Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“For a man who claims to be tough and cold, you sure give good speeches.”
“Having kids softened me. I had to be a better man for them. It comes with the job title.”
“Lucky kids.”
“Lucky Damian,” he corrected.
“I think I’m going to like this having a brother thing.”
“You’re not too much of an annoying shit, so that’s refreshing.”
“I still can’t believe you flew all the way out here to check on me.”
“We’re family. That’s what family does. Looks out for each other. So”—he clapped his hands together and smirked—“when do I get to meet this special lady of yours?”
“She’s at her parents’. I had her mom and dad invite her over for a movie. After we are done here. I was hoping I could have your help with something if you’re up for it.”
“What do you have in mind?”
45
Hailee
* * *
Movie nights with my parents were one of my favorite things. Except for the fact that Dad had a way of talking all the way through it and asking questions about the movie as if Mama and I knew better than him what was going on. Mama always ended up throwing popcorn at him, telling him to shush.
“Did you hear that Laurie is selling the house?” Mama asked me after the movie went off. The past few weeks have been crazy. Aiden was heading back to Los Angeles soon, which broke my heart a little, and Laurie’s whole world had been turned upside down.
“Is she?”
“Yeah. Figured it was about time. Samuel told her she could keep it, but she felt as if she needed a fresh start. Which I can understand. That brings me to the next topic at hand.” Mama took Dad’s hand into hers and they smiled my way. “Since our bakery has grown so much over the past few years, we have made more money than we’ve ever imagined. So we have decided to sell our house too and get our dream home.”
“What?!” I gasped, shocked. “You’re selling this home?” I didn’t know why, but that fact brought tears to my eyes. Mama already had a tissue ready to hand my way. I took it and wiped my tears away. I was currently sitting in the house that raised me. It was the only home I’d ever known. Those four walls, that roof, those doors and windows… they all told the story of my life. It was within that home where I met my best friend. My person. My Aiden.
I looked around the living room and kept swiping at my overflowing tears.
“It’s okay,” Dad said, putting a comforting hand on my knee. “Feel all of the things you need to feel about this.”
“It’s just… I’m happy for you both. This is a good thing. This place has so many of our stories in it. It’s just odd to think—”
Before I could finish the thought, I heard knocking.
I sat up straight. “Is someone supposed to be here?” I asked.
“Not that I know of…” Mama looked at Dad. “Did you invite someone?”
“You know I don’t like people,” Dad joked. “But it sounds like it’s coming from your bedroom, Hailee.”
Strange.
The three of us stood from the couches and headed to my bedroom to find out what was happening. The moment I turned on my light, I saw a stranger standing outside my window, knocking.
I walked over to the window, taken aback, but when I saw those blue eyes, I felt as if the stranger was so familiar. He gave me a halfway grin and gestured for me to open the window. I glanced back at my father, and he shrugged.
“Open it. I got your back,” Dad said, giving me reassurance.
I opened it, and the guy held his hand straight out to me. “I’ve heard a lot about this window. You must be Hailee. I’m Damian. Aiden’s brother.”
Of course, he was. He looked remarkably like Aiden. The blue eyes should’ve given him away. A sigh of relief hit me as I reached out to shake his hand.
“Goodness, hi. It’s nice to meet you…at my window.”
He chuckled slightly. “I came into town to see Aiden. I’m staying at his place with him and his mom. He told me how you and he climbed out of windows and shit to see each other.” He glanced past me and nodded in the direction of Mama and Dad. “You’re Hailee’s parents?”
“We are,” Mama said.
“Sorry for the foul language, ma’am,” Damian said. He turned back to me. “Anyway. I’m shocked you guys don’t need back surgery from bending out of these windows. I almost got stuck, but I wanted to come meet my new sister-in-law before I headed back to Los Angeles.”
“Oh, no. Aiden and I aren’t married. We’re just dating.”
Damian arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? Because there’s a man on a bent knee right over here hoping that that fact would change sooner than later.” He gestured behind him and revealed Aiden, down on one knee, with a box in his hands.