Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
“Okay, well, if you need anything, everyone is inside.”
He nodded. “Thanks.” He sat there as she got up and left. Once the door was shut he breathed out and scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling the stubble on his cheeks. What in the fuck was he thinking, feeling? What in the hell was he doing?
He needed to get his shit together, because wanting anything more than a friendship with his sister’s stepdaughter was fucked up.
6
“I just feel like this is moving a step back, Ginny,” Reese said to his sister. It was a couple of months after Brittany had gone to Texas, and he hadn’t spoken to her aside from organizing the legal aspect of the divorce. True to her word, he’d gotten the divorce paperwork shortly after she’d gone, dated weeks prior.
But he hadn’t been upset about it, and in fact, had felt this relief.
“It’s not moving back, Reese,” Ginny said and grabbed his duffle. He’d put the house up for sale shortly after Brittany left, and already it had a bidder and the closing on it was underway. He’d moved out, putting all his belongings in storage, but he’d thought he would have time to find another place.
The housing market wasn’t the greatest, and although his home was in a great location with a small patch of property, he couldn’t stay there. It was just too big for a man to live alone, and it didn’t have the best memories. If he became involved with a woman in the future he didn’t want to spend time with her in the house that held memories of Brittany.
But not only that, Brittany had stipulations in the divorce that the property was to be sold and the assets split. If he’d wanted to fight it, he could have, but he didn’t want the property any more than he wanted her as his wife.
“I can rent until I find a place to buy.”
His sister waved off his comment as she led them up the stairs and down the hallway to the spare bedroom. “And sign a lease for a year?”
“They have monthly rentals, Ginny.”
“Yeah, in the scuzzy part of town.” She pushed open the bedroom door and set his bag on the bed. “We have an extra bedroom, Reese, and you spending money, whether you have it or not, on a decent place just until you find a new house is stupid.” She turned and faced him, and a smile crept over her mouth.
She went up to him and hugged him, just held him as if she were the older sibling and trying to make everything okay.
“It’ll be fine, Ginny. I’ll be fine.”
She leaned back and looked up at him. “I know, but it still breaks my heart that Brittany, that bitch, thinks she could do this to you and try and get alimony.” Her cheeks turned red, and he chuckled at her anger for him.
“She’s not getting a dime of my trust money. Precautions were put in place. Don’t worry, you know that.” He chucked her under the chin. “Now, I guess I’ll unpack my few things while I crash here for a while.” He really didn’t want to crash at Ginny and Calvin’s house.
The truth was he had the money to find his own place until he found something more permanent, and staying with his younger sister and her stepdaughter and husband wasn’t what he’d ever envisioned himself doing. But he could see the determination in Ginny’s eyes when she’d brought it up and all but demanded he stay with them.
“Reese, I want you here, and Calvin knows how important you are to me. You’re family, not just my brother, but family to Lake and Calvin, too.” She smiled. “I know if the roles were reversed you’d do the same for me.”
“If a man broke your heart, I’d break his face,” he said, teasing but also serious.
She chuckled. “I know.” She pointed to the bed and bag. “Unpack and rest up. I know you did a lot today with the storage of the furniture and getting the paperwork all organized for the divorce.”
He stood there when she turned and left, and for a second all he did was close his eyes and listen to the silence surround him. He knew all about being in an empty house, even when he was married. Brittany had enjoyed being out more than staying in, and when she was out it usually wasn’t with him.
“Stop thinking about her,” he said out loud, even though he was alone. He rubbed his eyes, breathed out, and sat on the edge of the bed.
Time to start his life over.
7
Reese felt like a pervert, felt like a sick bastard because here he was, standing at the back door and staring at Lake as she swam. Ginny was lying on the chair reading a book, her large brimmed hat creating a saucer of shadow covering her upper body.