Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
He shrugs. “I’ve been all over, and I haven’t found her. Maybe I’m not meant to.”
“She’s out there for you. One day, love is going to hit you out of the blue,” I reassure him. I don’t know where she is or who she is, but I’m certain there’s a soulmate out there for my younger brother.
My phone rings, and I frown when I see Sadie’s name on my caller ID. We already talked tonight. She said she was going to watch a movie then head to bed early.
I swipe the screen to answer, bracing myself for whatever news she’s about to share.
Sadie
“And then we went up into the hayloft,” I tell Dotty, emphasizing the last word.
She giggles. “Does that mean what I’m thinking?”
“Mmm-hmm,” I hum as I finish cleaning the kitchen of my apartment. It’s late, and I’m having trouble sleeping again. Coco is darting around my feet anxiously. There’s a bad storm headed for Courage County, and I think he senses it.
“I take it cowboys really do it better,” she says.
“He makes me feel safe,” I tell her, thinking again of his promises to marry me and give me a baby. I hope we’re able to do that stuff soon.
Dotty sighs softly. “I need to find a cowboy.”
“He has a brother. Three of them,” I point out. I tried to figure out why he was going to see Zac in the middle of a tour, but Barrett was cryptic about it.
“Probably not my type,” she says then changes the subject, “So, the fated mate one, have you gotten to the scene where he restrains her? I’ve read it like three times. So hot.”
I chuckle, and we talk about the purple alien romance we’re reading and the hero’s obsession with tying up the heroine. I didn’t think I had a thing for that, but now I think I do. Romance books give me the freedom to explore my secret fantasies without shame or judgement.
The windowpanes shake as the thunder rumbles outside. I glance out the window in time to see lightning flash.
Dotty says something in response, but I can’t tell what it is because the phone call begins to breakup. I catch scattered fragments from her side of the conversation. Something about a warning.
Before I can ask about it, there’s the noise of a rushing wind. It almost sounds like a freight train is about to barrel through my little apartment.
The glass in the windows shatters, and my kitchen floor instantly becomes a sea of shards. I drop my phone just as the power shuts off. My mouth goes dry, and I crumple to my knees. Beside me, Coco lets out a panicked whine.
I put my hand on her, trying to steady both of us. But I can’t think. There’s only the overwhelming darkness. Automatically, my eyes begin straining for a sliver of light.
As a kid, I’d watch underneath the door for hours, trying to tell what time of day it was by how much light I could see. Except tonight there is no light. Inky blackness surrounds me, and I’m certain it’s going to swallow me whole.
My breathing grows shallow. I try to think, to remember what I was doing before it all went dark. My phone. I was on the phone before I dropped it, which means it must be near to me. Carefully, I feel around, trying to avoid the shards that are littering the floor.
When my fingers finally close around the familiar rectangle, I grab at it desperately, needing this lifeline. The first person I think of is Barrett. I know it’s late, but I need to hear his voice again. Need to remember that I’m not alone in this, just like he promised.
“Hey, sweet girl. What’s going on?”
“There’s a storm, and there’s glass, and it’s dark in here!” My voice comes out as a wail on the last part. Outside, the storm has already stilled. Now there’s only an eery silence that could almost make me think I imagined the last moments if it weren’t for the fact that it’s so dark in my apartment.
Barrett’s voice is steady and calm, the same way it was when he entertained the boys to keep them from realizing what was happening with Greer’s hand. “Talk me through this. There’s a storm happening. Now, what’s going on with the glass?”
My voice comes out as shaky as I feel. “I don’t know. It sounded like a train then there was glass everywhere and now the electricity is out.”
“Are you in your apartment?”
“Yeah, I’m in my kitchen.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Really?” Just hearing him say that is easing some of my anxiety. Barrett is coming for me. I’m not alone in this.
“Yes, I’m getting in my truck right now.” I hear other voices in the background then an engine starts. “It’s going to take me a little while to get there. I’ll stay on the phone with you while I travel. Now, I need you to answer some questions for me.”