Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24648 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24648 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Again, I hate the desperation in my voice, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and I want to be with this man. Even if he doesn’t realize it, he wants to be with me too. I just have to make him see it.
But at the moment, Frank’s expression is conflicted. My heart’s on edge, expecting him to refuse, but then he nods ever so slightly.
“Six months,” he agrees in a low voice. “And then it’s over for good.”
I gasp, bouncing in my seat a little before wrapping my arms around his shoulders and pulling that dark head to mine. Frank’s lips press firmly against my pout, his tongue slowly sliding into my mouth and licking over my own.
“Yes, agreed,” I pant quietly. “Six months and then I’m gone.”
He lets out a low growl in his chest before pulling me fully against that broad form and I melt. All my worries seem to dissipate because here, in Frank Lockhart’s arms, things will work out. I can tell by the way he holds me so tightly, so impossibly close to him, that he feels the same way, even if we’ve put a time limit on things. But that’s for later, and right now, both of us just want to enjoy what we have because the clock has already begun to tick.
10
HADLEY
A month later.
I hum to myself, sighing quietly once I see that it’s already mid-afternoon. Frank probably won’t be back for at least another few hours, but I’ve got quite a few things to do before he sets foot in the door. Let’s see. My laundry lists consists of chopping veggies and making dinner, reorganizing the pantry, and maybe starting a load or two so that we have clean clothes to wear. All very worthwhile tasks, but somehow, my limbs just won’t move.
After all, I’d much rather sit right here in my spot in my sunny sewing nook and continue working on the quilt unfolded before me. It’s a gorgeous red, white, and blue piece with a sunburst in the center, and corner designs shaped like snowflakes. Even better, Frank loves my quilts, and is impressed by my sewing abilities. He says I surprise him each and every day, and it always makes me feel warm all the way down to my tummy.
I know when I first got here, I was a city slicker with my trendy clothes and know-it-all attitude. But now, we’ve settled into a wonderful rhythm, and I’ve taken to country life like a fish to water. It’s hard core, there’s no doubt, because we get up early each morning, and by early I mean 4 or 5 a.m. Frank leaves to take care of the animals before coming back for a hearty breakfast, and then he departs again to work the fields. Meanwhile, I stay home and take care of the house, which consists of about a million and one chores, from feeding the chickens to vacuuming this place daily. I have no idea why there’s so much dust, but incredibly, my allergies seem to have gone away. I suppose it’s the healthy living that’s improving my immune system.
But the most surprising part is how much I’m enjoying the simple life. It’s peaceful on the farm, cleaning, cooking, and indulging in my domestic side. Plus, being with Frank is incredibly romantic and satisfying. The first thing he does after coming home from a long day is to plant a hungry kiss on my lips, leaving me dizzy and lightheaded in the best way possible. Then, most of the time he heads into the bathroom for a shower before dinner. But I admit, we’ve gotten carried away in the past and simply made love right here on the front-room couch, with him dirty, sweaty, and so manly at once. His physicality turns me on, like a male animal on the prowl, sating himself with his female.
So yes, my life has done a one eighty, but I can’t remember a time when I’ve been this happy before. In fact, my old existence in New York City now seems so far away, almost as if it happened to another girl. Of course, I remember what I used to do at Club Z, but it was a different Hadley, and not me. That’s what Frank does to me. The man’s put me under a spell because he’s strong, capable, hard-working and incredibly sexy. Yet at the same time, he’s gentle, caring, thoughtful, and good with his hands too. I don’t know how I managed to get so lucky.
I snort to myself, shaking my head. Who would have known that I’d like playing Little House on the Prairie so much? Ironically enough, just when I’m thinking that, my cellphone lets out a loud screech. It scares me half to death because I haven’t really used it in over a week now. Gone are the days of endless text conversations, not to mention the amount of social media I was always engaged in. Now, my eyes have been opened and I actually look around, savoring my time on this green Earth. Goodness, how life has changed!