Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Caine gets up as if the couch is on fire, walking over to his jacket, it takes him one step and a long reach. “What are you doing here?” I ask, leaning forward and putting my soup down on the table.
“I got here as soon as I could,” he answers, looking at me and then at Caine, who is shrugging on his jacket.
“I’m Caine,” he introduces, the soft look he had in his eyes not too long ago gone. “I’m her boss. I came by to make sure she was okay.”
“I’m JB,” he returns, “it’s nice to meet you.”
“I’ll head out,” Caine says, avoiding looking at me, nodding at JB, and then hightailing it out of here.
“He’s so scared of me.” JB laughs as soon as the door slams shut.
“Please.” I roll my eyes. “He could bench-press you with one hand.” I throw the cover off me. “Now, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Wow,” he says, putting his hand to his heart, “is that any way to talk to your loving cousin, who flew all this way to make sure you’re okay?”
He starts to walk into the room, and I hold up my hand. “If you think you’re sitting anywhere on this couch, I’m calling Grandma Olivia and telling her.” He stops mid-step. “Did you even shower, or did you come here straight from the barn?” I ask, and he smirks. “You lost the bet, didn’t you?”
He takes his hat off and scratches his head. “Charlie was supposed to come, but he bet me.” I hold up my hand to stop him from talking.
“I don’t even know why he would come either,” I huff. “I’m fine. I have the flu.”
“You tell that to your parents, then my parents, and when you are done, tell our grandparents also,” he grouses. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Go shower.” I point at the hallway. “And change your clothes.”
“Fine, but I’m choosing what we watch when I come out.” He turns around to grab the bag he must have left at the door before going into the shower.
I grab my soup and finish most of it, then look into the bag, seeing he got me ginger ale and Gatorade. I get up, going to the kitchen to get a glass, and by the time I sit back down, JB is out of the shower and heading over to the couch. I don’t know what he puts on because all I can think about is Caine and what he told me. I reach for my phone and pull up his name, typing out a message, wondering what he’s doing right now.
Me: Thank you for the soup today and for making sure I’m okay.
twelve
Caine
“Tomorrow can we go to the park?” Meadow asks me when she climbs into bed, using her feet to slide under the covers in the middle of her queen-sized bed. Her face looks like it has its color back from the past two days of being sick. My head is low-key throbbing after having a minor mental breakdown with Meadow about how she wanted to take a shower and not a bath. Then from the shirt she was wearing that she didn’t want to wear but then put on backward. Let’s just say I’m really fucking happy this week is finally over. I think also she is definitely on the mend and back to her old self.
“I think we can do that,” I tell her, walking over toward the reading corner in her room. “What book do you want?”
“The Little Mermaid,” she chooses as I grab the book and walk over to her bed, lying on top of the blankets. “I got gadgets and gizmos a plenty.” She sings the song and then looks up at me, and all I can do is smile at her. The love I have for her is indescribable, and I didn’t understand it until they placed her in my arms.
“Okay, here we go,” I start, opening the book and beginning to read it to her. By the end of the book, she is barely able to keep her eyes open. Getting off the bed, I kiss her cheek softly before grabbing her old sippy cup from the night before. Placing the book back where I took it from, I close the door a bit behind me.
I walk down the stairs with the sippy cup in my hand as I make my way to the kitchen. The minute I get to the bottom, I hear my phone beep from the kitchen counter, where I left it before I ushered Meadow upstairs after dinner.
I turn off the lights in my office and lower the bright ones in the family room before making my way over to the kitchen. Picking up my phone, I stare at the home screen. I have emails that have come in and two text messages, but the last one is the one that shocks me. I was not expecting to see her name. My hands get a little clammy when I see her message: