Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
The call ends before I can tell him the same. Placing my phone in the cupholder, I continue on the short drive to the small house I’m renting in town. I was lucky to find it. Alyssa said she had a place she could have rented me. I guess Crosby rented it after she moved out, but I’d already committed for a year on the lease when I found out she had a place available.
By the time I’m pulling into my driveway, I’ve decided to pack some snacks. I rush into the house, knowing I don’t have much time. The first thing I do is grab a second battery for my camera and a new SD card. Once that’s in my camera bag, I rush through, changing into a pair of cutoff shorts and a tank top, and slip my feet into a pair of flip-flops.
I decide on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because that’s what I have, and this is last minute. I have one of those multi-packs of small bags of chips, so I toss a few bags into a reusable grocery bag, along with the package of Soft Batch cookies I picked up at the store earlier this week. They’re my weakness, and sharing them with Archer will keep me from polishing off the entire pack while I’m editing the baby shower images later this weekend.
I add a couple of bottles of water to the bag and call it good. I’m hoping that Archer has a cooler, but if not, warm water is better than no water. As I lift the bag on my shoulder to head outside to wait for him, there’s a knock at the door.
Quickly, I grab my camera bag and my purse and open the door. “Hey. That was fast.”
He reaches out and takes my camera bag off my shoulder. “I had a good incentive,” he says, reaching for the other bag. His tone is soft, almost sensual.
“I’ve got this one.”
“What’s in there?”
“I made us some snacks. Do you happen to have a cooler with you? That’s something you take fishing, right?” I ask.
“Yeah, Firecracker. I have a cooler full of drinks.”
“Good. I need to put all of this in there. You think there’s room?”
“It’ll fit.”
“Perfect.” I close my door, making sure it’s locked, before bouncing down the steps toward his truck. “Keep up, Kincaid. We’ve got fish to catch.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replies.
He meets me at the bed of his truck and helps me place everything in the cooler. “Snacks were a good idea. I was just going to stop at the gas station and see what we could find.”
“Well, it’s nothing fancy, just a couple of peanut butter and jellies.”
“Perfect. Thank you for doing that.” He closes the cooler and the tailgate of his truck. “You ready for this?”
“Yep. I have no idea what I’m about to get myself into, but I’m here for it.”
“Let’s go then.” He walks me to the passenger side of the truck with his hand that sits on the small of my back, burning through the fabric of my tank top. Archer pulls the door open for me and waits until I have my seat belt fastened before shutting the door and rushing around to his side.
“So, where are you taking me?” I ask once we’re on the road.
“Willow River.”
“Aren’t we already in Willow River?”
“The actual river, baby.”
Baby. I pretend to ignore the way butterflies take flight with his use of the endearment. “Got ya. New girl here, remember?”
“Not so new,” he says, reaching over and lacing his fingers with mine.
I don’t resist because I’m starved for his touch. This is bad. Very bad. I know Archer is different. I’m not able to forget about him, and I have to. However, for tonight, I’m pushing my worry aside. I’m going to pretend like he’s not working his way beneath the walls I thought I had carefully constructed around my heart.
Archer pulls his truck off on what appears to be an old dirt road. “Are we allowed back here?”
“Yeah. It’s public, but few come back this far because they’re leery of getting stuck.”
“And we’re not worried about that?”
“Nah, we’re not worried about that.”
He continues to drive until we come to a clearing. It’s an open space that leads to the river. There are wildflowers everywhere, and my finger itches to capture the moment.
“I think you need this.” I pull my gaze away from the beautiful setting to see Archer smiling from the driver’s seat, holding my camera bag out to me.
“How did you know?”
“That goofy, happy smile on your face, and your finger was tapping.”
I swallow hard that he knows me that well, or at least thinks he does. Who am I kidding? He nailed my mood, my thoughts, and my need for my camera. “Gimme.” I reach for the bag and make quick work of switching out the SD card and changing the lens before pushing open the truck door. I turn to look at Archer over my shoulder. “Am I allowed to explore?”