Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)
“Uh, the last one is just efficiency and the first is, um... me stubbing my toe.”
She’d cross her arms sassily if there wasn’t a baby preventing her from doing so.
“And if we did do some unclothed exercises together, what would it mean to you?” I say, shooting a fierce glare right back at her.
“Nothing. Just that you’ve fallen for the woodsman just as hard as I did, and just as quickly too.”
“Are... are you suggesting that...?”
“Hunter and I? The first night we met?”
I smile at her. “I never expected you to be indulgent, Savvy.”
We giggle like gossiping schoolgirls. “I’m really happy for you, Char. You need this more than anything, and you deserve it too.”
We take a seat at the kitchen table, and Savvy pours us each a cup of coffee. I take mine and have a sip. “Glad I’m not being judged for it, at least. My mother would probably have choice words for me doing things with a guy when we haven’t even been on a proper date.”
“Life’s short, Char. Do what brings you joy. I want what’s best for you, and I want what’s best for Bear too. He could use a gal like you.”
“He seems to have his stuff together. Does he really need me showing up and making a mess out of everything, as I’m known to do?”
“There’s some hurt Bear has. He’s good at hiding it. A lot of men are, but him especially.”
I nurse my coffee. He does seem too perfect, and nothing is ever that perfect. “What do you think’s going on with him? Anything I should worry about?”
Savvy shakes her head. “Nothing that I think would hurt you. Bear is, for lack of a better term, a teddy bear. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“Really?”
“Well, not unless they really deserved it. Same with Hunter. Very protective. Calm, and sweet, but if you hurt who they care for? They’ll show their fangs.”
I remember the incident that Savvy had with her father, and everything she told me about it. How fiercely Hunter defended her.
I don’t think I’m going to run into a situation like that. My father’s been out of my life for decades, and my mother for a few years. I wonder what Bear’s family was like? Or would it be “is” like? He mentioned a divorce and his mother buying the land the Love Nest was on, but he didn’t mention much else. Are they still around?
I worried about asking those questions. Everything is so sweet and wonderful right now. Something seems to be going right in my life for a change.
My luck would have it all destroyed just as easily as I found it.
FIVE
bear
That day was a whole load of nothing. We were missing the nails and screws we needed, so we spent most of it driving off to the local hardware store to try to find some. We couldn’t, so we had to go to the next town to find what we were looking for.
We were committed to not rushing it. Good things take time.
Even if my relationship with the woman sitting next to me seemed to damn near spring up out of nowhere.
“You all right there, Char?” We were heading back to the Love Nest after a hard day's work. Char seems like she has something on her mind, and it's bothering me enough that I want to find out what.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about things.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Just worrying you’re too perfect is all.”
I cackle. “I’m not perfect. I’m far from it.”
“And how are you not?”
I nod, thinking. “I’m not much of a cook. I can’t give up meat, and there’s a lot of people who would judge me for that. I’m kind of messy.”
“Your cabin was fine when I went in it.”
“Yeah, because the stars aligned, and you came over the day after I decided to get off my ass and clean up. If I didn’t do that, I would have hesitated to offer.” Just got tired of all the crumbs and dust everywhere. Knew I should have dealt with it before the summer if I didn’t want to deal with ants. Char’s situation was dire enough that I probably would have invited her anyway.
But nothing wrong with making a better first impression.
“I probably didn’t call my mother enough when she was still alive,” I add, trying hard to think of my various sins and failures.
Char sighs. “I guessed she had passed when you mentioned you inherited the Love Nest.”
“A few years ago. Breast cancer. And she had struggled with a lot of demons before that. I can only hope she’s at peace now.”
Char’s eyes close, and I realize I may have revealed too much. She didn’t ask about my mothers problems, and I went and told her about them anyway.
“Your parents divorced, you said?”
I nod. I turn the car into my cabin’s driveway. “A nasty one. Lots of legal stuff. But it was just my dad dragging things out really. It was pretty clear he cheated on her. Lots of awful words.”