Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
She shivered, and I pulled her tighter. “Cold?”
“A tad,” she huffed out, her breath misting. “It’s so pretty, I don’t want to miss it.”
I moved behind her, surrounding her with my body, trying to block the light breeze. “We can stay a little longer, but if your teeth start chattering, we’re going in.”
“Don’t worry about that happening. I’m still a furnace. The air actually feels nice right now. It was getting a little stuffy inside with all those people. You weren’t kidding when you said your parents know half the town. My mom and dad are completely enchanted with this place and your family. They’ve been so gracious and welcoming.”
I couldn’t help but grin as I cuddled her closer, one hand going to her bump. “Where are your parents?”
“Playing Euchre of course. I think your mom is regretting teaching my dad that card game. I know my mom is.”
I laughed and kissed the side of her hat covered head. “Pat sure is competitive.”
“So is your dad. They take their card games seriously, don’t they?”
“Oh yeah. Dad belongs to a group of around twenty guys who meet once a week to play card games. It’s penny bets, but don’t let that fool you—it’s all about the bragging rights. When I was growing up, I always knew if dad had won the card games that week, because he’d make sure to go into town to rub it in his buddies faces at their various jobs.”
She turned in my arms to look up at me, her port-wine stain on full display, making her all the more beautiful. “That’s hilarious.”
“On the weeks he lost, my mother would get pissed because he didn’t want to run any errands in town for her.”
We laughed again, then turned back to watch the bright red sliver of the sun sink behind the trees.
“How was your visit earlier?” Layla asked in a soft voice.
Spreading my hand wide over her belly, I cuddled her closer as she placed her hands on my arm. “Good. Rough…but good.”
I’d finally found the courage to visit Gracie’s grave. We’d been here for almost a week, but each day I’d avoided it for a million reasons. It wasn’t until I realized that I only had a few days left that I finally got the courage to go. I don’t know what I’d expected—that maybe her ghost would show up, mad because I’ve continued to live my life after she’d gone. But as I’d stood at her cold, quiet gravestone, I’d realized that she wasn’t here. There was no hint of her presence there, no whisper of her bright spirit.
While I sat on the frozen earth, I’d talked to her anyways, just in case she was listening. I told her about Layla and our baby, and I asked her to watch over us. For two hours, I’d poured my heart out to her gravestone. When I was finally done, my body was frozen, but my heart felt a thousand times lighter. I missed her—fuck, did I miss Gracie—but I liked to think that she still watched over me. Hell, maybe she’d sent me Layla, knowing how much we’d both needed each other.
“I love you so fucking much,” I said as I held Layla tight. “So much. Both you and our baby.”
“We love you, too,” she said as she laid her head on my bicep. “But I can’t feel my toes anymore.”
“Layla,” I scolded. I scooped her into my arms as it began to snow.
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around my neck while I walked us back up to the house. “I’m going to be too big to carry around soon.”
“Maybe, but then I’ll just buy a giant baby sling and cart you around in it.”
Laughing, she thumped my chest so I’d put her down. Setting her on her feet, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders as we made our way up the stone path. The snowflakes came down heavily enough that they caught in my lashes, and I had to blink them away.
“Hey, you two,” Jan yelled from the brightly lit doorway surrounded by twinkling Christmas lights leading to the kitchen, “Come on! The cookies are ready for decorating, and the football game is about to start.”
Pat, looking a little…intense…poked his head over her shoulder. “Mark! I need you, man. Your dad and Uncle Dan are trying to stick me with your Great Aunt Bea as a partner. That woman doesn’t even know what year it is. She’s gotta be at least a hundred and eight years old. You gotta help me.”
Grinning, Layla looked up at me. “You’re being summoned.”
“Do you think we could pretend not to hear him and go rent a hotel room in town? Playing cards with your dad and my dad is a nightmare.”
She gave a weary sigh. “No, if we took off, they’d come find us. My mom would probably try and stay in our room, but I can say I’m feeling tired and need you to rub my feet. You know, growing a grandbaby and all that should get them off your back.”