Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“No, no. Don’t do that. I’m fine. That’s why I don’t like to tell people.” I must not have looked convinced because Callum reached over and placed a hand on my thigh. “Seriously, don’t stress yourself out. Not that you would. I mean, you don’t really know me, but…” He pulled his hand back, and where he’d touched almost tingled. It was the strangest sensation, and one I couldn’t ever remember feeling from the simple touch of another person. “I live a normal life. I don’t have restrictions. I’ve had no problems since the pacemaker was put in. It’s not a big deal. And I’ll take a small fry with the salad. French fries are my weakness.”
I cleared my throat, trying to figure out why my blood still felt like it was warming where he’d touched. “Who doesn’t love French fries?” I was fairly certain my voice came out a little strained. Callum’s forehead wrinkled as if he noticed it.
“Are you ready to order?” the worker asked through the speaker, making me jump. Damn it. I was losing my shit.
“Yeah, we’ll take two number threes, with a Coke, a garden salad, small fry, and…” I turned to look at Callum again.
“Water,” he replied.
Well, shit. Now I felt insecure about my food choices. What in the hell was wrong with me?
“Let me give you some money for mine.” Callum began to pull his wallet out of his back pocket.
“No, no. My treat. You came all the way out here with us. It’s the least I can do.”
“Well, you’re also making me dinner,” Callum countered.
I was, but I was starting to wonder about that. Hopefully I had the stuff to make a salad or another kind of veggie. At least I knew I could make him fries. “Still my treat.”
“Fine. You guys will have to let me take you for pizza or something sometime.”
“Okay!” Logan said from the cab as the puppy jumped all over him.
“It’s settled, then.” Callum smiled.
“Sir?” the woman at the window said, and I ripped my gaze from him. I was losing it.
We got back on the road after that. Logan didn’t pay much attention to us for the rest of the drive. He was too busy with his new puppy, who kept trying to steal his fries.
“See? Even she knows fries are the best,” Callum teased.
“Are you a vegetarian?” I asked.
“No. I don’t do a lot of red meat, but I eat it sometimes. I try and eat a balanced diet.”
I nodded, and we kept going. We stopped once at a rest area to let the dog out to pee. We’d brought a collar and leash with us, which she didn’t know how to walk on yet. She pulled and tried to run, but she did go to the bathroom.
We were almost back home when she finally fell asleep on Logan’s lap.
“Do you know what you want to name her?” Callum asked.
“I don’t know… I was thinking either Frankie or Blue because of her eyes.”
“What about Frankie Blue?” Callum asked just as I said, “Or both names.”
Our eyes met, and I swear my skin got all tingly again. Jesus Christ, I really was losing it. So we’d said the same thing. Big deal.
“I like it!” Logan replied. “Frankie Blue.”
“I like it too.” I looked at him through the rearview mirror. He smiled at the puppy as if she was his whole world, and my damn heart swelled. It felt good making your kids happy. We were definitely going to have to figure out something special to do for Charlie too when she came to visit. “We should probably make a stop at the pet store. I didn’t want to buy a bunch of stuff if it didn’t work out. Sorry.” I glanced over at Callum.
“What? Are you kidding? I don’t mind. This has been the best day I’ve had since I moved to Havenwood.”
I was sure he said it for Logan’s benefit, but it still made me grin. He was a nice guy. I didn’t know what had gone down to make him move here, if anything at all, but I had a feeling there was a story there. Usually, when someone came to Havenwood, there was. Now that I thought about it, I did think he mentioned something about a breakup.
We went shopping and got a dog bed, kennel, the kind of food Margaret had mentioned, toys, puppy pads, and any and everything else you could think of for a new pup. Frankie Blue was a little wild in the store and peed on the floor.
We got back to the house. Logan and Frankie Blue immediately stumbled out of the truck.
“Oh, don’t mind me. I’ll carry all this stuff in myself,” I teased, but really, I didn’t mind. It was good to see him smiling and laughing.