Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 16214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
“Yes. My name is March.” I stop there for a second,, seeing if it sparks something, but so far, nothing. “I came here because I am looking for a man who donated before he enlisted. He left a specific set of instructions, and my sisters and I are trying to find him.” He gives me a pity look, and right away, I know he is not the guy.
“Lo siento, preciosa. I am sorry. I am not him.” I smile at him, calling me beautiful. I smile and walk back to the car.
“Mommy, what's a sample?” Geez, nothing gets past her.
“Not something you need to know right now or talk about. Got it?”
“Got it.” I get back in the car and start it up. The good news is the next place we have to go is not that far, but Juniper is getting hungry and tired, and it is getting dark. I researched this entire trip, and I know we are entering a town known as Ogden, Utah. They have a little B&B that has a late dinner, and if my research is correct, two rooms are available, although I was only looking for one at the time.
“It's getting late. Right up the street is a little Bed and Breakfast. We are going to sleep there for the night and eat.
“Sounds good,” Josh says, stretching his arms. I try not to look at the muscles that definitely weren’t that defined when I knew him, but now, holy hell.
I pull into the parking lot, grab my sleeping girl, and pick her up. Holding her in my arms with one hand, I pop the trunk and struggle to grab our luggage out, but it is not like I have not done it a million times. But man, is she heavier this time?
“Let me.” Before I can protest, he lifts the bag out of his car. I notice for the first time that he has a suitcase as well. He was really planning on staying with me.
“Thank you,” I say to him, trying to be civil. We walk into the place and the lady at the desk is so nice. Well, until she opens her mouth.
“Oh my. Aren’t you a beautiful family?” Well, she is not exactly mean, but come on.
“Oh no. We are not a family. He is just an old acquaintance. Anyway, we are going to need two rooms.” She looks at me quizzically, before looking through the book.
“Well, it just so happens we have only two left. Let me get you the keys.” Thank God. I don’t bother looking at Joshua. “Here you are. You young ladies are upstairs in the rose room, and you young man, are down here in the birch room.”
“Oh is your kitchen still open?”
“Actually it is for another forty minutes.”
“Great. My daughter and I will be right down. She is a bear when she is hungry.”
“I will be joining them, ” Josh chimes. He is driving me crazy.
“You know what, on second thought, can I come and get it and take it to my room?” Once again, she looks at me like I am crazy but nods her head.
“Sure. Tonight is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, and apple pie for dessert.”
“Perfect.” When she walks away, Joshua whispers in my ear.
“You won’t be able to avoid me forever.” God, why does that make me shiver?
“It’s working so far.” I have to find a way to get rid of him. For the sake of my heart.
CHAPTER
SIX
JOSHUA
I lie awake in bed in the creepiest room I’ve ever been in, given the clown wallpaper, and wonder about all the things I’ve missed out on.
I lost out on five years of firsts with my daughter. The more time I spend with the little girl, the more I know she’s mine. I feel it in my bones, in my soul. I still can’t get over the fact that March kept her from me. Was I such a bad boyfriend that she felt she needed to protect herself and our baby from me?
It’s killing me, the not knowing, that is. I need to know why. Why did she do this to us? I need her to look me in the eyes and tell me what I did that was so wrong that she had to leave me the way she did. There has to be something going on, or that went on five years ago that I don’t know about, something that she felt she couldn’t tell me.
I also need to know why the fuck we went to some random ass house in Page, Arizona?
I want to get out of bed and go knock on her door and make her talk to me, but I don’t want to wake the kid.
Once we drop Junie off in Wyoming, and it’s just us, she’ll have no choice but to tell me what I need to know. It’ll only be a matter of time before she’s in love with me again. She fell once; she’ll fall again. Besides, I know just wants she likes.