Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Her gaze wanders over my shoulder. “Can I go to my room so Spot can meet her brothers and sisters?”
“Go,” Rook says. “We’ll practice dance when you’re done.”
She moves around me, so I stand and turn to watch her interact with her dad.
Her hand pats his thigh. “Daddy, I think you have to go to our first lesson before you start practicing. You need the teacher to show you the right moves.”
I hold in a laugh while Rook shoots me a look before he drops his attention to his daughter. “I’ll take that under consideration, angel.”
“Okay.” She bounces in place. “Time for my new doggie to meet my old doggies.”
As soon as she’s off and rounding the corner into the hallway that leads to her room, I pat Rook on the shoulder. “Maybe it’s time for this old doggie to hang up his new dancing shoes.”
He stomps both feet on the floor, sending a chorus of noise through his home. “Not a fucking chance. I’m just getting started, Declan.”
I load the last of the dinner plates into Rook’s dishwasher. While he and Kirby worked on a puzzle, I cooked a pot of spaghetti and homemade meatballs in red sauce.
Kirby appreciated the effort and rewarded me with a kiss on my cheek as I sat next to her at the kitchen table.
Rook was grateful as well. His thanks came in the promise of a round of beers and a game of pool one Friday night in the future. I’ll take it.
I’ll cook for friends for free any night of the week. The bonus for me is the chance to spend time with them.
Rook rounds the corner dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He must have changed out of his suit before he tucked his daughter into bed. I’m still wearing the same clothing I put on this morning, including the button-down shirt that still carries Abby’s scent.
“He cooks and cleans,” Rook jokes. “What a catch.”
“I am,” I say, tossing a kitchen towel at him. “How’s our girl?”
“Fast asleep.” He grins. “She fell asleep midway through the book.”
“Good.” I nod sharply. “I’ll take off so you can get to bed too.”
“It’s seven-thirty.” He taps the face of his watch. “You’ll sit your ass down and tell me more about the woman you mentioned during the beach trip.”
Shaking my head, I rest a hand on the counter. “I’m not going there, Rook.”
“Why the hell not?”
“When’s the last time you told me about a woman you’re fucking?” I ask.
He closes his eyes briefly. “Probably when I took Chesca to bed the first time. Don’t get me wrong, Declan. My regrets with her are few and far between because I got Kirby out of that relationship, but you could have warned me at some point that she wasn’t the right woman for me.”
“I did.” I raise my hand to spread my fingers. “Five fucking times.”
He slaps my palm. “Why the hell did I not listen to you?”
“When the hell do you?”
He huffs out a laugh as he brushes past me. “True. Do you want something to drink?”
I nod even though his back is to me. “Sure.”
In no time, he’s back in front of me, pushing a chilled water bottle into my hand. “You’re not going to tell me about this woman you’re seeing, are you?”
“Not yet,” I answer honestly.
“So there’s a chance you will one day?” He takes a mouthful of water and swallows. “When you propose to her?”
“Marriage?” I laugh at the prospect. “That’s not on my radar, Rook.”
“Mine either.” He shrugs. “Milo wants me to give his new app a try.”
“That hookup app he’s developing?” I unscrew the lid from the bottle in my hand. “What’s the name of that again?”
“Nitespark.” He laughs. “I told him I’m not interested.”
“But you’re thinking about it?”
“I’ll sign up to check out how it works so I can give him feedback.” He glances down. “I’m not doing it to find a woman.”
“No judgment here, Rook.” I take a drink of the chilled water. “One day, I’ll tell you all about how I met the woman I’m...”
“Fucking,” he fills in the blank with the word he thinks fits.
I would have gone with falling for, but I just smile.
“I look forward to hearing all about that.” He motions to the main living area. “I’ll turn on the ball game. You’ll stick around for a couple of hours, right?”
“Sure.” I loosen the knot on my tie. “As long as you keep the tap shoes as far away from your feet as possible.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Abby
“This may be the best bread I’ve ever had.” I smile as I pick up what’s left of the last slice.
I pop it into my mouth with no regrets.
“It’s an old family recipe,” Mrs. Collymore says. “I spent an entire week with my great-grandmother when I was ten or eleven. She taught me to make bread and a few other things.”