Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
His heart stuttered before kicking up into a staccato that couldn’t be quantified. It simply was. Crazy, jolting. Perfection.
“Those are material things, replaceable. Life isn’t.” She took a deep breath. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
“You have to know by now, Hope Roman, we’re a package deal. You’re the Ren to my Stimpy. The Pinky to my Brain, the—”
“If you say yin to your yang, I’m going to throat punch you.”
“When did you become so violent?” He couldn’t stop his grin, even when she took away her touch.
“When you began equating me to cartoon characters.”
She’s engaging with me. I’m not about to let it end. “Abbott to my Costello?”
She snorted and shifted in the seat, facing him instead of giving him her back. He approved.
“Pass.”
He pursed his lips briefly. “Lennon to my McCartney.”
“I’m not sure why I’m shocked you even know of John Lennon or Paul McCartney. Doesn’t seem like your type of music.”
He slowed for the next corner. “The Beatles are legendary. So that’s a no then. Tom and Jerry? Mario and Luigi? Batman and Robin? Burger and fries? Bacon and eggs?”
Her laughter spilled free, making the entire interior warmer. “Now I’m hungry. And no to all those.”
“Bert and Ernie? Bugs and Daffy? Laurel and Hardy.” He smirked at her. “Woody and Buzz. I’ll let you guess who is who there.”
“Next it’ll be Han and Chewy, or R2D2 and C3PO.”
“Who?”
Her outraged gasp was too much, he couldn’t even pretend not to laugh. “Kidding, I know my Star Wars.” He sped up a bit, needing to get this woman safely to his house. “I would say Kirk and Spock.”
“Not Star Wars.”
“I know that, Flykra. How about Lucy and Desi.”
“You should stop now.” Even with the warning, her voice was tinged with humor. “It would be bad form for me to punch the driver.”
He huffed in false indignation. “The Wonder Twins?” She growled, actually growled at him. “Fine, fine. You’re right. What we did had no part in family. Not without a ring on it.”
“That an offer?”
For a man who had recently been divorced and was still dealing with the aftermath of his ex-wife, he didn’t find such a statement fearful.
“Need to make an honest man out of me, Flykra? Tie me down and stake your claim?”
She went still for a moment. “Can’t say that I do.”
Mitchell wasn’t a fan of that answer. “How about Freydis and Egil?”
He watched in his periphery as her face scrunched up. With a slight shake of her head she said, “I don’t know those names. I mean, I’ve heard of Freydis, one of the most famous Vikings. But I don’t know Egil.”
Two names from his computer game. Why he’d tossed them out there, he wasn’t sure. All he could do was grunt. They came down the mountain and he took a deep breath when the city lights of Rock Falls broke through the distance.
“Rock Falls?” Her voice was a bit higher than normal.
“Yes. Are you okay?”
And she was looking out the window. “Sure.”
Mitchell wanted to push but he let it go and got them to his house. He opened the garage door and backed in, deftly avoiding both Linc’s truck and Tully’s Acadia. Well, actually it was Dawson’s but the man drove it like he owned it.
He exhaled slowly as the garage door lowered. The moment he undid his belt he pinned her with a look. “Stay put.”
She frowned at him but he ignored it, getting out and moving to the passenger side to open her door for her. Hands gripping the frame, he gazed down at her, lost in how her eyes somehow managed to sparkle in the dome light and the overhead garage light.
“One more thing,” he said.
She paused in unhooking her belt to meet his stare. “Which is?”
The connecting door leading to his kitchen flew open and his best friends in the world crowded through the doorway.
“My best friends are here.”
Both of them stopped short when they saw Hope sitting in the passenger seat. Then with warm—quite possibly shit-eating—grins, they continued toward the car. Mitchell had the faintest urge to snarl and snap at them, warning them away.
Linc moved around the hood while Tully took the rear. They gave him a hearty hug and while Tully was smacking him on the back with a, “So fucking glad you’re okay, man,” Linc pushed him away from the door and was helping Hope out.
“My name is Linc Conner.”
A small squeal escaped. “I know who you are. Holy shit, you played for the Pennsylvania Dutchmen.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t come to your friend’s house to be fangirled.”
Jealousy rose inside him and didn’t abate when Linc flashed that winning smile of his, one well known to charm the panties off the ladies. It didn’t matter that Mitchell knew no other woman could turn Linc’s head other than Emma, and the same in regards to Dawson for Tully.