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)
“I love you too,” she croaks. “There have been two people in my life who ever got those words from me. You are number three.”
“Baby,” I whisper. I have so many people in my life that I love and tell them openly. For her to give me hers, which so few have ever received, has my heart swelling five times its size in my chest. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” I shower kisses all over her face, making her giggle. Her mom died a few years ago, which means she’s gone that long without hearing those three little words. I have her for five more months and vow to tell her every single day.
“I love you.”
“Best date ever.” I pull back and reach for her seat belt. She turns to face the front of the truck, and I lean in and buckle her back in. I kiss her quickly because she loves me, and I love her, and that’s what I want to do. Carefully, I close the door and wait for a passing car to fly by us before getting back into the truck, buckling in, and pulling back on the road. I reach for her hand, and she takes it.
“I’m so excited.” Scarlett bounces on the balls of her feet as we stand in line for our third and final haunted house of the night. The first two weren’t too scary, much to my dismay. I was hoping my girl would need to hold on to me, but she’s always charging through each house, fearless.
“This one is supposed to be the scariest of the three,” I tell her. “That’s what I read online.”
“I’ll protect you.” Her smile lights up my world.
I snag an arm around her waist, tugging her close. I wrap her in a hug as my lips connect with her temple. “How about we protect each other?” I suggest. She’s quiet, so I don’t think she’s going to answer, or maybe she didn’t hear me. Until she turns in my arms and places her gloved hands on my cheeks. I peer down at her, giving her my full attention.
“It’s been a long time since I felt protected, Archer Kincaid. Thank you for loving me.”
Ah, shit. Emotions well in my throat. I’m not an overly emotional guy. I love my family, and they know it. I love Scarlett, and she now knows that too. I don’t get choked up, but this woman, my firecracker, has managed to do just that. I swallow hard as I press my forehead against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Thankfully, the line moves forward, and it’s our turn. Scarlett grabs my hand and leads us through the entire thing. We get a few startle scares, but nothing too bad. By the time we’re walking out, my girl is laughing and smiling.
“That mummy guy that dropped from the ceiling got me,” she confesses.
“You and me both.”
“Thank you for tonight. This was so much fun.”
“You’re welcome.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that we’ll make it a tradition, but I catch myself before the words can slip out. She won’t be here next year. Maybe I can travel to wherever she is and take her through a few. I don’t know what the future holds for us. Will we find a way back to one another? I hope so. It’s going to suck living the rest of my life without my heart by my side.
Scarlett just left to go home and get ready for the work week. I’m supposed to be doing the same, but I can’t seem to sit still. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve stopped to visit my parents outside of Sunday dinner, so I grab my keys and head out.
I don’t bother knocking because Carol and Raymond Kincaid insist that no matter how old we get or how many years we live on our own, this house, their house, will always be our home. I feel a pang of sadness in my chest for Scarlett. She lost that when she had to sell her family home.
“Hello!” I call out.
“In here,” Dad calls back.
“Hey, old man,” I tease as I take a seat on the opposite end of the couch. “What are you into?”
“Nothing much. Just watching a little football. What about you?”
“It’s been a couple of weeks since I was here. Thought I’d check in. Where’s Mom?”
“She made dinner for Rush and Crosby. You just missed her.”
I nod and settle back on the couch, my eyes glued to the television. Once a commercial comes on, my dad mutes the TV. “What’s eating at you, son?”
“Nothing.”
He gives me a pointed look. “Try again.”
I sigh. “Nothing. Scarlett went home, and my house was too quiet without her. I should be doing laundry and all kinds of other shit, but instead, I couldn’t sit there without her.”