Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 80930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
"He’s my best friend," I remind her. "And it’s my job to take care of him." The guilt of not being honest with her creeps up.
"No," she says, shaking her head. "It’s more than that." I don’t say anything while she talks. I'm afraid that if I open my mouth, all the words will come out, and I don’t know if we are both ready for this. "What you two share, it’s something special." I swallow. "And I know that he’s going to start dating, and I just hope that it doesn’t change what the two of you share."
I try to make a joke. "We made it through his marriage," I admit. "And that was rough."
"What do you mean?" she asks, and I look at her and then the sand.
"I don’t want to gossip," I add honestly. "But it was not all easy with Julianne and there was a point when being friends was a secret of sorts." I swallow, thinking back to the days when he first got to Dallas, when he would only call me when he was in the car and the texts would stop at four o’clock, and if I messaged him, he wouldn’t answer until the next day. I would never have him choose between her and me. I would still not make him choose today. “I don’t know what happened,” I say softly. “I never asked him because, to be honest, I don’t care. Whatever it was brought his friendship back." It changed one day when he called me at eight o’clock at night and then the next night the same thing, and I guess maybe Julianne realized that I didn’t want anything from him. Maybe she realized that I was his friend and nothing more. But slowly, we started to hang out together more, and sometimes, Julianne would come also, very rarely, but she would.
"I know you mean the world to him," Karrie shares as we turn to walk back toward the houses.
"He means the world to me," I admit, smiling, leaving out that he means the whole fucking world to me as my heart beats so fast in my chest.
"I know he does," she says, and I stop walking. "There is no one else I would want by his side." I look at her, and I know she isn’t talking about me being his friend.
"Thank you," I say as we get closer to the house. "For making such an amazing man." I smile at her, and she smirks at me.
"Look, the guys are back," she says, pointing at the men walking down the steps. She takes a step forward and then turns around, coming back to me and smiling. "Just make sure if he ties you to the bed, you enjoy every second of it."
Chapter 31
Cooper
"That is the last of it," I confirm, putting the last of the luggage in the back of the SUV. My father and mother stand to the side with the girls in their arms as they say goodbye.
"I’m going to miss my two girls.” My mother blinks away tears. My father puts his arm around her and brings her to him. She walks to the SUV and puts Emma in the back seat and then kisses her goodbye again. She’s been kissing them goodbye since last night at supper.
My father puts Mia in her seat and then leans over to kiss Emma. "We will come and see you two in a couple of weeks."
"Oh, goodie," I mumble under my breath, and Erika wraps her arm around my waist. He closes the door and then comes to me.
"Be good," he reminds me when he grabs me in a hug. I hug him a bit tighter than I did last night, knowing I won’t see him.
"Thanks, Dad, for everything." Releasing me, he puts his arms on my shoulders and squeezes. Then he goes to hug Erika while my mother comes over to me.
"Call me when you land," she says. We are leaving today instead of tomorrow like everyone else because the girls have to get back to Julianne. I hug her, and she puts her head in the middle of my chest. "I love you," she adds, sniffling, and I rub her shoulders.
"I love you, too, Mom," I reply, and then my father leads her away from me.
I get in the SUV and make our way to the private plane. No one really says anything as I unload the SUV. Erika walks up the stairs with both girls while I wait for them to load the luggage, then I join them.
"I can’t believe that two weeks is over already," I say, looking out the window as the plane takes off down the runway.
"I can’t believe I’m going to say this," Erika says from her seat in front of me next to Emma, "but I’m going to miss them."