Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Well?”
“Do you want to?”
She nodded.
Fear of disappointing her rode my shoulders. “You know it was never meant to be permanent here, right? My work visa only lasts five years.” The Howards had pulled off getting me a skilled workers’ visa … but I didn’t know if we could get that extended. I said as much to Callie.
“But we’ll stay another four years, for sure?” she asked.
“If it’s what you want.”
“I want you to be happy, too, Mom.”
I beamed at my daughter. My kid was the best. “I’m happy too … I’ll be even happier with some food in my belly. How does mac and cheese and fries sound?”
“Uh, like a promise you better keep.”
Laughing, I strolled into the kitchen, forcing myself not to think about Walker or protection or anything scary for a while.
Twelve
SLOANE
Yesterday Walker showed up at the cottage in the morning to collect the cake and address to deliver it to. He asked what I’d told Callie, and I explained I felt horrible about feeding her the lie about the car. His answer was to ask for the keys, promising to have it removed so she wouldn’t get suspicious. The thought of losing transportation tightened my chest, but it was better feeling stranded and reliant on others than telling Callie the truth.
I also handed over a lemon tart, Walker’s favorite, as a thank-you to him, which he’d taken with a gruff nod and not much else. With one last piercing look at me, he asked if I was okay, and when I answered yes, he left, reminding me he’d be back in the morning.
And that was how I found myself, the next day, in the passenger seat of his Range Rover with Callie in the back, ready for school.
“You’re a little early,” I said.
“I like to stop at Flora’s for a coffee. Want one?”
I would not say no to Flora’s coffee. “Is it Monday?”
The corner of his lip curled up ever so slightly, and he pulled away, only to slow to a stop less than a minute later outside Flora’s.
“Uh, this is a no-parking zone.”
He shot me a look. “I’ll be quick. What do you want?”
“A latte.”
“Callie?” He looked over his shoulder. “You want an orange juice or something?”
She grinned at him. “I’m good, thanks.”
Once he was gone, I turned to look at Callie. “You cool with this?”
She nodded, smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Everyone at school thinks he and Mr. Galbraith are like superheroes come to life.”
Mr. Galbraith was Arrochar’s husband, Mac, and our landlord. He and Walker, both very tall and broad-shouldered, possessed an air of capability and calm mixed with a “you don’t want to mess with me, motherfucker” vibe. Very compelling. It did not surprise me that even the kids picked up on that.
“They’ll be so jealous Walker’s driving me to school every day. A couple of the girls said their moms have a crush on him.” She made a face. “He wouldn’t like any of them.”
I turned back around in my seat, wondering if he’d slept with any of those moms. My already confused mood soured, and I had to force myself to shrug off the feeling.
Just in time for Walker to return. He held the drinks out to me and I took them, watching the way he moved with impressive grace for his size. His seat was pushed back as far as it could go, which was why Callie sat in the middle of the bench seat.
Dragging my eyes off the strong thighs that stretched his black suit pants, I handed him his coffee and he took a sip before settling it in a cup holder.
“Thanks for the latte.”
“No problem.” He pulled away from the sidewalk.
“Walker, my tae kwon do teacher said I’m a natural,” Callie told him as we drove toward school.
Walker glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Of course, you are.”
She beamed. “Will you come watch me at my first grading?”
A grading was when they were tested to move up to the next rank, and from what I gathered was like a whole big event we’d spend at least half a day at. “Uh, I’m sure Walker has other things to do, baby girl.” I didn’t want her trapping him into saying yes to socializing with us outside of this arrangement.
“I’ll go,” he replied. “Just tell me when.”
I wanted to tell him not to promise her that, but I couldn’t help the flare of gratitude that overruled my fear.
As we drove, I sipped at my latte and listened while Callie regaled Walker with the minutiae of her life these past few weeks in an impressively condensed five minutes. He listened patiently, nodding in the right places, and asking her questions, like how she felt when Michael Barr called her a name when she beat his mark on a math test. His lips quirked into a smile when she told him it made her want to beat all his marks from now on.