Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
He stepped back and held his arms out to the sides, so I could get a good look at the cartoon dragon on his T-shirt. It had been drawn with a thick, black marker, and it sat back on its haunches holding a sign in its clawed hand that said, “D+D.”
I chuckled and told him, “That’s all kinds of awesome.”
“Mission accomplished. I wanted to make you laugh, and there it is,” he said, as he pulled the elastic band from his hair, then finger combed it and flipped it over to the side.
“Those are the most ridiculous hipster glasses I’ve ever seen.”
He smiled at me as he took them off. “Sorry to break it to you, but I’m not a hipster and these are safety glasses. I wear them when I’m drilling through metal, or other manly shit like that.”
“You still seem to have certain hipster-like tendencies,” I said, as I rested my elbow on the frame of the open window and grinned at him.
I’d been so wrapped up in Lucky that I’d totally forgotten about Lark, until my brother asked, “So, are you going to introduce me, or what?”
“Oh! Sorry. Lark Genardi, this is Lucky Suarez-Rivas. Lucky, I’d like you to meet my older brother.”
“Older?” Lucky reached past me and shook hands with Lark as he added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Since Lark was both tiny and once again wearing the knit hat with ear flaps and a unicorn horn, I could understand his confusion.
“Yeah, by three years,” I said. “Go figure.”
Lark hit him with a sharp stare. “Don’t let my size fool you. I’m like a chihuahua. If anyone messes with my family, I go into full attack dog mode.”
I climbed out of the truck and sighed. “Okay, Mini Cujo, message received. Thank you for the ride.” Then I smiled up at Lucky as I said, “Hi there.”
He kissed my forehead and said, “Hi yourself. I’m glad you’re here. I thought about you a lot this past week.”
“You did?”
“Well, yeah. Did you think about me?”
“Not even once,” I teased. “In fact, I’d forgotten all about this date and just happened to show up here at random.”
“That was lucky.”
I nodded. Then I touched his chest and told him, “I love this shirt. You draw really well.”
“I’m glad you like it. I’ll send it home with you at the end of the night.” He gently brushed his fingertips over my cheekbone, which made my pulse quicken. Then he tried to explain it away with, “There was an eyelash.”
Good lord, this man was absolutely intoxicating. I forgot all about being nervous, and now I just wanted to lick him.
My brother called, “If you go ahead and shut that door, I can drive off and leave you two to ogle each other in peace.”
“Right. Sorry.” I slammed the door, and he shot Lucky another look before driving off.
“Okay, I have to ask,” Lucky said, as we went inside. “How old are you? I was thinking you must be about twenty-two, but if that’s your older brother, then all bets are off.”
“Close. I’m twenty-three. What about you?”
“Tragically, I’m twenty-nine.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh yeah, that’s definitely a tragedy. On the bright side, you’re almost eligible for the senior discount at Denny’s.”
He clutched his heart. “You mock me in my advanced age, even after I made fake orthodonture to entertain you.”
“It was impressive.”
“Thank you, I’m quite proud of it.” He pushed a button to close the garage door behind us, then held up his creation and said, “I soldered the metal wire to a piece that fit against my teeth, but the true inspiration was using a headband for the neck strap.”
“Genius.”
“Right?” As he led me past his disassembled motorcycles, he gestured at the seating area ahead and told me, “I made us some snacks and drinks. They’re nonalcoholic, because—”
“You think I’m a total lightweight who can’t hold my liquor.”
“Yes.”
“That’s fair.”
I noticed he’d added a fuzzy blanket and some pillows to the couch, to make it cozier. His chess game with his father had been relocated to a side table, to make room for another large chess set, a few other board games, a pitcher of drinks, and a fancy charcuterie board, which was piled high with cheeses, olives, nuts, and other wonderful-looking things. It was surprising and touching that he’d gone to that much effort. At best, I would have expected him to hand me a beer and maybe dump some chips into a bowl.
We took a seat on the couch, and I pierced a perfect little cube of cheese with a toothpick as I asked, “Did you really sit around dicing cheese all day?”
He grinned at me and admitted, “It came pre-cubed in a bag. I did, however, artfully dump it out and arrange it on this tray. I also fanned out the crackers, because that’s how you make them fancy.”