Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“What’s the matter?”
“Just the whole thing with the ranch. Angus being back helps, but we’re still in such hot water.”
I grunt. “You’ll make it. Angus has a better head on his shoulders than I thought, as much as I hate to admit it. Hard worker who has his priorities in order, even if he is a bit of a douchebag.”
“That’s what he called you, actually.”
“I guess that feeling is mutual.”
She laughs.
“He’s got a thing with your friend, don’t he? I don’t think he’s going anywhere again.”
“Yeah, he’s really close with Dolly now. I guess I shouldn’t worry so much. Things are looking up, right?” She steals a quick kiss from me. “I have you, and it’s looking like my best friend might end up my sister. What more could anyone want?”
“I can think of plenty,” I say, stealing a kiss from her too. “Going to build a family with you, Annie. And I’m going to build so much more too. You’re the strong woman I need beside me to be a great man like my father, and my grandfather before him. Maybe you will be there as I become as great as my great grandfather Homer when he was one of the first settlers of this town all those years ago.”
“Whatever you want, Red, I’m here for it. I’ll be your woman if you’ll be my man. And we’ll take on the world and build something we, and everyone else, can be proud of.”
I feel nothing but sheer joy hearing those words, and holding her in my arms. She is everything I could ever want, and I’ll spend the rest of my days making sure I am everything she will ever want.
This is what happy endings are made out of.
10
ANNIE
Never would I have imagined that sleeping on dirt and rocks could be so invigorating.
Being in Red’s arms is the most comfortable thing I could possibly imagine, no matter where we lie.
I grunt a bit as I stir. Okay, the rocks and dirt weren’t perfect, but they do make me think how wonderful it will be to fall asleep in his arms on an actual bed.
The morning dew is a wonderful smell to wake up to. I sit up, taking in the sunshine that’s peeking in. Nothing about any of this should have been romantic, but for a date that ends up with us lost in the woods? I can’t imagine a better person to enjoy it with than Red.
A deeper groan enters my ear, and I can sense him sitting up. Red’s hands are on my shoulders as he brings himself toward me with a morning’s kiss. His embrace is tender and sweet, just like he always is. “So... do you get lost in the woods often?”
“What do you mean?” he replies, his tone groggy.
“You don’t seem remotely concerned about your family panicking about you being lost in the woods. Possibly drowned in a creek or eaten by a bear.”
“This? This is nothing,” he says, scrambling up and starting to dress himself. “Maybe after a whole day of me being missing they would get concerned, but I’ve been away for a bit before. And that creek is known to flood on stormy days. Dad probably knows exactly what’s going on with me.”
“Faith in your abilities, huh?” I smile. “I guess they’re well placed. But I’m betting my brother and father would be concerned.”
He laughs. “Don’t pay that any mind. They’ve figured out you mean the world to me and that I would die before I let anything happen to you.”
For what feels like the thousandth time, I blush. “That obvious, huh?”
“I’m pretty sure my family knows I’m crazy about you.” He blushes along with me. “Way before I made a move I kinda talked about how incredible you were to them, and dealt with a lot of my dad telling me to make a move.”
“And when I got out of high school, you finally did just that.”
He nods. “My mother’s been making jokes about how it’s inevitable that we’re going to get married, you know.”
More chuckling. “Are we getting married, Red?”
“I mean, it’s looking a whole lot like that, ain’t it?” He shuffles his jeans on, and offers me a hand to get up. “Come on, the creek should be clear now.”
I nod. “Alright. I want to refill the pail with blackberries before we head back.”
As fun as being naked with him is, I get dressed and join him in crawling out of the cave. Today is clear and full of sunshine, dew glistening on the grass. The ground’s a bit slick, so we take our time. There’s no rush to get back to civilization.
He helps me refill the pail, and I decide to throw in some wild onions and mushrooms too. I like the flavor they have and I think I can do something special with them, even if they have nothing to do with the pie I am planning to make.