Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Grim took the boxes and placed them on the center of the table, then grabbed some money from his wallet and offered it to the delivery guy. “That should cover it.”
"Thanks, man.” The kid took the wad of cash and shoved it in his back pocket. “You folks have a good one!”
"You, too.”
I watched with curiosity as Grim opened the pizza box, revealing a steaming hot pizza topped with various meats and cheeses, and the sight had my mouth watering. Noting my expression, Grim smiled and asked, "Looks good, huh?"
When I nodded, he chuckled.
The man actually chuckled.
I couldn’t get over it. If I didn’t know better, I’d say an entirely different man had come into the room, and this man was smiling as he placed a slice on a plate. Smiling! I almost felt like I had whiplash when he offered the plate to me and said, “It’s the best in town.”
“Okay.” I glanced down at the plate, and my stomach started growling in anticipation. I took a quick bite, and I couldn't help but let out a contented sigh as the flavors exploded on my tongue. "Oh, wow. You were right. This is really good.”
“Told ya.”
He chuckled again, and the deep rumble sent shivers down my spine.
Yep.
Definitely a case of whiplash.
I made a plate for Luna before calling out, “Hey, sweet pea! Your cheese sticks are here.”
“Yay!” Seconds later, Luna came racing around the corner and made a beeline for Grim. “I want all of ‘dem.”
I offered her the plate full of cheese sticks and pizza, and Grim watched with a slight smirk as she crawled up into her chair. After grabbing a couple of drinks, I sat down next to Luna and started eating. Grim followed suit, and it wasn’t long before we were all reaching for seconds. “This is really good, Grim. Thanks for ordering it for us.”
“You’re more than welcome.”
“Thank you,” Luna mumbled with a mouthful of food. “It’s weally good.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
He gave her a quick wink and went back to eating. We were all enjoying the delicious meal when suddenly Grim looked over to me and asked the question I’d been asking myself for days. “So, what’s your plan?”
“Pfft. Isn’t that the question of the hour?”
“Well, I figured you’d been thinking about it. Just wondered if you’d come up with anything.”
“Not really. I lost my job at the drugstore because without my car I haven’t been able to make it in to work, so I’ve been going through the want ads. I’ve found a couple of possibilities, but the pay isn’t all that great.”
“I might be able to help you out with something.” He took a sip of his beer before asking, “How are you at bartending?”
“No idea. I’ve never done it.”
“They make good money.”
“I’ve heard.” I motioned my head over at Luna. “But with Luna and all, I haven’t really had a chance to try it.”
“Hmmm.”
“Why? Do you have a place in mind?”
“Yeah, I might know a place. It’s small, but the folks there are good people and I’d bet they’d be willing to work with you.”
“That sounds great, but I don’t know anything about bartending.”
“You can grab a beer from a fridge, can’t ya?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Then, you know enough.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I’d teach you what you need to know.”
“Seriously?” I couldn’t believe my ears. He’d already done so much, and now he was offering to do even more. “You really would do that?”
“It wouldn’t take long to teach ya the basics.”
“Okay. That would be great.”
We both continued eating, and it wasn’t long before we were all stuffed. I helped Grim clean up the mess, and then we all made our way back into the living room. We watched a little TV, and when it started getting late, I went over to Luna and said, “It’s time to get ready for bed.”
“But I’m not...”
“It’s time for bed,” I interrupted. “We have a busy day ahead, and you need a good night’s sleep.”
Her bottom lip perched into a pout, but she didn’t argue. She simply got up and made her way into the bedroom. As I followed her out, I turned to Grim and asked, “Are you still up for some lessons later?”
“Sure thing. I’ll check my liquor cabinet and see what I have on hand.”
“Great. I’ll be back in a bit.”
I gave Luna a quick bath and put her in her pajamas, then put her into bed.
It was funny. I’d been staying at Grim’s house for over a week, and from the start, I’d felt oddly safe. I’d thought it was because Skid was there watching over us, but as I sat there across from Grim, I realized it wasn’t him at all.
It was Grim.
All Grim.
He was this big, bad, tough biker, and while he clearly handled his own, there was an unexpected warmth and kindness in his eyes, especially when he looked at Luna. I was almost jealous that he didn’t look at me the same way.