Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
When the meal arrived, we sat at the kitchen table. It was my old table from my apartment, and it was designed for just two people. There were two wooden chairs that went along with it. Mike opted to lean against the counter instead, refusing to sit. His dad and I settled into our seats, and we each grabbed a slice.
“I’m glad I was able to meet you, Tammy,” Mr. Newbury said.
“I’m glad to meet you too, sir,” I replied. “Thank you for dinner.”
“My pleasure.” He winked. “Don’t let Mike’s bad-boy past scare you. He’s as kind as a mother hen.”
I focused on my pizza, chewing to avoid confusion. What the hell did that mean? I didn’t think of Mike as any kind of chicken, certainly not a mother hen. And what was he talking about, “bad-boy past”? That made it sound like Mike had been in a gang. From across the kitchen, I saw Mike’s face tighten. He didn’t know what to do with his dad’s statement any more than I did.
Mr. Newbury chatted on about the lumberyard and the things Mike had done as a teenager. I tried to pay attention, but I was really glad when we finally said good night. Mike and I stood on the porch, his arm over my shoulders, my arm around his waist, like a proper couple, waving goodbye. Mr. Newbury climbed into his car and drove off, leaving us just a few hours of daylight left.
I leaned my head against Mike’s shoulder. Being left alone with him felt new but right. This would be our first night together, our first time seeing each other in pajamas, our first Netflix binge. But there was still more work to do.
“Are you up for taking the U-Haul back?” Mike asked.
“We have to,” I agreed.
“Let’s get it done,” he said, grabbing his keys from the kitchen counter. “Do you want to drive my truck or the rented truck?”
I studied both vehicles in the driveway. Mike’s truck was only slightly smaller than the rental. I had opted for Macy’s car on the drive over here, but I thought I should take responsibility for the rental truck under my name. Besides, if I messed up Mike’s ride, I would never forgive myself.
“I’ll take the rental.” I returned to the house to fetch my purse and the car keys. “What about the house?” I asked as we both stood outside, ready to go.
“Oh.” Mike patted down his shirt pocket before withdrawing a single key. “We’ll have to make a copy.”
“I think there’s a machine at the hardware store.”
“We can do that tonight, if there’s still time,” he offered.
I nodded. I would have to. I couldn’t very well walk around without a house key. The next thing I would have to do, possibly as early as tomorrow, was find myself a car. I said as much to Mike, and he offered to go with me. He had taken two days off from work to move but had only used one. I accepted gratefully. It would be nice to have a man on my team and to stop asking Macy to drive me everywhere. I climbed up into the cab of the U-Haul, adjusted my mirrors, buckled my seat belt, and shifted into reverse.
I could barely see going down the hill, and when I backed up onto Deer Tail Road, I held my breath, praying there wasn’t anyone behind me. It was a twenty-minute drive back to the rental office and another twenty minutes for the inspection of the vehicle before they let me off the hook. Afterward, we drove to the hardware store, arriving half an hour before closing. There was a machine near the door that provided duplicate keys for pocket change. I picked out a red, white, and blue key so I could distinguish it from all the other keys I didn’t have. When we finally returned to the cabin, we were both exhausted.
“I think we’re both looking forward to… living together,” I said, dropping my key on the counter. “But I’m really tired.”
“Of course,” he said, setting his own keys down beside mine. He bent to catch me above the knee, scooping me into his arms.
I laughed with delight, unsure if he would honor my request to sleep that night. He took me to my bedroom and dumped me on the bed, but instead of kissing me or climbing in beside me, he pulled the covers down so I could scoot underneath. I pushed my shoes off onto the floor and slid my legs in between the sheets. Mike kissed me gently on the forehead and turned the lights out.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
I considered getting up, changing into my pajamas, and brushing my teeth, but his gesture had been so sweet, I didn’t want to waste the effort. I would just sleep for a couple of hours and then get up and change later, I decided. It helped that I was bone-tired and finally resting on a mattress instead of a cot. I drifted off to sleep in my own room without any major appliances for company for the first time in a month. This cabin was going to be a little slice of heaven, complete with an angel for a roommate. Just before slumber claimed me, the inner recesses of my brain brought Mr. Newbury’s words back to me. Don’t let Mike’s bad boy past scare you. I wondered again what he could possibly have meant but let it go. There would be plenty of time to worry about that tomorrow.