Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
How were you supposed to feel about the death of the wife of the man you’d just started to believe you were falling in love with? There was a mix of guilt and if I’m honest with myself relief. And that made me feel dreadful. It was obvious he was still suffering her loss.
“After the funeral, he basically withdrew from life. I had a hard time talking him into moving here to be closer since we have no other family, and was surprised when he accepted.”
“He hasn’t lived since the day he buried his wife. The reasons for that are twofold. Along with the love her bore her, there’s the guilt he feels because his work brought danger to his door.”
“For the past two years I’ve watched him like a hawk for any sign of life. And I have to tell you I was beginning to despair. Until that night he rescued you.”
“I don’t understand, what was so different about that night?” I’d been so sucked into his tale that I’d forgotten everything else. Like the fact that I was done with his brother. But his words had something coming alive inside of me.
“I saw the way he looked at you.” My face turned red and I picked at the hem of my dress to avoid his gaze.
“I know he comes across as a bit of a bear. But I know my brother and I know that the heart inside of him just needs the right person to bring it out. And I’ve come to believe that you are that person.”
My fingers started to tremble so hard I had to hold them with my other hand. “Me? What makes you think that? Both times I’ve gone to him he’s ran me away.” Okay I can understand what happened the day with the picture, but still, facts are facts.
“Trust me. But before we go any farther, do you have feelings for him or did I read you wrong? If it’s just a matter of hero worship we can forget the whole thing and you can squash everything I said here today and forget the whole thing. But if you do, have feelings for him I mean. Then help me save him.”
“Save?” This was getting deep fast. I didn’t know the first thing about saving anyone least of all someone like him. Someone who seems so strong and put together. How can I be of any help to him?
“Yes! If we give up on him he’s just going to regress farther and farther and that would be a sad thing for him and for the world. He has so much to offer. I want the same things for him now that I’ve always wanted.”
“I want him to be happy. I want to see him married again with kids. I want to visit my brother with my wife and kids and see him happy for once, the way he hasn’t been in too long to remember.”
My only non-confusing thought was that he seemed to have way more faith in my abilities than I did. Everything else was a jumbled mess that I had no hope of making any sense of.
Even as I wished to have hope in his words, there was something else holding me back. The woman in that picture had been an Amazonian. Her dark exotic beauty far outshone my paler self by miles.
It was sobering after all the time I’d spent longing for him but not knowing that that’s what it was, to realize that I probably never stood a chance. No wonder he’d ran me off both times. It was his way of letting me off easy, without making me lose face and looking like an even bigger fool.
“I think you might be reading things wrong. I don’t think I’m his type.” It hurt to even say the words out loud.
“Trust me I know my brother better than anyone and he’s interested alright.”
“You just need to decide how far you want this thing to go. So, how about it Cassie? How deep does your interest run?” Talk about being put on the spot. He wasn’t asking for much. Just for me to put myself in the way of getting hurt once again.
I didn’t rush to answer, but gave the question the time it deserved. This was a serious matter after all. And though that feeling that I was almost certain was some kind premonition had yet to leave me, I wasn’t sure that it was anything more than a strong case of lust.
Even as I thought it I knew it was a lie. I knew that if given half a chance I would give myself to him without question. Not just my body, but all of me. “How sure are you about this?” The butterflies in my stomach started up a mad dance and I felt queasy in my stomach as I awaited his answer.