Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I could hear them all talking in the living room, not trying to be quiet in the least.
That didn’t bother me, though.
It was ten in the morning.
They didn’t know that I’d driven to Kilgore from Alabama on less than an hour of sleep. They didn’t know that I’d nearly wrecked my motorcycle yesterday on the way over here.
Though, that likely had to do with the motorcycle that had cut me off on the interstate.
I’d had the privilege of staring at his silver fucking ponytail on and off the entire way.
He’d actually taken the exit to Naomi’s house, while I’d had to go to my friend Jack’s place to get directions to Naomi’s and shake his hand for helping me get the information on her so fast.
Slipping into my jeans from last night and the same black t-shirt that had more than a little road dust on it, I made my way out Naomi’s door to find the entire population of Kilgore standing in the kitchen.
It didn’t surprise me to find the cool eyed stare of Drew, Naomi’s best friend’s husband, directly on me the moment I came out of the room. Nor the eyes of her mother, best friend, and another man I didn’t know.
The only one not looking at me was Naomi, who was busy turning bacon over on a large skillet in the corner of the kitchen.
Her friend was on one side of her, and the large man whose name I didn’t know was on the other.
I nodded my head at Drew, thankful that Jack had supplied me with photos of the best friend and her husband so I’d have an idea of who everyone was before I arrived.
Now, as I stared at the fiercely protective eyes of the older man, I realized that Naomi had a true ally on her side.
“Sean,” I held out my hand.
It took the other man a moment to take it, but eventually he did.
“You hurt her.”
I did.
“I made her all better,” I supplied.
His eyes narrowed.
“She’s had enough jerking of her chain. If you’re not serious, you need to leave now before she becomes attached.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the man unblinkingly.
“Sean, do you want four eggs like usual?”
I looked up then, found Naomi’s eyes on me, and nodded my head. “Yeah, that’d be great.”
She grinned at me and turned around to grab eggs.
“Take a seat,” Drew ordered.
I ignored him.
Instead, I walked up behind Naomi, squeezed in between her friend and the man, and wrapped my arms around her belly.
“Everything feel okay?” I whispered into her ear, running my hand over her belly in worry.
I’d forgotten in my haste to have her that she was still sore, but she hadn’t once complained about my rough treatment last night. And now, with the light of day and my sanity returning, I suddenly felt awful about how I’d taken her so hard the night before.
She shivered.
“Perfect,” she promised. “Have a seat and I’ll bring you your food.”
I placed a kiss to her forehead and retreated to the seat Drew had indicated with a tilt of his head a few moments ago.
The moment my ass hit the chair, I turned my attention to Naomi’s mother.
“Sean,” I held out my hand.
She grinned widely, the move so much like her daughter that it was eerie. “Masha.”
“Masha,” I shook the delicate hand she placed in mine. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Naomi is always talking about you. She forgot to mention how much y’all look alike, though. You look like her older sister.”
And she did.
She didn’t look like a mother to an almost thirty-year-old.
Masha’s cheeks pinked at the compliment. “I had my son when I was young. Sixteen. Naomi came two and a half years later. We don’t look like mother and child, that’s for sure.”
My eyes widened.
Masha’s eyes were lit with laughter.
“I graduated high school at seventeen, and married Danny and Naomi’s father a week after that. Naomi was actually planned. He was in the military. Was killed while he was overseas.”
My heart sank.
“She never got to meet her father, but she reminds me of him every time she opens her mouth.” Masha’s words were soft, only for me to hear.
“What branch was he in?” I asked hesitantly.
“The Army,” she answered. “He was a Ranger.”
I nodded.
One of the best.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I murmured. “I’ve lost a lot of friends during my time in the military,” I told her. “It was never easy.”
Her smile was soft.
“You know my daughter tells me almost everything, but you she kept close to her heart,” she murmured. “I heard about you very rarely, but every time she did deign to speak of you, I could tell you were beginning to mean a lot to her.”
The kitchen chair was pushed aside, and I looked up just as Naomi placed a plate with my breakfast down in front of me.