Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 118733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
“How would I do that?”
“We can go live. All I have to do is press this button, and all those people who are following us will get a notification on their phone telling them we’re live, and they’ll tune in or watch later. They can ask us questions by typing them out for us to read. Maybe they’ll even suggest a couple of places not on our list. We can try it and see how it goes, and if you don’t like it, we won’t do it again.”
Kent went back to his phone, found the video again, and followed the clerk. He then commented on the video, thanked him for all his help, and said they’d see him for dinner later, but only if they could have Happy Meals. He closed the app and set his phone down. Palmer was deep in thought and biting her lower lip. Kent pulled lip balm from his pocket and handed it to her. Dry lips—another side effect—mostly caused by dehydration. He wasn’t doing a good enough job of taking care of her. Kent headed to the food cart, bought a bottle of water, and brought it back to her.
“You need to drink more.”
“You’re so bossy,” she said, but this time she followed it up with a smile instead of the poor attitude she’d had at the rest stop.
“Do you think people care? About me?” she asked after taking a drink.
What a loaded question. How could he answer that when she’d lived her life in a place where people didn’t care? Kent leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. The question hurt his gut. It made his insides twist and turn. He took a deep breath and then glanced at her. She smiled at him, and he melted. It wasn’t the first time she’d evoked this type of reaction from him, but this moment stood out. The sun shone behind her, and birds chirped close to them. Palmer had called Kent her knight in shining armor, and right now, she was his princess. The only thing missing was her big fancy dress.
“I think everyone is going to care. People are going to see you as a fighter, someone who’s facing adversity head on. I also think you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re the strongest person I know, and you’re letting a tumor take you down without a fight.”
“Octopus.”
Kent chuckled. “Should we name the octopus?”
Palmer scoffed. “As if it deserves a name.”
“You’re the boss.” Kent rested against the bench and watched a couple walk by with a stroller. That could be him in a few months, or he could still be the guy on the bench. He couldn’t really picture himself as a dad, but he was eager to find out if the baby Maeve carried was his. Kent picked up his phone and sent her a text asking if she’d received the results yet. Before he sent it, he showed it to Palmer.
“You don’t think she’d tell you?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. Maeve is in a tough spot with her husband. When I spoke to her last, I tried not to ask any questions because I don’t want to know about their marriage, but I told her if she needed anything to call me. I know this isn’t easy for her.” Kent was still upset at Maeve for what she’d done, but he’d had time to think, and he worried about how her husband might react if the baby wasn’t his.
“I’m glad you spoke to her and told her to call you.”
Kent bumped shoulders with Palmer. “I have you to thank for helping me see the error of my ways.”
“Life’s too short to be mad at a mistake,” she said. “Are you going to send the text?” Palmer eyed his phone and then him.
“Do you think I should ask her how she’s doing?”
Palmer appraised Kent for a moment and then shook her head. “I’ve never been in a relationship to answer that type of question, but yes, I think you should.”
We could be in one.
“This is hard because as upset as I am, if the baby is mine, I want to know whether Maeve is okay. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” Palmer paused for a moment. “Do you miss her?”
Kent shook his head instantly. “Not at all. Not even a little. I think about what she did to me and how she put me in this situation.” He stared at his phone and frowned. “I’m just going to check in.”
“That’s a good idea.” Palmer rested her hand on his leg and smiled. Kent matched her expression, typed out his text, and then set his phone down.
“What else do you want to do today?”
“We could do that live thing, if you want.”
He met her gaze. “It’s not about me, Palmer.”