Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
I move my mind to something else because my dick hardens at the idea of my rings on her finger and her belly swollen with our baby. I know these things will happen. This girl was made for me. The past twenty-four hours have been the best of my life and I don’t fucking care if I’m moving too fast. Fuck, I wish I could move even faster.
I kiss her on the top of the head when we reach my ma’s door. I reach for the knob and am a little shocked when it’s locked. I smile at that. She’s finally listening to me. I knock. A few moments later the door opens and George is standing there. I shake my head.
“About time,” I tell him. I’m not talking about how long it took him to answer the door. I’m glad he and my ma stopped pussyfooting around their attraction. Well, I guess it was more my ma.
George smiles. “Finally got her to break.” He shrugs. “Okay, maybe I broke when that new prick from apartment 9A tried to hit on your ma.”
I laugh at that.
George's eyes move over to Catherine.
“Catherine?” he says.
“Hi, George,” she says back. She tries to move a little more into me, but I already have her fully against me.
“Come on in.” George steps out of the way and we walk into the apartment. My mom comes out in a robe. She smiles when she sees me, then her eyes go to Catherine and her smile gets even bigger. Her whole face lights up.
“Collie! Who is this?” she gushes, rushing over to us.
“This is my girl Catherine,” I tell her. I glance down at her and I see her cheeks are pink.
“You’ve been hiding this precious thing from me?” My ma smacks me on the arm and she grabs Catherine from me and pulls her in for a hug.
“Oh my goodness, you are tiny. Come, I’ll feed you.” Ma pulls her from the living room toward the kitchen. Catherine looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes big with a what-is-happening look. I give her a wink.
I turn to George when I think they are out of hearing distance and drop my voice down low. “You know her?” I ask.
“Small town. I knew her dad. Everyone kinda does. Town drunk is hard to miss.”
I run my hands through my hair. I hate this shit—that she had to put up with this crap. “Don’t bring up her father,” I tell him. I felt Catherine lock up next to me when she saw George. She was probably sure he was going to ask about her father, and she doesn’t like talking about him. I still haven't gotten much out of her and I’m not going to press. Not yet anyway. I want her to tell me on her own, to open up about it, and I know with time she will. Just like she talked a little about her mom in the car. She mentioned yesterday that her mom had left when she was young but not much else. She hadn't said it with much emotion, but it bled through today and I vowed to myself that I would work at stopping that shit from bleeding.
“All right,” he agrees easily. “She’s a sweet girl.”
“I know,” I clip instantly.
George smiles at me. “Glad you found her.”
“Me too.”
“Town is going to talk,” he adds, and I know he’s right. She’s still in high school. Ten years younger than me.
“Don’t give a fuck,” I admit. Because I don’t. Nothing is going to stop me from having her. Not even being the sheriff. They don't like it then they don't have to elect me again.
George laughs. “Good.”
“Gonna go check on my girl,” I tell him as I head for the kitchen. I don’t want her to think I abandoned her. I stop in the doorway when I see her laughing at something my mom said. She’s standing next to her, helping her cook.
I lean against the doorframe and watch them. Catherine turns to look at me, a bright smile on her face. I smile back at her thinking life can’t get any better than this.
10
Catherine
I look over at the school, not wanting to get out of the car. I can’t untangle my fingers from Cole’s. When I step out of this car I know I’m stepping back into reality. No more Cole to shield me from my life.
“I’ll pick you up after class,” he tells me. I look over at him. I can tell he doesn't want me to go either. He gives my hand a little squeeze. “I’m going to pick you up a cell phone today. I don’t like that I can’t reach you whenever I want.”
“Okay,” I tell him. I don’t like it either.
“You don’t want to go, do you?” he asks. I shake my head. “I won’t make you.”