Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“I’m making it worse,” Gina complained. “I just think you should hear what he has to say and not judge him by one mistake.”
“It was a hell of a mistake.”
Gina laughed. “Tell me how it goes.”
“I will,” I promised.
The rest of the day was a blur. I had to focus to make it through one customer transaction. It was a contractor who had ordered pressure-treated wood but said we delivered non-pressure-treated boards. I had to assure him that we would make it right. After checking with Porter, I put a pickup and delivery onto the schedule, with a little note of apology.
I wasn’t sure whether it would be Linc, Danny, or Henry who would get stuck with the unhappy customer, but I had faith in all three. When the day finally came to a close, Linc trudged up the hill to meet me. I was just grabbing my things, thinking I would meet him in the barn, when the front door opened, and he came in.
“Hey,” I said. “I was just about to come find you.”
“It’s been a busy day,” he said.
“I know. Were you the one who had to go take the wood back?”
“What?” He seemed to think about that for a moment. “Oh yeah, Danny and I did it.”
“Were they mad?”
He shrugged. “No more than usual.”
“Really? You’ve had to deal with them before?”
“A lot of the contractors get angry if you’re not right on their schedule.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, though it really wasn’t my fault.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m driving?”
“I can drive,” he offered. “We just have to take your car.”
“Okay.” I dug through my purse and handed the keys over. “And you’re paying?”
He cracked a smile. “Are you going to take advantage of me?”
I scowled. That one hit too close to home. Maybe this dinner was a bad idea.
He recovered quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up. We can go anywhere you want.”
“We can just go for tacos,” I said, holding my hand out with the keys.
“I know a great taco place in Nashville,” he said, playing keep away.
“Linc,” I sighed.
“Please, Aly.” He turned his puppy dog eyes on me. “If this is my last chance to make it up to you, let me do it right.”
I considered that. I was too tired to drive to Nashville, but if Linc was driving, I could go along for the ride. If he was paying too, I could order whatever I wanted and not worry about the bill. It would be fun to get out of Singer’s Ridge for an evening, even if it was just for tacos. And I didn’t want to admit that this might not be the last chance at reconciliation. The way things were going, I was sure he was going to talk his way back into my bed.
“Okay,” I relented.
“Great.” He skipped around me and held the door open. I walked through, feeling like a princess.
While Linc drove, we began to talk. He told me about Mrs. Washington’s attempt to get us back together. “She made the best butter cookies, and she made me tea and sat me down to tell me I had to make things right.”
“She sounds sweet.” I refused to comment on the substance of her message.
“She’s like a mom. I really feel like this whole town has come together to support me.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Of course, I was pleased that the town was behind Linc. He had seen so much in his short life that he deserved a welcoming home. At the same time, I felt left out. Where were my cookies and tea? Who was checking in to see if I was doing alright? Did they just assume that because I had never left Singer’s Ridge, that I never would? Didn’t they think I needed comforting too?
I put on my brave face and smiled for him, but Linc saw right through it. “What’s wrong?”
“No one sat me down and gave me cookies,” I mumbled.
“I’m sure that’s because you’re a powerful, intelligent woman, whereas I am a train wreck.”
“Thanks,” I said. It did make me feel better.
“And I really was a train wreck,” he continued. “I didn’t sleep at all. I went walking around the neighborhoods drunk. I took a shower in my clothes.”
“You did what?” I gasped.
“I took a shower in my clothes,” he repeated.
“Why would you do that?”
“I don’t know. Probably because I was drunk.” He shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
I frowned, puzzling that one out. I had never heard of anyone taking a shower fully clothed before. What would be the point? I felt like there was more to the story that I was missing.
“But how could you get clean if you had all your clothes on?”
“I saw you with another guy.” He pulled off the highway and onto the streets of downtown Nashville. “I think I went a little crazy.”