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)
When I woke up the next morning, Lawson was still sleeping soundly. As much as I wanted to stay there in that bed with him all day, I needed to go pick up Luna. I carefully eased the covers back, and being careful not to wake him, I got out of bed and tiptoed out of the room. I took a quick shower and threw on some sweats before heading out to my car.
On the way to Rosie’s, I couldn’t stop thinking about my night with Lawson.
Spending the night in his arms made me realize just how much I truly liked him. He was good to me and Luna and being with him made me happy. And that was huge. Happy didn’t come easy for me, but at that moment, I truly was. In fact, I couldn’t remember a time when I was happier.
I wished desperately that my grandmother was still alive. I missed talking to her, telling her all the crazy things that were going on in my life, and listening to her words of wisdom. I knew she’d have plenty to say about Lawson and his brothers, but she’d be able to see how happy I was.
Even though she wasn’t there to tell me herself, I already knew what she’d say. She’d smile and tell me to follow my heart, and that was exactly what I planned to do.
When I got to Rosie’s, I parked in the side parking lot, and the second I got out of the car, I got a strange feeling that I wasn’t alone. I looked around but saw no one unusual. I shook it off and started up the back steps, and the sensation grew even stronger. I stopped and took another good look around, but again, there was no one to be seen.
I figured it was just my imagination playing tricks on me and continued up the steps to Rosie’s back entrance. When I reached the door, I knocked and waited for Stacie to answer. After a few moments, the door creaked open, revealing Stacie with sleepy eyes and messy hair. “Oh, man. I woke you up.”
“It’s okay.” She motioned me inside. “Come on. Luna’s upstairs getting her stuff together.
I nodded, then followed her up the narrow stairwell to her apartment. I was still feeling a little off, so I glanced over my shoulder and was relieved to find that no one was behind us. When we reached the top of the stairs, Stacie opened the door and called out, “Hey, Luna Bug! Your momma is here!”
“Momma!” Luna raced over to me and jumped into my arms. “Are we going home?”
“Yes, sweetie. We’re going home, but I need to stop for some coffee on the way back.”
“I want some.”
“We’ll see. Now, do you have everything?”
“My bag.”
“I’ll get it.” Stacie shuffled over to the sofa and grabbed Luna’s pink backpack, then carried it over to us. “Here ya go.”
“Thanks, Stacie. I really appreciate you letting her stay with you last night.”
“Any time. I loved having her.” Stacie gave Luna a wink. “I’ll see you next time, cutie patootie.”
“Bye, Stacie.”
Luna waved as we started our descent down the stairs. As soon as we were back outside, I got that weird feeling again that I was being watched. I looked behind us, and my heart started to race when I spotted a shadowy figure dart out of sight.
I tightened my grip on Luna and raced for the car. I got inside and locked the doors, then scanned the parking lot, looking for any signs of the person who’d been watching me. I had no idea if it was just some homeless guy looking for a handout or someone with bad intentions, but I wasn’t going to take any chances, especially with Luna there with me.
I got her in the car seat and buckled up before rushing back to the house. I was a nervous wreck when I pulled into the drive. I had every intention of telling Lawson all about my encounter, but the second I opened the front door, I was hit with the delicious scent of pancakes and freshly cooked bacon. Luna’s eyes widened with excitement. “What’s that?”
“I think someone cooked breakfast.”
We made our way into the kitchen, and my heart skipped a beat when I spotted Lawson standing by the stove with no shirt on and a pair of loose-fit jeans. He glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “Just in time.”
“What’s all this?”
“This is my sad attempt at building my resources.” He gave me a sexy smirk. “Apparently, something I need to do at my age.”
“I see.” I carried Luna over to the counter and sat her on one of the stools. “It smells so good. Can I help with anything?”
“Get us a drink and the syrup from the cabinet.”
“You got it.”