Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
I parked, and as soon as I walked up to the building, Kellan came around the other corner.
“Oh. Hey!” He gave me a wide smile.
“How are you?” I pulled the door open and signaled for him to go inside.
“I’d be better if I wasn’t about to exercise.”
I laughed. “I hear ya…though it always feels good once I’m here.”
“That makes one of us.” He bumped my hip with his. “Josh got off work a few minutes ago. I’m working out with him. Wanna join us?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Kellan went around the main desk and to the hallway toward Josh’s office like he owned the place. No one said anything, so I followed him. Before we got there, Josh walked around the corner.
“What’s up?” He kissed Kellan’s forehead and then grinned at me. “You joining us?”
“If you’ve got room for one more.”
“Always.”
The three of us went for the main part of the gym. They went straight for the treadmills and cardio first. It wasn’t incredibly busy at the moment, so we found three machines together. There wasn’t anyone else directly around us. Less than a minute later, Kellan said, “I heard through the Havenwood rumor mill that a certain pretty—too pretty—new member in town had a hickey not too long back.”
I stumbled over my own feet and almost fell off the treadmill.
“Well, obviously the rumors are true.” He winked at me.
“Here we go,” Josh said.
“Oh, don’t you pretend you don’t want to know just as much as I do.”
“Yeah, but I don’t ask.”
“That’s because you suck,” Kellan countered, and I realized I envied their friendship. I wanted something like that. My friends had known my ex was cheating on me and never told me. “So…”
I paused for a moment, wondering what to say. Knox had said he didn’t want us to be a secret around his friends, that he wanted all of us to hang out, but it felt weird being the one to tell them. Still, I wanted people to know. I wanted to be able to say Knox Wheeler was mine. “Maybe.” I shrugged playfully and sped up to a slow jog.
“Maybe always means yes,” Kellan replied.
“Maybe,” I confirmed.
“Oh my God! I’m freaking out here! I mean, this is who I think it is, right? I won’t say because I would never out someone like that, but, dude, I didn’t know he…well, I don’t think he knew he did either. Check you out, you fucking legend. You turned him. That’s like the dream.”
Both Josh and I laughed, even though that wasn’t possible—turning someone bisexual. I didn’t believe Kellan thought so either. It was just his personality to be funny.
Josh didn’t let it slide, though. “Doesn’t work that way.”
“Stop ruining my imaginings!” Kellan said dramatically.
“I’m ignoring you, then,” Josh said. “And can we acknowledge there’s some kind of queer magic at work in Havenwood? Everyone is falling in love and pairing off. I would say it’s in the water, but I drink that water, and that sure as shit isn’t happening to me.”
“Maybe it will,” I added.
“If you just cursed me, I’m gonna be pissed,” Josh joked.
Kellan looked at me. “They would have to take Josh kicking and screaming.”
“I’m young. I like to have fun. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“You’re not that young.” Kellan’s voice was more breathless than it had been a moment ago. “You’re older than me. Wait…is that a gray hair I see?”
“Oh, fuck you, Kell.” I didn’t know exactly how old Josh was, but I figured around my age, early thirties. “I like my freedom too much, ya know? Different strokes and all, but we’re not talking about me right now; we’re talking about Hickey Neck over there and how the first night in Havenwood he zeroed in directly on our boy. He saw something he wanted, and he got it.”
“Can you blame me? He’s gorgeous.” And now I knew he was even more than just sexy. He was kind and funny. He had a big heart, and he was a great friend, father, and ex-husband. “But it’s not really like that. I mean, yeah, I noticed him right away, but I never foresaw this…and once I got to know him, he’s even better than I could have imagined.”
“Uh-oh,” Kellan said. “I recognize that tone of voice. This is serious.”
I kept jogging, but I was going at a slower pace than I would have if we weren’t chatting. “I want it to be. It’s difficult, though. He has his kids to think about, so it’s not as easy as just jumping in. We have to wade in the shallow end for a while.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Kellan said reassuringly.
I had no doubt. Knox was worth everything.
“Okay, now can you guys stop yapping?” Kellan said. “I’m trying to keep this gorgeous body. After we’re done, we’ll get smoothies and chat more.”