Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
That was it, Greer was buried in the story in seconds. Not worried about the injury on her head or anything other than the story unfolding before her eyes.
Making sure to lock Linc’s proposal in his filing cabinet, she smoothed her hands down her slacks before toying with the end of the braid hanging over her left shoulder. “Where would you like to go?”
“TC’s?” Her face fell as she nibbled on the corner of her lip. “Or we could eat here.”
It broke her heart to think her daughter was trying to make her feel better because she knew money was tight. Or it used to be. She’d not changed her frugal lifestyle and wasn’t going to but she did have more money available thanks to this new job.
“TC’s it is.” She held out her hand. “Let’s go.”
Greer slid to the end of the seat and looked up at her. “Thank you, Mama.”
“For what, baby?”
“Letting me play ball.” She hopped down and reached for Emma’s hand with the one not holding the book Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief.
“You’re welcome.” Emma nearly bent down to kiss her but refrained. Holding hands, they walked out of the center and she stole a glance toward the part of the lot where Linc parked his monstrous vehicle.
“When you and Linc get married, do I get a truck like his?”
“A truck? And what makes you think I’m getting married?”
She unlocked her car and helped Greer inside. Soon her daughter wouldn’t need the booster if she kept growing the way she was. It was one thing to be playing at being engaged, another completely to have her daughter jumping in on actually getting married.
“They said you’re marrying Linc.”
“Who said?”
“Everyone. They talk about it all the time. People are deciding when.”
“Stop listening to rumors.” She got behind the wheel and gripped it while she tried to find a way to get her off this topic. “Linc and I aren’t in any rush.”
Emma didn’t hear a single peep from the back seat. Using the rearview mirror, she found Greer with her head buried in the book. With a smile, she started the engine and headed to TC’s to spend some time with her daughter.
Lunch was great but when Greer dashed off to the restroom and Emma turned to find two women whose children were at the center every day, she knew it was about to hit the shitter.
“Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Winter.” She pasted the smile she used to have on her face most days when she’d been at the diner, serving people who probably wouldn’t have spit on her if she’d been burning.
She’d gone to school with these two.
“If it isn’t the one who landed the big bad baseball player,” Jenna Carter sneered. She tucked a small clutch with one hand tipped with pointed bloodred nails under her arm. “Guess we know what you were practicing when you quit school.”
Katherine Winter snickered beside her, her lips flattening into a disapproving line. “Sad how the center could have been a great place but some people bring it down with their lack of morals and education.”
Skin heating, Emma made sure her smile didn’t slip. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard things like this, and she didn’t doubt it would happen again. However, having it bring a dark cloud over Linc and his center didn’t sit well with her at all.
“You could always leave, Katherine.” A new voice entered the conversation.
The woman speaking stepped up beside her. Emma recognized her from town. She used to work at the library—Mrs. Juliet Sprague. The woman was a firecracker of five feet nothing. Well into her eighties, she did what she wanted and said what she wished.
“Mrs. Sprague,” she greeted her.
Emma received a gentle smile before it fell away into a disapproving frown at Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Carter.
“Always lovely to see you, Emma.” She sniffed and thumped her cane on the floor of the shop. “What are you two still doing here? I don’t want to see or talk to you. Go away.”
They flinched and scurried off, leaving her with Mrs. Sprague.
“Such unpleasant women.” A sigh. “Now, where’s that child of yours? How are the wedding plans? We haven’t heard anything about it yet. I did see an article in the paper about the center and it had a lovely photo of you, your daughter, and your fiancé to accompany it. Walk with me to a table. These old bones don’t like standing as much anymore.”
Obeying immediately, Emma went with her to a table. However, this one had people at it. Or rather it did until Mrs. Sprague glared at the two sitting there. They rushed off and the woman sank down with a huff. Emma was pretty sure it was one of smugness.
She hadn’t seen any photo of herself in the paper. To be fair, she’d not looked at one in a long time.