Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“What about later?”
“No.” That one word is firm.
“Then of course I’ll take her,” I say quietly, and his shoulders sag like he’s relieved.
“I’ve got to fly to New York the day after tomorrow to go sign my lease and meet my new boss. I was going to put her in doggy day care, but if—”
“I’ll keep her. You can just let me know when you’re back, and I’ll bring her over, and then I’ll pick her up whenever you’re ready.”
“I’d rather just…” He looks around. “I’d rather just close this chapter now.”
“Okay,” I whisper. “I can give you some money—”
“No,” he interrupts. “Knowing she’s going to you….” He shakes his head. “I’m good. Do you have your car here?”
“Yeah, I’m parked on the street.”
“Do you have a few minutes? I can gather her stuff and help you take it all down.”
I nod, then stand in the middle of his living room while he gets together all of Dolly’s things, which is a lot.
When we make it downstairs to my car, I place her crate with her in it on the back seat buckling it in, then shut the door as he puts her stuff in my trunk.
When he’s done he comes to stand on the sidewalk in front of me and tucks his hands into his pockets. “Well.” His eyes roam my face. “Are you good?”
I am, even with the dreams I’m good, happier than I have ever been, not that I would tell him that. “Yeah.”
“I still love you.”
Those words hurt, but the pain is different, because I don’t feel the same, and honestly, I wonder when I stopped. If it was before he told me how he really felt, or if that was what changed the way I feel about him.
“I…” I swallow. “I hope you’re happy, Eli. I hope you find that.” I don’t hug him; even knowing Miles is not around and that he might not care, it still feels wrong. “I’ll send pictures.”
With a jerk of his chin, he steps back, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his sweats. “See you around, Emma.”
“Bye.” I slide into my seat and shut the door, then drive toward Winter’s school. Waiting for Eli to get Dolly’s stuff together cut my time short.
As soon as I park, I get out of the car and rush through the front door of the school with just minutes to spare. I don’t know what the consequence is if you’re late for pickup, and I don’t want to find out.
“She’s been waiting for you.” Melanie, sitting behind the front desk, smiles, and I smile back watching her pick up the phone to call to the teacher watching the kids after school. Less than a minute later Winter comes bouncing into the office with a grin on her face.
“Good day?” I ask as she wraps her arms around me.
“Yes.” She tips her head back to look at me. “What are we making for dinner? I’m starving.”
I laugh. “I think tonight we might have to order in, but we can have a snack when we get home.”
“Can we order pizza?”
“I’ll send Dad a text and ask.”
“Okay.” She takes my hand, and the two of us wave goodbye to both Melanie and Kelly, both the ladies who work in the front before we push through the doors. When we reach my car, I stop her before she can open the back door and squat down in front of her.
“Can you promise me something?”
“Yes.” Her brows drag together.
“I’m going to show you something, but you have to promise not to scream, and you have to stay calm, okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees, still frowning, and I open the back door. “We got a puppy?” she screeches at the top of her lungs, and I laugh.
“Remember, you have to be quiet and calm. She’s tiny and gets scared easily.”
“Is she mine?” She sticks her finger through the wire door of the kennel.
“She’s mine, but whenever I’m over, you can play with her as much as you want.”
“Okay.” She giggles as Dolly licks her fingertips. “Can I name her?”
“She has a name. It’s Dolly.”
“Her name should be Puff. She looks like a puff ball.”
“She might come to that if you call her by that name.” I touch the top of her head. “Get in so we can go home.”
Without a word, she climbs into the car, then across to her seat and buckles in. I walk around the trunk and get in behind the wheel.
“Can I hold her?”
“As soon as we get to the house.”
“She’s so cute.”
“She is.” I smile at her in the rearview mirror.
“Did you tell Dad?”
I bite my lip. I haven’t, and not only because I haven’t had a chance.
“He’ll see her when he gets home,” I mumble, and she gets quiet, probably knowing what I do—that Miles is going to lose his mind, and not in a good way.