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)
“Baby is a strong word,” he mutters. “More like I got a maniac dog on three legs who thinks bolting every chance he gets is funny. I’m pretty sure Skip just needs to know I’m going to go looking for him.”
“And you always do?” Overhead, the sky is darkening and thunder rumbles. The humidity, which was suffocating earlier, has dropped.
“Every time.” He frowns at the sky, his eyebrows crinkling together. “We should head back.”
“Maybe not quite yet.” Although it’s probably a smart idea, I’m not ready to go back just yet. I want this quiet moment with Barrett. I thought I was into him because he has a beautiful body, but the more time I spend around him, I realize he’s beautiful on the inside too.
Something about the way his gaze softens when I tell him I don’t want to go back yet makes me think he’s enjoying this as much as I am.
He asks, “What about you? How did you land in Courage?”
“A few years ago, I had a job working as a waitress in another city. One customer came in every week. He was an older guy, sweet, friendly. He seemed kind of lonely, so I’d talk to him, refill his coffee, and let him stay to closing. It wasn’t anything huge. Then one day, I noticed I hadn’t seen him around in a couple of weeks.” I stop and swallow, thinking of the man. I wasn’t close with him, but every time I saw him, I tried to brighten his day. “His lawyer contacted me. He told me the man had passed away and left me some money. Enough to quit waitressing and figure out what I wanted to do with my life.”
He reaches for my hand, squeezing it gently. “You cared about him. That had to be tough.”
“At first, I thought I would go to college. I had this idea that I would be a lawyer and right the injustices of the world.” I shake my head.
“But you decided against that path?”
“It might sound funny, but being at college wasn’t making me happy. I realized I didn’t want to spend my life fighting battles. I just wanted to be happy.”
“And making donuts makes you happy.” It’s not a question. It’s a statement he makes with the gentle rumble of conviction.
I study him from my peripheral. “How did you know that?”
“It’s on your face. When we were stacking inventory, you talked me through the process of how you make your donuts. You couldn’t stop smiling.”
“It does make me happy,” I tell him then add, “Courage County also makes me happy.”
“I hope to be added to that list very soon.”
I don’t tell him that he’s already on that list because the sky chooses that moment to open up. Lightning flashes and thunder roars as chilling rain pelts us.
“We’re near a cabin,” he says as he takes my hand in his. He picks up Coco, tucking her close to his chest. Then the three of us are sprinting forward in the driving rain. I can’t see anything, but I trust Barrett.
We jog through the rain with the thunder so loud I can barely think or hear his voice. I’m beginning to suspect that we are hopelessly lost when a cabin comes into view. I blink, trying to clear the moisture from my eyes.
It’s useless until we’re on the covered porch.
He fumbles around until he produces a key from under the mat. He ushers me into the cabin that smells slightly stale, like it’s been shut up for a while. It’s darker in here than it was outside, but there’s still natural light pouring in through the big, picturesque windows.
I flick a power switch, relieved when the lights click on. I hate the dark. It’s why it’s so hard for me to sleep at night.
“Where are we?” I call as he strides down the hallway of the cabin like he’s been here before. It’s too nice to be one of the nearby hunting cabins.
I follow after Barrett because I don’t like the idea of being alone in this unfamiliar place. What if the owners show up and yell at us?
“Rafe owns this cabin. He spends most of the year out of the country. I check on the place for him every month,” he explains.
He opens the door to the primary bedroom and guides me to the bathroom. “There should be towels in the linen closet.”
I step inside, my teeth chattering. Quickly, I peel my soggy clothes from my body and wrap myself in a thick, plush towel. “Why is he overseas?”
“He fell in love with a princess and married her. They come back here to visit sometimes,” he answers. “I found girl clothes.”
I open the bathroom to grab the clothes from him, but he’s standing in the doorway. The moment I do, his gaze roams over my body. I know everything is covered by this extra-large towel, but the way he’s looking at me is stripping me bare.