Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“I don’t want you giving up anything you want for me.” He turned to face me as he confessed, “But I can’t promise that he or she won’t be like me.”
“Oh, Wyatt.” I eased up on the bed so I could look him in the eye. “You are a wonderful, beautiful man with a big heart and a great sense of humor. You’re incredibly smart, loving, and compassionate. I would be over the moon thrilled to have a child just like you.”
“You didn’t know me when I was a kid. I was a real handful.”
“All kids are. Some just need a little more love and support.”
“I needed a swift kick in my ass,” Wyatt scoffed.
“Whatever works.” I leaned down and kissed him softly. “I’d be willing to do whatever I needed to for our kids.”
“How many kids are we talking about?”
“Two?” I shrugged. “Maybe three.”
“Oh, man. We’re definitely gonna need a bigger house.”
“And a backyard and maybe a barn.”
“A barn?”
“Well, yeah. We’ll have to have a place for the pony.”
“Pony?” His brows furrowed. “We’re gettin’ a pony?”
“Um-hmm. And maybe a baby goat.”
“Okay. Whatever you want.” He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest. “But just know it’s gonna cost you.”
“Oh really? What’s it gonna cost me?”
“I don’t know. The next thirty or forty years.”
“Sounds like a good deal to me.”
“That’s good ‘cause you’re stuck with me.”
I wound my arms around his neck and smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I lowered my mouth to his, kissing him tenderly, then lowered my head to his chest. We spent the next hour talking about our plans for the future, pretending that neither of us were thinking about the potential danger that loomed in the back of our thoughts.
Pretending was the only thing that got us through.
And those few hours would be something I would hold onto when I woke up alone the next morning.
CHAPTER 22
Bones
It was tough getting up and leaving Elsie sleeping in my bed. I wanted nothing more than to lay there for another hour and just soak her in, but I didn’t have that luxury. The guys were busy getting everything ready for the meet, and I needed to give them a hand. Being careful not to disturb her, I eased out of bed and grabbed some clean clothes from my closet. I slipped into the bathroom, and after a quick shower, I got dressed and put on my boots.
I gave Elsie one last look, committing her beautiful face to my memory, then I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and walked out. I was eager to join the others, but before I faced the chaos of the day, I needed coffee and a bite to eat. As I headed into the kitchen, I was planning to get in and get out, but as soon as I walked in, I heard my mother gasp, “Wyatt.”
“Hey, Mom.” I continued over to the coffee pot as I asked, “What are you doing up so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Something wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Worry filled her eyes as she told me, “I’ve been with Griffin long enough to know when something’s going on with the club, so I know something’s up. But this time is different. This time, he seems more on edge than usual, and that makes me nervous.”
“It’s nothing, Mom.”
“He said the same thing, but my motherly instincts are telling me otherwise. They’re telling me that something’s very, very wrong, and I’ve had to fight the urge to lock you in a closet.”
“Mom.”
“I know. I know.” She stood up and walked over to me, then wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “You just mean so much to me, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m fine.” I hoped that I wasn’t lying to her as I said, “Nothing’s gonna happen to me. You’re worrying for nothing.”
“I certainly hope you are right.” She gave me one last squeeze, then released me and rushed for the door. “Love you!”
“Right back at ya.”
Our little encounter didn’t make me feel any better about my future meet with Bruton. In fact, I couldn’t have felt worse. I poured my coffee and grabbed a biscuit from the stove, then headed for the conference room. When I walked in, everyone was already gathered and busy hashing over the final details of the day. Stitch and Maverick were reviewing their maps with Smokey and Two Bit while Cotton and Guardrail spoke quietly in the back corner of the room.
I didn’t see Big, so I slipped out and went to see if he was in the office.
When I walked in, I found him at his desk working on the camera and microphone that Cotton and I would wear when we entered the house. He was making sure the cameras were synced and working properly, and he didn’t seem to notice I’d walked into the room until I sat down next to him. “Hey, brother. How ya holding up?”