Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but he seems sorta…nerdy.”
“You were just deep in conversation with the nerdy guy talking numbers… so does that make you a nerd too?” Finn stared at me for a few moments, then raised his brows slightly. “Dude, are you interested in Clare?”
“What? Fuck no. Half the time I can’t stand to be around her.”
I felt a jab of pain in my chest at telling that little white lie.
Finn’s brows drew down. “You really don’t like Clare?”
Realizing my words had been too harsh, I softened them a bit. “I do like her, she just has a way of getting on my nerves, that’s all.”
Finn studied me for a bit before he asked, “You’re not still hung up on Mandy, are you? We haven’t talked about it.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Really? Because if you’re planning to try and win her back…”
Finn didn’t finish what he was going to say.
“Just finish your sentence, will you?”
Shrugging, he looked back to make sure no one was around before focusing back on me. “The whole sleeping with you thing was a dick move, if you ask me. She was wanting to have one last fling before she settled down, and I feel like she used you.”
“I knew what I was doing that night I slept with her.”
“So, it doesn’t bother you that she cheated on the guy she is about to marry with you?”
Swallowing hard, I looked at the beer in my hand. “I think she wanted to see if she still had feelings for me. You weren’t there that night, Finn. We still share a connection.”
He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. “If that’s true, then why did she leave?”
“Why did she tell me she was getting married? She didn’t have to tell me, but she did. You know why?”
Finn shot me a weary look. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me why.”
“Because she has doubts about it. I ran into her the other day, and you should have seen the way she was looking at me. She still loves me, and if we have a chance to try it again, I’m going to take it.”
My brother looked down at the floor and slowly shook his head. He gave a small shrug and looked back at me. “I just hope you don’t get your heart broken by her again, Wes.”
Before I could say anything, he turned and walked out of the kitchen.
“Wes! Lunch is ready!” Harmony called out from the dining room.
I lifted the beer to my lips and downed it before grabbing another one and heading to the dining room.
Most of the conversation during lunch was about the game plan on getting the decorations for the anniversary party made. Harmony broke up everyone into groups and assigned tables to those groups. I silently thanked God I wasn’t at the table where Alex and Clare were going to be. They were at their own table together.
“Wes, is everything okay?” Rory asked as she stared down at the mess in front of me.
“Yeah, I just needed to find the right rhythm.”
Her eyes widened some. “The right rhythm of gluing on the bulbs?”
I smiled. “I’m not domesticated quite yet like my brothers.”
Laughing, she squeezed my arm and sat down to help. Apparently, she thought I was slow.
The sound of Clare laughing caused me to look over at her. Alex was doing something stupid with ribbon and Clare was completely besotted with the guy.
When he reached over and put the bow in her hair she blushed.
“What the fuck?” I mumbled.
“I know it can be hard to get it where you want it, but just put a little bit of hot glue, position it, then you can add more to secure it.”
Looking at Rory, who was concentrating on gluing, I simply said, “Got it.”
Reaching for my beer, I took a long pull from it and set it down. I attempted to focus on the work at hand but couldn’t stop myself from glancing over to Clare and Alex. He was talking about something while she rested her chin on her hand, completely enraptured by the guy.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” I asked as I motioned over to them.
Rory glanced over her shoulder then back to me. A huge smile on her face. “Whatever it is, he has Clare’s full attention. I’m so glad they’re hitting it off. Clare hasn’t been herself lately and I’m not sure why. I think a guy broke her heart, but she won’t tell me or Autumn about it.”
“What makes you say that?”
She lifted her shoulder. “Just call it intuition.”
“Was she dating anyone?”
“No, like I said, she hasn’t said anything, but a woman can just tell when another woman is feeling down. I think someone said something about her weight too.” She added a bit of anger to her voice.