Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Listen, I have to go. See you in the morning.” He said before he hung up.
I stared at the black screen of my phone in confusion. What the hell had just happened?
***
Jack
“What the hell was that?” Tai asked me.
I glanced at him wondering what the hell he was talking about. “What was what?”
“You practically hung up on your wife. The last three times I’ve been in the room, you told her you loved her, whether it was on the phone or in person, when she left. What’s your problem?”
I grimaced. She probably thought I was mad at her, but I had so many things on my mind right now that it was the least of my worries.
Thrusting the worries away, I sat at the computer and started to pull up all the files that I’d made for Avis, our newest addition to the Freebirds.
“I have to leave tonight around eight. We’re doing a transport. James and I are going together and we’ll probably be gone until early tomorrow morning.” I said distractedly.
“Mother fucker.” Tai muttered.
My eyes went from the files I was putting onto a USB to Tai’s face. He looked mad, and I wondered what I said to upset him. “What?”
“You could have told her that, too. What if she calls and she can’t get ahold of you?”
Irritation flared through me. “What’s your problem?”
This wasn’t about Winter and me. It was him. Something was bothering him enough that he had to pick a fight with me to relieve some of the stress. His wounds were healing, but they weren’t better. Not by a long shot.
“Why don’t you have any pictures?”
Now I was really confused. “Pictures of what?”
“Anything. You don’t have any of dad, Catori, Winter. Nobody. You also have a fucking big ass duplex, and you don’t have shit in it. Winter’s shit is still in the guestroom in her duffle bag, as if she’s too scared to mess this place up. The house looks like a goddamn tomb.” The last word was finished on a bellow.
Standing slowly, I turned and surveyed the area. He was right, of course, but I wasn’t going to tell him that seeing those pictures made my heart hurt. That they reminded me of what I’d lost, and would never have back. Sure, Winter was back now, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t gone for seven goddamn years. She didn’t feel the pain that I felt, losing the one and only love of your life.
She was blissfully unaware of what she’d lost. I wasn’t though. Which meant seeing reminders of everything I’d lost in my life wasn’t something I wanted to do. Therefore, I had no pictures. No mementoes. The only thing I’d allowed myself was the picture of Winter and I on the bike.
Every time I entered that room, since the day I hung it on the wall, I made a point not to look at it. In fact, sometimes I would have to physically restrain myself from staring at it.
Things changed the day Winter came back into my life. I started thinking about things, letting myself feel for the first time in years. I started to think that maybe, just maybe, I would be allowed to be happy again.
Then that fucking bastard in the Ford fucking Taurus shot at my wife. Jesus Christ, if that DVD player hadn’t been there, she’d be gone. She would be dead, and I wouldn’t have a fucking prayer. I’d have gone out in a blaze of glory, because other than my brother, there was not a damn thing holding me here anymore, if Winter was no longer of this world.
Not a damn thing.
“A month and a half ago, I didn’t have a reason to hang pictures on the wall.” I said lamely.
“You’re lucky she’s back. Don’t fuck it up. Let her in.”
I processed my brother’s words. He’d grown up a lot in the year and a half since my father had died. The last time I’d seen him was at our father’s grave. We hadn’t even spoken to each other.
For the first time in a long time, I was ashamed of myself. I was so busy feeling sorry for myself and everything I’d lost, that I didn’t think about my brother losing everyone also.
“I won’t fuck it up. I love her.”
We ignored each other for the rest of the day. I left at a quarter until seven, and waited patiently outside of James’ duplex. He showed moments later with his daughter, Janie, in tow.
He held up a finger indicating one minute, and then ran over to Sam’s to drop Janie off with Cheyenne. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel as I thought about what Tai had said to me earlier.
Winter’s stuff was still in her duffle. I’d been trying to avoid that detail for over a month now. I knew all her stuff was still packed away nice and neat, ready for her to go at any time. However, I didn’t know how to approach that subject with her. I didn’t want to freak her out, and I certainly didn’t want to push her away from me.
The snick of the truck door opening brought my attention to James as he jumped into the truck. He slammed it behind him, and put his seatbelt on. Rolling his window down, he stared straight ahead and tried his best to hide the fact that he was supremely irritated.
I let him stew though. I didn’t want to talk any more than he did. Neither one of us said anything until we arrived at the Gregg County Airport. “You got her papers?”
I rolled my eyes at his question. Of course I had the fucking papers. “Yeah.”
He grunted and went to help Teal, formerly known as Roslyn, get her bags into the truck. Teal shrunk away from James and he froze in his stride towards her. Holding up his hands, he backed away and waited.
My eyes roamed over her hunched figure and I grimaced. Her hair was pitch black. So black that it blended well with the night. It ran in a long thick braid that ran down her front. It came down to her waist, which meant it’d be even longer if it was flowing free.