Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“So are you. You’re awesome. You do know that, don’t you?”
“I’m beginning to see that,” I tell her, smiling. Her return grin is just as huge.
“I’ll go write my letter; then I’ll come back before it starts. Sound good?”
“Great,” I say, giving her a hug. I drop the bag she brought me on the floor and climb back into bed. I’ve been lazy this week too, which is a first. All I’ve done is watch movies and eat pizza. I’ve watched nothing but romantic comedies. They’ve given me a complex, I’m sure of it. Eventually, I head downstairs to the saloon, so ready to get this over with. Bridget Jones's Diary is on again tonight. What a mess I have become.
“Lavinia, that dress is gorgeous on you,” Hannah yells over the music. I’m wearing a red shirt dress that stops just above the knee that I’ve paired with cute black ankle boots I bought in Charleston the other day. I take a drink of my Shirley Temple. I had Toby swap the ginger ale for Sprite. I also got extra cherries. I love cherries. The sweet tartness is a bit addicting, much like Alton’s kisses. I have got to stop thinking about him so much. I have forgiven him for saying what he said to Jasper on our wedding day, not that he asked me to. I did it for me. He may not have been attracted to me then, but he clearly was the other night. He’s a thirty-four-year-old man. He’s not a Viagra popping ninety-year-old. He wanted me. I’ve been informed it doesn’t work otherwise unless medically enhanced. I want my husband back. I briefly wonder what it would be like to go to him after the night is over and seduce him? Is that even something I’m capable of?
“Thanks. I actually feel sexy in it,” I say, smiling when I see Carter coming into the bar from over Hannah’s shoulder. I can’t believe he still has black eyes from his fight with Alton. I wonder how Alton’s fairing. His jaw was red, and he had a small scrape over his eye. He sees me and makes his way over to our table.
“Ladies,” He smiles, greeting everyone.
“Carter. I am surprised to see you here on ladies night,” Sadie says.
“Well, someone has to come watch out for you ladies. Especially when your husbands don’t,” he says, staring at me. He’s stirring up trouble. I know him. “Come dance with me.” He holds his hand out to me. I take it and let him lead me out to the dance floor.
“What are you doing?” I ask as we dance. The way we dance is nothing like the way I dance— no danced with Alton.
“What? Me? I ain’t doing nothing.”
“Ooh, that’s really good doctor talk,” I say, laughing. “You did something.”
Suddenly Jasper walks up to us. I stop dancing. Carter schools his face, and so does Jasper, which is weird. Whatever this is, it’s going to be weird. Carter pushes me behind him, and Jasper starts shoving him and yelling, but he’s yelling about chickens. I’m so confused right now. Sadie puts her hand on Jasper’s chest, without saying a single word, and then they are gone.
Carter leads me over to a half booth and shoves me in one side, and then goes to the other side and scoots in so we’re close. I notice my sister staring at us, but they leave without saying goodbye.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“Oh, you’ll see. I’m tired of you being miserable.”
“What did you do?” I ask, suspiciously.
“Alright, I’ll tell you. Only Jasper and Sadie were in on that.”
“In on what?”
“If you’d shut up, I’d tell you.”
“Okay, sorry, go on.”
“One of your other sisters is going to think something is going on between us. Their good Christian sensibilities are going to weigh heavily on them,” he says as the door opens again. Alton walks in, looking pissed. “One of them cracked and texted Alton. That was fucking fast. And look what we have here.”
“Lavinia,” Alton says. The sound of his voice washes over me.
“Alton. How are you?” He doesn’t answer me; he just stares at me instead. Carter clears his throat.
“You just had to run to him, didn’t you?” he asks, looking defeated.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“I followed you the other night after we… You ran to him and came here. You got a room upstairs. Did you jump off of my cock and onto his?" he growls. My mouth drops open in shock.
“Oof, you’re a fucking idiot,” Carter says.
“How could you possibly think that? You don’t know me at all. I’m your wife. Yours. I would never, not ever, jump off of your cock onto any other cock,” I say, tears filling my eyes.
“The worst kind of idiot,” Carter says, shaking his head.
“So you’re not fucking him?” Alton asks, jerking his thumb toward Carter.