Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
* * *
The women were waiting for Rory in the lounge, all five of them. Her friends. They were eager to hear every word. She could see the hope on their faces that Gideon really was a good man. The minute they saw her face, all five of theirs lit up. Janice’s and Pam’s expressions held more caution than the others, but they still looked happy.
“He continues to be awesome,” Rory announced as she threw herself into the chair opposite Lydia. “He couldn’t have been better. I looked for flaws, really looked for them, but he was so nice, in fact even nicer than he was the first time.”
“Are you going to see him again?” Sally asked, handing her a coffee. “I’m coming to the bar. If you can meet men like him there, I’m totally going to hang out with you.”
“I’m definitely going to see him again,” Rory said. “As for meeting men like him at the bar, I think he’s a fluke, entirely one of a kind.” The smile faded. “Having said that, I’m not certain I should see him again.”
Cindy scowled at her. “Why in the world would you even hesitate, Rory? You’re clearly attracted to him. You say he’s nice. What’s wrong with him that you’d worry you shouldn’t see him?”
“I knew it.” Janice jumped on her hesitation. “He doesn’t work, does he?”
“Probably a total con artist,” Pam concluded.
“Are your alarm bells ringing like crazy?” Lydia asked.
Rory shook her head, feeling guiltier than ever. “No, he has a good job, and my alarm bells aren’t ringing, but his should be. I can tell he’s looking for a relationship, not a one-night stand. He wants something permanent.”
“And?” Cindy prompted.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Sally asked.
Rory shook her head. “I move around all the time. I don’t think I’ve been in the same place for longer than four months, maybe five at the most.” She’d considered staying longer, but she hadn’t yet found somewhere she wanted to stay that long. This might be her first. She’d been here past that five-month mark already, something unheard-of for her. She should have been restless, but she found herself wanting to stay.
“It wouldn’t be fair to lead him to believe we could have a long-term relationship when I know I’m going to pick up and move.”
There was a short silence while the others thought about what she’d said.
It was Janice who responded. “Why do you have to move around, Rory? Why do you feel it’s so necessary?”
The question hit her hard, a punch that landed in her stomach and even made her hunch. She hadn’t allowed those doors to creak open. She’d just kept moving, never looking back. She didn’t want to look back now. The nightmares were getting worse. She didn’t seem to be able to outrun them.
“After I lost everyone, I decided to visit the places that intrigued me and see as much of the country as I could take in,” she admitted. “Once I made that decision to map out the places I wanted to go, I just kept moving forward and never really stopped.”
“But you could stop if you really wanted to,” Sally said, drawing her feet under her and reaching for her coffee. “Here. With all of us. You could stay, couldn’t you, Rory?”
“You have a good job,” Lydia pointed out. “And you like all the people you work with.”
“With the exception of Harvey, Ret and Jarrod, everyone living in the apartment building is nice,” Pam said. “Well,” she qualified, “the ones we’ve met.”
“And Harvey, Ret and Jarrod haven’t actually done anything to us,” Sally was quick to point out.
Janice rolled her eyes. “Sally, you always have to be so nice. I don’t think you ever see bad traits in anyone.”
Sally ducked her head, but not before Rory caught a glimpse of pain in her eyes. Rory hastened to take the spotlight off her. “That’s why we all love you so much, Sally. Me, I’m always looking for the worst in people, so I find it. That was what was so shocking about Gideon. He looks rough and tough. He isn’t handsome in the accepted sense of the word, but I’m not in the least attracted to pretty boys.”
“What do you mean, rough and tough?” Pam asked, suspicion in her voice.
Rory shrugged. “Meaning lots of muscle. Tattoos. Scars. His hair is thick and unruly. He doesn’t really try to tame it, just pulls it back out of his way. The color is dark but streaked with silver. I thought that was unusual because he can’t be more than middle thirties; at least, he doesn’t look older than that. He has a mustache but trimmed. No beard but lots of dark scruff on his jaw. He has beautiful eyes. I mean gorgeous. At the same time . . .” She broke off, unsure how to put her feelings into words.