Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
The meal concluded with cannoli, and with coffee for everyone but me, who got a glass of milk like a five-year-old. After Miller helped his neighbors pack up the leftovers and stick them in their refrigerator, he picked up a small to-go box and said, “I think we’re going to call it a night. Thank you again for everything.” There were hugs all around. Mine were awkward and off-center, to avoid mashing the monitor into everyone’s chest.
Daria walked out with us and asked Miller, “Want me to pick you up tomorrow, since you’re going into the studio and your car’s out of commission?”
“I forgot all about my car, and I’d love a ride tomorrow.” He turned to me and said, “I’ll text my mechanic and ask if he can make a house call in the morning. I’ll also ask him to tow your van to his garage after he unhooks our bumpers, so you should take out whatever you need tonight.”
“Why would he take it to the garage?”
“Because you need new brakes.”
“I’m not sure I can afford that.”
“Consider it a wedding present.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue,” he said. “It’s not safe to drive in its current condition.”
“Those brakes got me here from Idaho, didn’t they?”
“And then they failed on the first hill you came to.”
Daria interrupted us by saying, “I’m out of here. Congrats, newlyweds. Enjoy your wedding night.” If only. She headed down the sidewalk to wherever she’d parked her car while we crossed the street.
The cat was waiting for us when we got inside. Apparently she’d been sitting by the door, just so she could leap up and shun us by turning her back and stalking away. The nerve of us for leaving the house without her.
We both immediately went to change. Miller ducked into his bedroom, and I headed to the garage and traded my dressy clothes for oversized flannel PJs printed with moons and stars. Then I packed a couple of bags with stuff I thought I’d need for the next day or two, while my van was in the shop.
After a few minutes, Miller joined me. He was dressed in grey sweatpants, and a white T-shirt so pristine that he looked like a commercial for laundry detergent.
He helped me carry the bags into the office before turning to me and asking, “Will you come with me for a minute? There’s something I want us to do.”
I followed him to the kitchen, and after he grabbed two forks, we both took a seat on the barstools. He opened the lid of the small to-go box he’d brought home after dinner, revealing a luscious looking piece of chocolate cake. “I wanted to get enough cake for everybody,” he said, “but the restaurant only had one slice left, so I had to go with cannoli.”
“Is this meant to be our wedding cake?”
“That’s what I was going for. I know that wasn’t a traditional wedding ceremony in any way, but I’ve always liked this custom.”
“Because you really love cake?”
He grinned and said, “Yes. But also, I like the way this next part symbolizes two people taking care of each other.”
With that, Miller pierced a bit of cake with his fork and fed it to me, and I did the same for him. It was so touching that it made me emotional, but I smiled and acted like it hadn’t almost brought me to tears.
As we shared the rest of the slice, he said, “You never told me why you go by Collie instead of Collin. You said you’d tell me later when we met, but that didn’t happen.”
“I go by that because it’s what my parents always called me. Since they’re the ones who named me, I figure they knew best.”
“Can I ask what happened to them?”
“When I was six, my dad went in for emergency surgery after he hurt his leg at his construction job. He died on the operating table. It was just this freak thing. He started bleeding, and they couldn’t stop it.”
I took a breath and continued, “My mom died four years later. We lived out in the country, and she smashed into a tree on her way home. There were no other cars involved. She just lost control of the car or something.”
Miller whispered, “Oh, god.”
“She died two days later in the hospital, without ever regaining consciousness. You know how small towns gossip. I heard whispers for years that she did it on purpose because she wanted to end her life, but there’s no way. She absolutely wouldn’t do that.”
I had to stop talking, because I was right on the verge of tears. Miller rubbed my back to comfort me, and after a while, he said, “When I was reading about your heart condition, I found out that it’s often genetic. If your mom had it too and it went untreated, she might have hit that tree because she passed out behind the wheel.”