Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
All the guys get to their feet. “Holden!”
“Go Bears!” someone hollers.
I just stand up and watch as everyone talks to my brother. I’ve gotten used to him being some sort of celebrity. He was the best catcher in the professional league for a long time, plus he’s an amazing guy. He always gets noticed when he goes places, and even though he’s here at the station a lot, the guys still get excited to see him.
When he finally reaches me, he’s smiling, and he hugs me. “How you doing, brother?”
I nod and look around the room. All eyes are still on us, so I gesture to the door. “Want to go outside?”
He nods and talks to a few more guys on his way to the door. I’m shaking my head when he finally gets outside. “You’re a superstar, brother.”
He shrugs. “Not really. I throw a ball. You save lives.”
I point to the lawn chairs that one of the guys had brought and set up out here. “Want to sit? To what do I owe this visit?”
Holden gestures to the mountains in the distance. “Is that something to worry about?”
I look at the smoky sky. “It’s a brush fire in the mountains. Jasper FD is on scene, and they say it’s almost contained.”
“That’s good,” he comments.
I nod. “Yeah, is that what you came to talk about?”
Holden sits down next to me and leans his elbows on his knees. “So Cat came home telling me how upset Chrissy was after seeing you today, and I thought I should come talk to you.”
I know Chrissy has been through a lot the last week, and I thought with time it would be okay, but it kills me to know she’s upset. “Fuck, I messed up, Holden!”
I stand up and start pacing back and forth. I didn’t think I was messing up, but now I do.
Holden stands up, and the happy lighthearted look is completely gone from his face. “Did you… shit, I don’t even know how to ask you this… did you take advantage of Chrissy?”
I stop, and my mouth drops. “Is that what she thinks? Is that what she’s saying? I knew I should have made her wait. Ledger died, and we were both hurting, and one thing—”
“Gabe, what were you thinking?”
“I love her.”
He stands up and just looks at me, and I nod my head. “I love her and don’t say like a sister or some shit like that. I mean, I’m crazy in love with her. I want to marry her. I want her to be the mother of my kids. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
He hesitates, but it doesn’t look as if he’s surprised. He asks me as if my answer is going to change, “You love her?”
“Of course, I do. You can’t tell me you didn’t know!”
He throws a hand up in frustration. “Well, I thought I knew, but hell, for the last three years you guys have denied, denied, denied, so I wasn’t sure, and then Cat comes home saying you’re seeing someone and—”
“Seeing someone? What the hell are you talking about?”
He points toward the station. “The girl you were with today?”
“Bullshit. She’s new, we work together, and she offered to go with me to pick up food for the guys.”
Holden laughs. “Look, I’m not sure what’s going on, but I did tell Cat that there’s no way you’d hurt Chrissy. You need to fix this.”
“Oh, I will. I have—” I lift my arm and look at my watch. “An hour and twenty-five minutes until my shift is over and then I’m going straight to Chrissy’s.”
He sits back down in his chair. “Listen, you're my brother, I support you, but you gotta handle this. This is our family you’re messing with.”
“I’m not messing with anything. I promise I’ll fix this.”
He searches my face and then nods his head. “Okay.”
Holden and I hang out until it’s time for me to clock out, and then I drive across town to Chrissy’s house. I barely put my truck into park before I jump out and run up to the front door. I knock almost frantically, and Chrissy comes to the door. “Gabe! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
She’s blocking the door, and I gesture inside. “Can I come in?”
She moves to the side, and I walk past her, not stopping until I’m inside her house and across the room. I know I need to keep some distance because we need to talk, and if I put my hands on her, it’s over. I need her more now than I ever have.
She has on short shorts and a tank top without a bra, and her hair is up in a high ponytail. She looks beautiful, and I clench my hands at my sides.
When I don’t say anything, she looks at me worriedly. “Gabe, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”