Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry. I want you to know—I need you to know—that I would never, I mean never, hurt you. I know I’m loud and gruff and just say what I want, but I would never hurt you. I wasn’t trying to be mean or hurt your feelings. I just—”
He stops talking, and I open the door before I realize what I’m doing. I wipe at my eyes again. “You just what?”
His eyes search mine, and he’s holding his hat in his hand. “I should never have talked to you like I did downstairs. I just want to know that you’re taking care of yourself, that’s all. I promise you—no one is going to care if you have to take a nap midday.” He points his thumb at his chest. “I’m the boss, Camille.”
I have never had anyone care if I got rest or not or if I’m taking care of myself, and it’s a little overwhelming. Can Elliott really be this great of a guy? “Thank you. I’ll take things slow and rest when I need to,” I tell him, even though I know I’m lying. I would never dream of just taking a nap during the day when I’m supposed to be working. “You know, this job seems almost too good to be true.”
He’s back to being gruff. “I’m going to take my sister home. I’ll be back, and then I’ll fix us some dinner.”
He turns on his heel and slams his hat onto the top of his head. Before he gets down the stairs, I call out his name. “Elliott.”
He stops immediately and looks at me.
I clear my throat. “I know… I mean, I know you’d never hurt me.”
He nods his head in agreement, and his voice is gruff as he grabs on to the post of the stairs. There’s regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry if I scared you down there. I just need to know you’re okay, that’s all.” He blows out a breath and then descends the stairs before I can ask him what he means. Why is it so important to him that I’m okay? It doesn’t make sense. We haven’t known each other long, but just as soon as that thought forms, I know it doesn’t matter. I may not have known Elliott long, but I’ve come to care for him too. The days he’s come into the feed store, brought me candy he’d thought I’d like, the times he’s picked a flower just because it reminded him of my eyes and all the times he’s spent talking to me came to mean something to me.
CHAPTER 5
ELLIOTT
“What the hell are you doing?”
I no sooner get the words out and Camille starts to topple off the chair she’s standing on. I walked into the kitchen after dropping Maddie off, and it seems I was worried about her and Camille getting along for nothing because my sister tore into my ass about being nicer to Camille. After promising her I would, I hightailed it back here, and already I’m barking at her.
I dive to catch her, and as soon as she lands in my arms, I hold her to me and don’t want to let her go. She’s gasping for breath, her chest heaving against mine, and I don’t have the words to calm her because I’m so shaken up myself.
I walk with her through the house into the living room and sit down heavily on the couch. Her fingers are still digging into my shoulders, and there is real fear on her face. You’d think I would try to soothe her, but I’m overwhelmed with emotions and say the first thing that pops into my head. “You can’t climb on top of furniture in your condition, Camille.”
I’m going back and forth between wanting to shake some sense into her and wanting to kiss her. She pushes against my chest. “I wouldn’t have almost fallen if you hadn’t scared me.”
She struggles to get off my lap, but I don’t release her. Call me an ass, call me whatever you want, but I can’t let her go. “Cammy, stop, please, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
I’m not sure if it’s because I call her by a nickname or because I’m pleading with her to do as I ask, but she stops struggling and leans into me. I loosen my hold on her but only so I can rub my hand up and down her back. I’m looking into her face, looking for any indication that she’s in pain or hurt, but all I see is curiosity.
“Elliott.”
I tense at the way she says my name and hold myself rigid against her. “Yeah, baby?”
My breathing is erratic, and I am trying to remain calm, but just sitting here, I’m imagining her falling off the chair and hurting herself. “Promise me that you won’t put yourself in danger ever again.”