Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Lifting my head, our eyes met. “I’m scared the floor will be pulled out from under me, and I’ll lose it all. I’ll lose you.”
Squeezing my hands, he bent down and slowly shook his head. “You’re not going to lose me or anything else, Haven. And as far as you not being deserving of any of this, that is plain bullshit. You’ve worked hard; everything you accomplished is because of that hard work. Just take a deep breath and do what everyone else around you are doing.”
Smiling softly, I asked, “What’s that?”
He placed his finger on my chin and tilted my head up more. Leaning down, he brushed his lips across mine before he whispered, “Believe in yourself.”
Chapter Twelve
NATHAN
Haven’s eyes started to fill with tears before she blinked them back and softly said, “Pinch me.”
Grinning, I looked over to where Sophia and Doug were standing and going over the plans. Meeting her gaze once again, I said, “I think we should save that for later in the bedroom.”
Haven laughed. “Thank you for making me see I was having a pity party for one.”
“You were not, Haven. You were expressing your feelings, and nothing is wrong with that. I want you to always feel like you can be honest with me.”
She bit into her lower lip and shook her head. “Nate Shaw, you may just be the most perfect man in the world.”
I scoffed. “Hardly perfect. But I am behind you a hundred percent. I want to see your dreams come true, Haven.”
She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I’m so glad my tire was flat that night.”
Drawing her into my arms, I held her tightly as I kissed the top of her head. “So am I. So. Am. I.”
Glancing back over to Sophia and Doug, she cleared her throat. “We should get back over there.”
“The sooner we get Doug on board, the sooner we can get this project going.”
Lacing her fingers in mine, we returned to Doug and Sophia.
“Okay, what’s the next step?” Haven asked in a voice that was filled with hope and excitement. Sophia and I exchanged a smile as Doug launched into the steps that needed to be taken next.
My heart felt full with something I had never experienced before as I watched Haven contain the happiness that was clearly about to spill over.
Sophia took my arm and held me back as we all started to walk toward our vehicles.
“Nate, I just wanted to say that I’m so happy the two of you finally found your way to each other. Thank you for believing in her dreams.”
I smiled at my future sister-in-law. “I can’t explain it, Sophia, but I want to see her happy. I need to see her happy.”
A wide grin appeared on her face, and she patted me lightly on the chest. “That, Nate, is your heart falling in love.”
Sophia started to walk off, and I couldn’t help but smile. Six months ago, if someone had told me that, I would have laughed my ass off.
“Looks like Josh is smarter than I thought.”
“You invited a girl for Thanksgiving?” my sister Lily asked as she held her daughter Maggie while we stood in our parents’ kitchen for a family dinner night.
Glancing around the kitchen, I shot my sister a warning look. “Do we have to talk about this now?”
She laughed. “Um, yes. Nate, you’ve never seriously dated anyone. Who is it?”
I turned to face my sister. “How do you even know?”
Her eyes lit up. “So it’s true! Who is it?”
“How did you know?”
Lily rolled her eyes. “Avery.”
My mouth fell open. “How did Avery know?”
With a half-shrug, Lily set Maggie down, who then ran over to our mother when she walked into the kitchen.
“How did Avery know what?” Mom asked, looking between me and Lily.
“That Nate is dating someone and asked them to come over for Thanksgiving.”
I elbowed Lily in the side.
“Hey, that hurt, you butt munch!”
“Butt munch?” I asked with a laugh. “Seriously, Lily, is that all you’ve got?”
“The both of you stop it. You sound like toddlers.”
At that moment, Maggie cried out, “Butt munch!”
Our mom looked at her granddaughter and then back to us. “See? Are you happy now? You taught your daughter something new, Lily.”
Lily giggled, then quickly stopped when our mother shot her the look. The one that all moms have to warn you to stop while you’re ahead.
With a sigh, Lily leaned against the kitchen counter. “She’ll forget it in an hour.”
“We’ll see,” Mom stated, giving Maggie a piece of banana nut bread and telling her to go find her granddad.
Once Maggie was out of the kitchen, my mother focused all her attention on me. “Who did you invite for Thanksgiving?”
I shot Lily another dirty look to which she simply smiled and folded her arms over her chest as she waited for me to answer.