Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
“Wait, what’s happening?” Everly questions as I jam my arms into my jacket. “Where are you going?”
“Boyd’s. I love him, I’m an idiot and I have to talk to him.” My hand trembles as I stuff my phone in my pocket, but I’m not giving in to the fear. I’m trusting the love.
“Chloe, wait. You need a plan!” Everly jumps off the couch and follows me to the door. “Like… take him to Vegas and elope!” She claps her hands in delight and her eyes sparkle.
I laugh as my purse swings over my shoulder. “Thanks, but that seems a little dramatic. I’m going to keep it simple—tell him that I love him.”
“That’s a good plan too, Chloe.” Her face softens and she wraps her arms around me. “You got this, bestie.”
She slaps me on the ass as I leave with a, “Go get ‘em, tiger!” I shake my head and laugh, waving as the door closes.
Twenty-Seven
Chloe
When I hit the sidewalk outside of Everly’s I nearly run smack into Boyd leaning against his car, parked at the curb.
“Boyd, I was just…” I pause, wondering what he’s thinking and where I should start. “I was just heading back to your place.”
“No need. I came to get you,” he replies. His posture is relaxed, hands in his pockets, but his eyes look strained. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
“I’m sorry, I turned it off at brunch this morning, it’s been in my purse all day on silent.” I am really messing up today. “How did you know I was here?”
“I tried Sophie first, who incidentally would like to set us up.” The corner of his lip curves. “Then she called Everly and found out you were on your way down so I swung over here instead.”
“Wow. You must really like me.” I can’t keep the smile from pulling at my cheek.
“Why’s that?”
“Now you’re gonna have to live with Everly having your phone number.”
“I figured I’d have to change it.”
I laugh then draw in a breath. Here goes.
“I need a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“I need to tell you a joke.”
“Okay.” He inclines his head with a half smile but the worry has left his eyes.
“Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“I love.”
“I love who?”
“I love you too.” Then I start giggling. “That was so bad!” I exclaim. “Like the worst!” I’m laughing so hard I’m crying. “How have you put up with me for this long?”
“Because I love you,” he says and I sink into him as he wraps his arms around me. “It was pretty bad though.” His grip on me loosens. “Hold on while I text that to myself so I can remember it forever.”
“Stop. That was practice. Let me do it again.”
“Okay.” The smile reaches his eyes now.
“Boyd Gallagher, I love you.”
We both eye each other for a moment and then he smiles. “I don’t know, I might want to keep the first one. The first one was so perfectly you.”
“You can have both of them.”
“Deal.”
Epilogue
Chloe
Being a teacher has some perks. Two weeks off at Christmas is one of them. Two weeks about to be put to very good use spending the holiday in Vail with my boyfriend. Yeah, I still do a little ‘raise the roof’ happy dance when I think about Boyd being my boyfriend. But only in my head. I stopped doing it in front of people. Most of the time.
I felt a moment of guilt about not going home for Christmas, but I got over it. Boyd met my mom at Thanksgiving and we had dinner with my dad the following weekend, so I feel like I checked off any responsibility I had there. I think it’s okay for me to be little selfish and spend the holiday in a snowy cocoon with my boyfriend. How many opportunities will we have to spend two whole weeks together sipping hot cocoa and snuggling by the fire? Just the two of us?
“Babe, why are you doing that weird dance?”
“No reason,” I reply, dropping my arms.
“Really?” Boyd smirks. “What were you thinking about?”
“If you must know, it’s my candy plane dance.” It’s not. It’s my boyfriend dance. A teeny-tiny lie never hurt anybody.
“Your candy plane dance?”
“Yup.” I’m holding firm on this. “I really, really love the candy plane,” I say, dropping into his lap. We’re currently on the plane somewhere over Nebraska. We should be in Vail within a couple of hours.
“Do you?”
“I do. It’s so sexy and well equipped,” I purr into his ear. “And big. Much bigger than I expected.” I slide my hand behind his neck and rub the skin there. I love touching him. “And let’s face it. No one wants to be stuck flying in the middle seat on Southwest,” I finish with a giggle.
“I knew exactly where that was going,” he says, slipping his fingers under the back of my shirt and trailing them lightly along my spine.