Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
"Me neither." My skin warmed when he yawned against it. "Except for maybe adding in a nap."
I chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "Perfect. And when we wake up, I'd love to take you to dinner."
"That sounds perfect."
I smiled and listened to Sterling's breathing turn deep and slow. My body was warm and sated next to his, and it wasn't long before my own eyelids grew heavy.
Chapter Seven
Though my heart was racing and my throat was dry as I stepped onto Sterling’s parents’ porch, I tried to keep my outward appearance calm. I wanted to make a good first impression.
I was excited to meet his folks, but I was a little nervous as well. The main thing that concerned me was that Sterling's mom and dad were only a few years older than I was; what if they disapproved of our age difference? What if they just plain didn't like me?
As hard as I tried to hide my nerves, Sterling still picked up on them. "Everything is going to be great," he told me as he slipped his hand in mine. "Just be yourself and they'll love you."
His touch and encouragement were enough to soothe me and give me strength. "Thank you, sweetheart." Just as I lifted his hand to kiss his knuckles, the front door opened, revealing an attractive couple.
Sterling's mom gave me a quick once-over before her eyes landed on my lips, which were still pressed to Sterling's hand. I worried that I'd already made a wrong step, but she smiled widely and said, "You must be Beckett."
I snapped my posture upright and dropped our linked hands between us. "Yes, ma'am."
"I'm Charlotte. It's so nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too." I extended my hand and she shook it gently. Charlotte was a very pretty lady; she was short and slim, and had blonde hair which was teased to the heavens.
"And this is my husband, Jackson." She motioned to the man standing next to her. He was around my height but a little broader. He had dark hair (which ironically held less grays than my own), and familiar blue eyes.
"Good to meet you," he greeted, and I echoed the sentiment as we shook hands as well.
"Come here, you," Charlotte said as she pulled Sterling into a tight hug. "I've missed you so much." I knew that it'd only been a couple of weeks since they saw each other last, but I understood; I couldn't imagine being apart from him for that long.
"And I missed you too," she continued, kneeling down to pet Cooper. "Yes I did. And so did Max; he has been waiting for his buddy to get here." She rose back to her feet and motioned us inside. "Well come on in, guys; dinner is hot and ready."
We stepped into their home, a gorgeous two-story colonial house. From what I could see, it was full of designer furniture and high-end art on the walls. Sterling's parents had obviously done well for themselves, but seemed like friendly, down-to-earth folks.
"Look, Max, your friend is here" Charlotte said when we stepped out of the foyer and into the living room. On the floor was another golden retriever, rolling around on his back with his tongue hanging out.
At her words, he flipped over onto his feet and dashed over to Cooper. Max jumped around and nudged the pooch to play, but Cooper stood still.
"I think that's my cue," Sterling chuckled as he bent down to remove Cooper's harness. "Good boy. You can go play." After receiving a pat on the head, Cooper zoomed off with his friend, falling into a wrestling ball of fur. He could play as hard as he worked.
Charlotte led us into the dining room, which held a large oak table with matching chairs. It was topped with a white lace runner and two lit candles in the center.
"Your home is beautiful," I gushed as I pulled a chair out for Sterling. "Thank you for having me."
"It's our pleasure," Jackson insisted. "And to be honest, once Charlotte heard that Sterling had a man in his life, I'm not sure she would've let you out of it."
Charlotte smiled and nodded, not even trying to deny it, and making me chuckle. I saw so much of Sterling’s humor in the pair, and I immediately liked them.
“I’ll grab the food from the kitchen,” Charlotte announced.
“Would you like some help?”
She smiled wider at my offer and replied, “That would be lovely, thank you.”
I followed her into the kitchen, which was unsurprisingly full of fancy appliances and designer cookware. She handed me a large salad bowl and a basket of breadsticks, and she grabbed a casserole dish full of bubbly, cheesy, baked spaghetti.
“That smells fantastic,” Sterling said as we entered the dining room once more.
“My mouth is watering just carrying it in,” I confessed, making Charlotte beam.