Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Nevertheless, Brett wasn’t in any sports or much of anything, so every day he’d come by the house, grab the big bottle of tea, and take it to Daniel once practice finished.
If not for that tea, I wouldn’t have fell for Brett. No. It wasn’t Mom’s tea. It was my dumb ass.
Daniel had been a great guy, but I was stupid and young and wanted a ticket out of town. Daniel had talked about staying around and buying a house near his mother.
While Brett had boasted about applying to colleges and opening his own business in a big city.
Brett wanted to see the world.
Daniel thought our town was the world.
In some ways Daniel was right. It was a beautifully imagined world full of small blocks with ma and pa shops, selling farm grown produce, boxes of freshly baked goods, and handmaid jewelry. As a kid, I didn’t see our town’s magic. All I dreamed of was the big city. Any big city in fact. Just some place far, far away from here.
In no time, I’d broken Daniel’s heart and rushed away with Brett. I applied for the art school near his college. We dated and visited each other on the weekends. By the last year of both of our academic programs, I was pregnant with Meadow and my very pissed off Mom demanded that Brett put a ring on my finger or she’d put a curse on his penis.
We were married a month later.
None of that matters anymore. There are fucking snow creatures running around. Santa too. And I don’t know if this motherfucker is naughty or nice.
Once the cop car appeared, my snow creatures returned to their spots and froze into statues. The temperature shifted back to freezing. The music stopped. Silenced filled the air.
I stepped outside and yelled, “Oh, okay. That’s how we’re going to play this? You’re just going to pretend like everything is okay when the cops get here?”
I stuffed my pack of cigarettes in my back pocket. I’d chain-smoked three cancer sticks as I’d waited for the cop to arrive. “All of you can go fuck yourselves!”
Daniel parked the car and shut off the lights.
I hurried over to him right as he stepped out of the car. “Thanks for coming over.”
Daniel was a big man, rising even higher than Remy and built like a statue, depicting an ancient God. Even at his age, his chest was still broad with rippling muscles.
He had a chiseled jaw line and deep blue eyes. His brown hair was soft, with the perfect amount of waves. His warm and inviting smile triggered most women in the town to blush. Surely, that smile wet their panties because it always wet mine.
His voice was deep and strong. And for some reason, Daniel smelled like the beach even though there wasn't a beach close to this area.
When we dated, I remember thinking that for all Daniel’s muscle and big frame, he had the softest skin. Just like a woman’s flesh. As if he lathered his hard body daily with high-end lotion and visited the spa twice a month.
But that wasn’t Daniel. He was a mountain man. A country boy. Raised by a good woman. He was a cold beer guy instead of an expensive glass of wine. A yes, ma’am guy instead of a hey, lady. Come over here. He was jeans not suits. Boots not shoes.
On a typical Saturday morning, one could find Daniel fly-fishing. By lunch, he’d be with his rifle off in the mountains hunting. On most Sundays, he gathered a bunch of neighborhood kids on the back of his father’s old truck and would take them to Parker’s lake for fishing.
Since he was a boy, he ran wild in the woods. Aging hadn’t stopped his adventurous spirit, and neither did the police uniform.
Our eyes met and my skin warmed. His gaze was a caress. Intensely physical. An extended hand, reaching out to slip fingertips against my skin.
I’m glad I’ve been avoiding him.
Licking my lips, I stepped back.
He’s still got it.
“Hello, Faith.” Snow crunched under his boots as Daniel walked over and stood in front of me, towering over my small form. His accent was like spice—fresh out of the shop of one of those small, family owned stores where they took great care in stocking their tiny shelves.
With each of his words, I could smell it in the air.
“Hello, Daniel.”
“How are you?”
“Fine.” My nerves flared, more so then when I’d been around the crazy snow people by myself.
Daniel did that to me.
It was why I avoided him. He made me think of things that I didn’t want to ponder anymore—love and regret, hot sex and possible heart-breaking rejection.
Daniel stood in front of me and in that moment, I completely forgot why he was there. I was about to ask if he wanted to come inside for tea when he said, “Janice said you saw someone running around your property?”