Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“We do. Town gossip will go a long way in convincing your family we’re the real deal.”
“They believe me. As long as I bring you to dinner, I don’t think a single doubt will cross their minds, which is surprising.”
“How so?”
I shrug. “You’re you.”
“None of that.” His voice pitches low, and he gives me a look I imagine his dad giving him and his brothers growing up when they were causing mischief.
“I’m a realist, Merrick.”
He’s shaking his head, but before he can scold me, our server steps to the table to take our order. As soon as he’s gone, Merrick’s cousin, Ramsey, takes his place.
“Hey, you two,” she greets us. She offers me her hand. “I’m Ramsey.”
“Courtney. It’s nice to meet you.” Of course, I already knew who she was, but I’d never actually met her. She’s been in the boutique while I was working, but I’ve always been helping customers.
“Where’s my girl?” Merrick asks her.
“Sitting across from you the last I heard,” Ramsey fires back, quirking her brow.
Merrick chuckles. “I mean Bryn.”
“She’s at home with her daddy. We’re cleaning out the garage today, so I ran to pick up lunch.”
“Nice. You need any help?”
“No, but thank you for the offer. Cleaning out the garage really consists of pulling out the cars and sweeping.” She laughs. “We’re not getting all crazy.” Her eyes sparkle. “Courtney, it was nice meeting you. Mer, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, we’ll be there,” Merrick tells her.
Her eyes light up at his confession. “Perfect. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Don’t let that husband of yours work too hard,” Merrick calls after her.
“Never.” Her laughter follows her out the door.
When his eyes return to me, he asks, “So, did you talk to your mom about dinner?”
“Not yet. I will. It was late last night, and I didn’t have time to this morning.”
“I’m pretty much available most evenings. Sometimes I work late, but I’m usually always home by seven.”
“You work construction, right?” I ask.
“Yeah, well, I guess you could call it that. I’m a heavy equipment operator. We work in all different types of job sites. I don’t actually build anything, but I haul away the dirt and debris. I dig basements and footers, those kinds of things.”
“So you get to do something different every day? That must keep it interesting.”
“It does. I think if I did the same exact thing, like a factory job or something, I’d go stir-crazy. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I think for me, it just wouldn’t be a good fit. What about you? You like working at the boutique?”
“I love it. Jordyn is great to work for.”
“Is it your dream job?”
“Is yours?” I counter.
“Yeah, I love being outside and running all different types of equipment. The pay is good too.” He grins. “Your turn.”
“I don’t really know, to be honest. I went to community college and received my associate of arts degree, but it’s basically useless. It’s pretty much just my general education classes. I’ve never been one of those people who’s always known exactly what they want to do with their life. My little sister, on the other hand, she’s got her shit together.”
“Just because you don’t know if this is the job that will carry you through life doesn’t mean you don’t have your shit together. Come on, Court, you have to know that.”
“I guess. Chloe is two years younger than me. She’s a medical assistant working at a job she loves. She’s marrying her high school sweetheart, Rodney, who graduated from high school with me, and he just graduated from college with some kind of tech degree. They’re grabbing life by the horns and to hear my mother tell it, I’m letting it pass me by.”
“And you’re two years younger than me.”
“Yeah, I was a sophomore when you were a senior.” I look down at my hands to hide the blush that creeps onto my cheeks. I don’t want him to think I was crushing on him or anything. I mean, not specifically him. All the girls in our school talked about and crushed on the Kincaid brothers. It’s as if it was an entire movement. They were catches back then, and still are to this day.
“It’s okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life, Courtney. It’s your journey. Not your parents’ or your sister’s. It’s yours. Maybe it’s the boutique. Maybe it’s not. Regardless, it’s yours. Don’t hide from that.” His gaze is penetrating as he wills me to hear what he’s saying and believe it.
I take a minute to let his words sink in. Finally, I look up to find him watching me intently. “I’m glad it was you, Merrick Kincaid. I’m glad it was your family photo, and it was your name I blurted out to my mother. I’m so thankful for what you’re doing for me.” He’s not just helping me out by being my date for my sister’s wedding. He’s supporting me, giving me a shoulder to lean on, one that doesn’t come with judgment or strings. It’s been a handful of days since he agreed to help me, and already this man sitting before me is important.