Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
“Did I mention you’re my favorite brother?” She asks in a sing-song voice. Greer and Noah grilled enough hotdogs to feed a small army while Ginger passed out chips and cold drinks to everyone.
But no one brought paper plates, so the family ended up using her dishes. She slipped away to clean the mess in the kitchen, but Barrett followed her. He’s insisting on being the one to tidy up.
“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters as he flicks on the tap for the sink.
She chuckles and gives me a wink as she leaves the room. “Then I guess I’ll go find my mountain man.”
I wait until she’s gone to join him. We’re alone together in the warm cabin, the breeze wafting in through the window above the sink.
Outside, birds chirp cheerful songs as the wind rustles through the tall mountain grass. The air smells fresh and pure, the way it always does when nature is untouched by the city. There’s the quiet hum of power tools mixed with the good-natured laughter and teasing that I’m learning is part of every Maple family gathering.
I offer to help, and Barrett looks up, surprised to see me here. He must not have realized I followed Ginger in with the exact same plan he had. He gives me a jerky nod when I repeat the offer.
We work together in silence. I rinse the dishes, passing them to him. He loads the dishwasher, and the whole thing feels like something we could do together every day.
“You made it fit,” I say, impressed with his stacking skills when we’ve finished loading the dishwasher.
He gives me a smirk. “It’s easy when you’re used to working with big things.”
I blush, feeling my entire body heat. He can’t keep looking at me like that. My panties might just spontaneously combust.
“How are you doing now?” He asks as he adds the dishwashing pod to the machine.
While everyone was working earlier, Greer accidentally took a nail through his work glove. Other than cussing a blue streak, he was fine. But Evie’s little brothers, Chase and Parker, were scared.
While Evie helped stop the bleeding, Barrett entertained the boys. He distracted them with a card trick and kept their attention off of what was happening.
I spent most of the time with my head between my knees. I don’t do so well with the sight of blood. My doctor said it was a vasovagal response, just another part of my fainting condition.
Barrett paused during one card trick to ask if I was doing OK, and I told him I was fine. My ears were still ringing, but the world was slowly regaining color. When I faint or get close to it, I feel like I’m in a dark tunnel. I know the episode is improving when everything stops being that murky gray and becomes colorful again.
“I’m feeling better,” I reassure him. “You were good with the kids earlier. Where did you learn those card tricks?”
He gives the counters a swipe with a dish cloth, not looking up at me. “I was a shy, abused kid who pissed himself every time he got scared. I learned early in life I had to work harder than other people to be liked.”
My heart breaks for the kid he was. It seems unfair that those who need love the most have to work the hardest to get even the slightest affection. “For the record, I like you a lot.”
He tosses the cloth into the sink and finally meets my gaze. He holds out his hand. “Take a walk with me.”
I put my hand in his big, calloused one. The familiar tingles dance across my skin. I’m learning that happens every time we touch.
He leads me from the cabin into the forest. It’s so quiet and comforting out here, like stepping into a fairytale. Coco darts ahead of us on the path, pausing to sniff at rocks and bark at scary things like the overgrown bushes.
Barrett chuckles at her antics. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”
“This is Coco. She’s a fierce little warrior,” I tell him. Well, she is until a spooky noise sounds at night. Then she burrows under the pillows until I investigate the clanging water pipes and reassure her that we’re fine.
“She takes after her mama.”
“She found me when I needed her most,” I say softly.
When I visited the animal shelter last year, I didn’t expect the little furry girl to curl up on my lap. When the volunteer explained that Coco had suffered the loss of her previous owner, I knew she was meant to be mine. We were both orphans without a family.
“Pets have a way of doing that. Animals sense what we need more than another human sometimes,” he says, perfectly understanding.
“Do you have a fur baby of your own?” I wonder what the inside of his house looks like. Is he the kind of person who has a cat or a dog? He definitely seems like a dog person.