent for a minute, and then she came back and said, “Alright, Ms. Porter. It looks like your account is in good standing.”