Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“These are insane,” he said, slowly flipping through them. “The fireworks—they’re really good.”
“Thank you.” She reached over, tracing her finger around a swirl of fiery yellow.
“I like how you choose colors for them based on the subject.” He pointed to one of a pig in which the sparklers were green, brown, and purple. “It’s just a pig eating from a trough, but the way the page is filled with color feels so playful and…beautiful, actually.”
“That’s a really nice thing to say, Fitz.”
“I’ve never seen fireworks drawn with so much detail before.”
“When I was little I thought they were called flowerworks. I thought they were magical flowers in the sky.”
He laughed. “That’s cute.”
Fitz wasn’t sure who was more shocked that he’d said it. She turned to look at him, and he couldn’t help it, the way his attention dipped to her mouth again. When he forced his gaze back up, she was slow to follow. She’d been doing the same thing.
He needed her off his bed.
“I was thinking we could take a little detour tomorrow,” he said, standing, walking away from the bed, needing something else to do with himself.
Ren followed and dropped her notebook back into her bag. “A detour?”
“We’ll be passing by Mount Rushmore, and I thought maybe we could go. If you wanted.”
“You’re not in a hurry to get to Nashville?”
“I mean…if it was just me, yeah, I’d power through. But you haven’t seen any of the country yet, have you?”
“No.” Before he had time to react, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I do want to go. Oh my gosh, thank you, Fitz.”
Frozen, he stared blankly at the wall over her shoulder for a few stunned seconds before he lifted his arms and closed them around her shoulders. She exhaled into the hug, molding to him. Holy shit, it felt so good. He gave himself five seconds to enjoy it. He closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet honey scent of her hair. And then he released her, stepping back. “You didn’t have to hug me, we’re just going to see some old white dudes on a rock.”
“I was excited. Sorry. I’ve read so much about it.”
“Does that mean you’re going to talk my ear off in the car?”
She was too smart for him. She read the lie in his voice, saw it all over his face. Fitz didn’t know why, but he was finding it impossible to maintain his façade with her. “Yes,” she said, grinning, “and you’ll love it, don’t lie.”
“We can’t take too long.”
She lifted her arm in a salute and then winced. “Whoops. Rule number two. Sorry.”
Ren skipped back to her bed and launched herself onto it, hitting play again on the remote. Fitz did a terrible job of focusing on the movie, the wall, anything but her, his own thoughts screaming at him that these were not emotions he should be having. The idea of being attracted to Ren was a shock; the idea of being tender toward her was unacceptable. Although it was different, of course, with Mary, Fitz knew his brand of tenderness was fierce. He would move mountains for Mary; would spend his life ensuring that hers was comfortable and safe. Fitz didn’t have room for someone else to worry over. He’d make time for flings; he did not have time for fondness.
The movie ended, and they met at the bathroom sink, standing side by side while they brushed their teeth. Ren made a face in the mirror, eyes crossed, and lip curled goofily.
“You’re weird,” he told her.
“You’re weirder.” She bent, spitting and rinsing, and he went next.
In the dark, he heard her fluffing her pillow and letting out a long, happy sigh. He wondered what today was like for her, whether she’d look back and see it as a turning point the same way he was starting to. He wondered if that moment when he’d caught her in the Screaming Eagle Saloon changed everything for her, too.
“Sunshine?”
She paused a beat before answering, and he heard it, too, how different this new nickname sounded in the dark. How adoring. “Yeah?”
“Your mom’s wrong, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t need your parents to keep you safe. You’re scrappy.”
Her voice sounded bubbly with pride. “I am?”
“Yep.” He rolled over and willed his heart to stop beating so fast. “You can absolutely take care of yourself.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
REN
Ren was up, dressed, and packed before Fitz had even rolled over in bed. She’d slept fitfully, thinking about Mount Rushmore as she closed her eyes, feeling content and excited and grateful. But when she finally managed to succumb to sleep, it wasn’t the faces of four past presidents she saw, it was Gloria on every facet of the monument. Four Glorias, staring down at her in anger and judgment, in sadness and betrayal. It was a twisty dream, and Ren woke tangled in her sheets, sweaty and heart racing.