Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 139029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Stepping away from the window, she twisted her hands together, waiting to see what he would do.
The white curtain billowed out as Dustin climbed inside.
Tossing his hat on the chair, he held out his arms.
She didn’t have to think twice before she rushed into them. She gave another sigh as he closed his arms around her.
“I’m so tired,” she admitted, pressing her forehead against his chest.
At her admission, she felt herself being lifted. Her head fell limply to his shoulder.
Instead of carrying her to the bed, he carried her to the chair, sitting down with her on his lap.
“I thought we were going to bed?” she mumbled.
“I need a few minutes before I can get in bed with you.” He sighed. “Peanut, you don’t know how much I wish I were the kind of man who is strong enough to stay away from you, but I have Porter blood, and God help me, but all Porter men have one quality in common—we’re all selfish.”
Jessie giggled. “I think that Greer got an extra helping of that characteristic.”
“I got an extra helping of that myself,” he said half-jokingly before turning serious again. “If I hadn’t, maybe I would have more willpower to stay away from you. But I don’t, so I’ll take what you want to give me and even let you take a shot at me occasionally when I piss you off. But the next time you lose your temper with me in front of Bud, I’m going to paddle your behind.”
Jessie raised her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “You seem to have a hell of a willpower to stay away from me. I was the one who called you to make up.”
“May I remind you that you shot at me, in front of Bud, and you knew he was in the bushes with Bubba when we were talking about Greer and my dreams. “And exactly when did you call me to make up? I thought you said you butt-dialed me.”
Jessie waved away his concerns. “The radio was on when Logan was talking about your family’s gifts. That’s why I told you to turn it up when I saw them in the bushes—so they couldn’t hear. I told you I’d protect your family’s secrets, and I will.”
“The radio wasn’t that loud that they couldn’t hear.”
She obstinately dismissed his concerns. “I’m telling you that you have nothing to worry about.”
“Jess … if it got out about Logan, it could ruin his life.”
Sighing deeply, she realized she was going to have to reveal one of her family’s secrets.
“Bubba and Bud are half-deaf.”
She nodded at his surprised expression.
“They have to be close to you to hear. They’re supposed to wear hearing aids, but they don’t. Bubba is completely deaf in his right ear, and Bud is completely deaf in his left when they don’t wear the aids.”
“Damn, I’m sorry to hear … I mean … damn. Why don’t they wear them? If they can’t afford them, I can come up with some money.”
“It’s not that they can’t afford them. They have them; they just won’t wear them. That’s why we don’t mention it around others that aren’t kin. Bubba and Bud aren’t exactly the friendly sort, and the family is afraid someone will be able to sneak up behind them.”
“Then they should wear their hearing aids. Why won’t they? Lord knows they wear their hair long enough that no one would know.”
“They couldn’t care less about their looks.”
“No shit.”
“Are you saying my cousins aren’t good-looking?” Affronted by Dustin’s disparagement of Bubba’s and Bud’s looks, she tried to get off his lap.
He slipped an arm around her waist, holding her still. “No one can tell what they look like with all that hair. So, why don’t they wear their hearing aids?”
She had no intention of telling him after he disparaged her cousins’ good looks. “I’m ready to go to bed—”
“Not yet.” He gave her a considering look. “Bubba and Bud are a few years younger than you, aren’t they?”
She hastily shied her eyes away from his, trying to get off his lap again. He tightened his arm around her until she had to sink back farther against him.
“What’d you do?”
Her eyes widened in innocence. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Jess …,” he said in a warning tone. “I can ask them the next time I see them, which is going to be in about five seconds if you don’t tell me the truth.”
She plaintively conceded. “Okay! But you’re going to blame me, and it wasn’t my fault!”
“Tell me.”
“Do you remember the movie Signs?”
“Oh Lord, you didn’t.”
“I merely suggested we should go out into the woods and see if they heard any strange noises on their hearing aids.”
Dustin’s head fell back to the padded back of the chair. Then he raised it angrily. “You told them about the little green men, didn’t you?”