Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Was it really possible for someone to be this sweet? Was she really like this all the time?
As far as he could tell, it wasn’t an act. And, although he didn’t always trust his own judgment, he could also see that Ian and Jack liked her.
A lot.
And they weren’t easily fooled.
“Sweetheart, I had this bed brought in for you.”
“I know. And that was really thoughtful. But I’ll be fine on the chair. I slept there last night.”
Right. And she looked like she’d barely slept at all.
“No. You’re sleeping in here. You’re exhausted, and if you don’t get some sleep, then you’ll end up in that bed.” He pointed at William.
“In bed with Uncle Willy? That seems a tad weird and gross. Plus, there isn’t really room.”
“I didn’t mean that you’d . . .” he trailed off as he saw her hide her grin. “Are you teasing me, brat?”
“Maybe just a little? Am I in trouble?” She grinned as she held up her thumb and forefinger an inch apart.
“Big trouble,” he warned her.
“Ooh, I’m scared. What are you going to do?”
“Hmm, I’m going to have to think about that. But right now, what you’re going to do is get in this bed and stop giving me lip.”
“But—”
“No more arguments. Bed. Now.”
She practically raced over to him. Then she gave him an awed look. “It’s like you have a superpower. You can get people to do whatever you want.”
“I wish that was the case. In you get, Shortcake.”
After she was in, he tucked the blankets around her and she sighed happily. “I like being tucked in. Oh no, Ziggy!”
“Where is he?”
“In my handbag.”
He found him and handed him to her. She tucked him in under the covers. “I don’t want the nurses to see him if they come in. They might think I’m weird.”
Anger filled him at the idea of anyone looking down on this girl.
“They won’t care. Besides, I wouldn’t allow anyone to upset you,” he told her arrogantly.
He did see the irony since he’d spent most of his life caring what others thought. Mostly his parents. And their friends.
But he couldn’t let that happen to this girl.
She smiled up at him. “Thanks, Jameson.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Oh, when I put your boots under the bed, I noticed that one of the soles looks like it’s going to start tearing away.”
“Hmm. I’ll glue it back together.”
“Glue it?” She wouldn’t just buy another pair?
“Hmm,” she said sleepily, her eyes closed. “They’re my best secondhand store score ever.”
She bought them from a secondhand store? How bad were her finances? What did she spend her money on?
Did she need help?
Not your business.
Not your girl.
24
“Come on, we’re going.”
“Going?” Maggie glanced up at Jack in confusion. “Going where?”
Uncle Willy had been in the hospital for two days. Thankfully, he was doing a lot better. Jameson thought he might be able to go home tomorrow. He’d only kept him in the hospital for this long because of his age and the fact that his blood pressure had been a bit high.
She still couldn’t believe that Jameson stayed the other night with her. It had been so sweet and kind of him.
“Out for a while.”
“No. I can’t go out.” She shook her head.
“You haven’t left the hospital since your uncle was brought in,” Jack told her. “You need to get out for a while.”
“That’s not healthy, dear,” Uncle Willy said. “You need to go out. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? You don’t look so well.”
Great. Everyone was a critic. Did she really look that bad?
“I’m fine.”
“She’s always been stubborn,” he said to Jack. “Even as a child. She needs a strong man who won’t listen to her when she’s bent on taking on everything herself.”
“I don’t do that!”
Both men shot her looks.
“I don’t!”
“She’s always done it. Always took everything on as her fault. Her responsibility. She doesn’t know how to let someone else take care of her. At first, I thought the big, grumpy one would be the best fit. He looks like he wouldn’t put up with her running herself ragged. But you . . . you might work better. She needs someone fully on her side, you know.”
“Uncle Willy! What are you trying to do to me?” she asked.
He was in matchmaker mode again and it was so embarrassing.
“I’m trying to find someone to take care of you, dear.”
“I can take care of myself.”
Again, both men just stared at her in disbelief.
“Go with your young lad, dear. I’m going to have a nap.”
Her young lad? As much as it amused her to hear Jack called a young lad, he wasn’t her anything.
Yeah. Like you wouldn’t kill to have him as yours.
“Hux will sit in the room if you want,” Jack reassured her. “But you’re coming out for fresh air. I have a surprise for you.”