Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
It’s like I woke up one day and I was all alone and all I had was Joshua, Preston and Lila.
Over this last week I’ve been in Pittsburgh, I haven’t seen a lot of Callum. He gets up early to work out in his home gym in the basement. Then he’s out the door by seven thirty to head to the arena. He comes back between six and seven in the evening, and I’ll have dinner ready. Our conversation centers around what each other did for the day and that is that.
He tries to clean the kitchen since I cook, but I don’t let him. He’s already done so much for me, he should relax in the evenings. Except Callum apparently doesn’t know how to relax as he’ll retire to his home office after dinner to continue working. I’ll slip off to my bedroom upstairs, which has its own adjoining bathroom, and I read until I fall asleep.
Then I get up the next morning and do it all again. While I’ve settled into an easy existence with no one breathing threats down my neck, I am starting to go a little stir-crazy. I need to make a plan about what to do with my life.
Right now, I’m trapped at Callum’s until I get a job or until my divorce settlement goes through. I’ve talked to my attorney twice and she has tried to open communications with Joshua to propose a formal separation agreement along with spousal support until we can split our assets, but he’s not responding to her. She’s given him until next Monday and if he doesn’t, she’s going to have to file papers in court to force him to respond.
The doorbell rings and I put aside the cookbook I’d been flipping through. I went to a local bookstore today after visiting my dad and bought it on a whim. For the past fifteen years, I’ve cooked the same things over and over because Joshua and Preston are uninspired people who are afraid to try new things. Callum had always been an adventurous eater and we both enjoyed trying different cuisines.
I’ve been pondering running to the grocery store to find ingredients for what looks like a complicated Thai recipe, but I suspect a regular grocery store won’t carry the spices I need. Regardless, the cookbook is forgotten as I make my way to the door.
Looking through the large glass panes, I see four women standing on the porch. They look to be in their mid- to late-twenties and are all fashionably dressed. My first thought would be church ladies but one of the women has two bottles of wine in her hands, so that can’t be quite right. One of the women has a tote bag and another a plastic cake container through which I see some frosted confection. They’re all smiling at me brightly.
I unlock the door without hesitation as there’s nothing menacing about these women. “Hi… can I help you?”
One woman steps forward—a real beauty with long, chocolate-brown hair and blue eyes—and holds out her hand. “Hi, Juniper… My name is Ava Cavanaugh and I’m Cannon West’s girlfriend.”
My mouth parts in surprise as I take in the other women who I now understand are affiliated with the Titans.
This is affirmed when Ava makes other introductions. She points to the lady holding the wine who has the most wonderful curly butterscotch-colored hair. “This is Sophie Winters. She’s engaged to our goalie coach, Baden Oulett.” I smile and nod. Next Ava sweeps her hand to another lovely blond who I know without introduction is the fiancée of one of Callum’s assistant coaches. “Jenna Holland. She’s the teams’ media liaison and is engaged to Gage Heyward.”
We shake hands, but I’d know her anywhere because of the scarring she got from a horrible apartment fire. Callum filled me in on his staff and Jenna came up in conversation, only to the extent of how much he admires her grit and resilience. He had to fire the former head coach for comments he made about Jenna’s scarring, but I’d expect no different from Callum. He’s very principled.
“And finally… this is Danica Brandt. She runs the Adam Norcross Charitable Foundation for Brienne and dates Camden Poe, one of our star defensemen.”
With caramel-colored hair and doe-brown eyes, Danica holds up the cake to indicate she doesn’t have a spare hand. “It’s great to meet you, Juniper.”
It’s more than just Jenna I’d come to learn about this past week. Callum’s taught me a lot about the team during our dinner conversations and I’ve done my research. I know Camden is one of the original team players who wasn’t on the plane when it crashed, and I also know Danica is a Titans widow, her husband, Mitch, having been on the plane. You can’t pull up any article on the Pittsburgh Titans and not read about how Stone Dumelin’s brother died in the crash, how Coen Highsmith had a meltdown, and that Brienne Norcross is engaged to the goalie. It was news when Camden and Danica started dating but I think it’s marvelous. All these stories of pain and redemption and love. My heart might be a little jaded, but it still appreciates when others find their happy ending.