Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I thought you might want to see them.”
“Definitely.” He turns a little to the side and slides his arm over my shoulders so that I’m cradled into his chest. “Show me the goods.”
There’s a part of me that wants to toss my laptop to the side and strip for him, but I know that’s not what he means. Being near this man does things to me unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
Slowly, I start moving through the images that I have pulled up, taking up my entire screen. “Scarlett,” Archer breathes. “Babe, these are incredible.”
“Thanks. The lighting that night was perfect.” I flip to the next image. It’s of Archer standing looking out at the river. The sun is setting in the background, and the field of flowers pulls it all together.
“You should sell these.”
“What? No, I mean, yeah, that’s the plan, but not these.”
“Why not these? They’re great.”
“This night was just for us.”
His lips press against my temple. “Our night,” he says softly. “Show me more. Where are some other places that you’ve worked or traveled to?”
I glance over my shoulder at him. “Are you sure you want to see it?”
“I’m sure.”
I’m giddy to show him my portfolio. “This is what I used for my interview with Palmer.” I flip through the images I’ve taken in my travels, both alone and with my parents. “It’s capturing a memory. A moment in time that will forever live on from the image.”
It must be a photographer thing. “Palmer did good naming her business Captured Moments.”
“She really did.”
We spend the next hour scrolling through images. I even open a folder that contains only my parents. “I miss them,” I say softly.
Archer doesn’t tell me he understands. He doesn’t tell me it will get easier with time. He takes my laptop from me and places it on the coffee table, then lifts me onto his lap and gives me another one of his soul-soothing hugs. Hot tears well behind my eyes. Archer must sense my pending breakdown as he holds me tighter and runs his hand over my hair.
“I’ve got you, baby.”
I don’t know if it’s the four words, the sentiment, the man, or all three. But I lose the battle of holding off my tears. I let them fall freely in the safety of his arms. He never wavers as he holds me tightly, running his fingers through my hair.
I cry for the loss of my parents, for the loneliness that I feel, and for the man who’s making me feel like maybe I’m not so alone. The man who makes my heart beat faster. The one who’s holding me as if I’m precious to him, and maybe, just maybe, I think I might be.
I know he’s precious to me.
I also know it’s going to kill me to walk away from him, but I have to follow my dreams. I can’t let something like my heart stop me. I vowed to follow my passion when my parents died, and I plan to do that. I also plan to spend as much time with Archer as I can while I’m here. He’s right. I’d rather have this time with him and a sad heart when I have to leave than never experience moments like this.
Missing out on knowing Archer Kincaid would be one of life’s greatest tragedies.
I sit up, wiping at my tear-stained cheeks. “I want this time with you,” I blurt. “You said we could talk about it. We don’t really need to.”
“Yeah?” he asks, hope in his eyes.
I nod. “It’s going to hurt like hell to walk away from you, Archer Kincaid.”
“We have months before that happens. Right now, I just want to enjoy the time that we have.”
“In another life…” My voice trails off.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, and I’m grateful for the change in subject. It’s out there, and now I don’t want to talk about it or think about the end of my time here in Willow River.
“Yes. I worked through lunch.”
“Scarlett,” he scolds.
“I was working.”
“You have to eat.” He brushes my hair back out of my eyes.
“Then feed me, Kincaid.”
“What sounds good?”
“Can you cook?”
“I do all right. I’m not going to be running my own restaurant anytime soon.” He chuckles.
“What would you be making if I weren’t here?”
“I’d planned to make buffalo chicken pasta, but I was going to cheat and use canned chicken because it’s so much faster and tastes the same. Do you like spicy food?”
“How spicy are we talking? Like ghost pepper spicy or buffalo wing spicy?”
“Wing spicy.”
“Yep. Can I help?”
“No. But you can keep me company.” With a quick kiss, he stands from the couch with me in his arms.
“I feel like I should tell you that I can walk, but it’s sexy how you carry me around. It makes me feel… some kind of way.” I almost told him it made me feel wanted. It’s bad enough I’m falling for him, and I’ve admitted that. I don’t need to add fuel to the heartbreak fire.