Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“I’ll fix up one of the rooms for you with a fireplace, and I can go light a fire in there if you’d like.”
I couldn’t help but smile. That was Sally for you. She was always there for us kids growing up. Why should I be surprised she would do the same for us as adults? She cared more for me than my own mother.
“Nonsense. It will be fine. I’ll be golden if there is heat and I can’t see my breath. I just didn’t want you to panic when you heard me coming in.”
“If you’re sure. Can I heat you up some warm milk or maybe some tea?”
I laughed softly and said, “I don’t need a thing. Thank you, though.”
“If you change your mind, you’ll let me know?”
Smiling, I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m pulling up now, and I’ll be fine. I promise. Goodnight, Sally.”
“Sweet dreams, Kian.”
I hit End on the screen and grabbed my two bags from the passenger seat. The snow was starting to come down harder, and I nearly slipped and fell on my ass as I ran to the front door. I was hoping Sally didn’t have the alarm on, or at the very least, had turned it off when I called to tell her I was coming to the house. After punching in the code, I opened the door and let out a sigh of relief when I didn’t hear the beeping of the alarm. I shut the door and relished in the warmth of the house.
“Thank you, Sally, for keeping the entire house heated.”
I dropped my bags by the steps and headed into the kitchen. Despite what I told Sally, I needed a hot cup of coffee, tea, or maybe even hot chocolate to take the chill out of my veins. It had been a hot minute since I had done anything in this kitchen, so it took me a few moments to find the kettle and to look for some hot chocolate. Sally didn’t keep a whole lot of things stocked in the pantry since it was normally just her, but she must have gone shopping the moment she found out Cadie would be here.
“Hot chocolate, hot chocolate, where are you?” I said as I looked through the pantry. I spotted my favorite hot chocolate and grinned like a kid in a candy store. “There you are!”
Reaching back, I snagged the box and turned to walk out of the pantry; when I pushed the door open, I let out a scream that would put any young boy going through puberty to shame. Another scream besides mine echoed throughout the house. Somewhere upstairs, I heard Sally yelling out.
“Fucking hell, Kian! You scared the shit out of me,” Cadie said, a baseball bat lifted above her head.
With my hand over my chest, I took a few deep breaths. “Can you…please…put the bat…down.”
Cadie looked up at her hands still over her head and lowered the bat.
“Where in the hell did you even find a bat?”
Dropping the bat down to her side, Cadie drew in a breath. “It was in the closet in the bedroom I’m staying in. I just happened to see it when I hung up some clothes.”
Confused, I asked, “Why was it in there?”
She looked at me like I had asked the stupidest question ever. “How would I know, Kian? It was your room.”
The sound of feet running down the stairs were followed by Sally crying out, “It’s just Kian! It’s just Kian!”
She skidded to a stop and looked between me and Cadie. Her focus finally landed on Cadie. “Where in the world did you get a bat?”
Rolling her eyes, she set the bat down on the counter. “I found it in the closet earlier when hanging up some clothes.” Her eyes swung back to me. “What are you doing here…and in the pantry?”
I set the hot chocolate down by the stove and looked at Sally. “Are the pans still in the same place?”
She smiled as she pointed to an electric kettle. “We have this fancy little thing here that boils the water or milk in less than two minutes.”
I turned to Cadie and said, “Sorry, I should have texted you, but it was late. I did call Sally to tell her I was coming up here to stay.”
Blinking rapidly, she asked, “What do you mean…to stay?”
I reached up and pulled out three mugs.
Sally waved her hands in front of her. “Not for me. I’m heading back up to bed. Be sure to unplug this.”
When Sally walked by, I kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sorry to scare you like that.”
She chuckled. “You didn’t scare me. The second I heard the two of you scream, I knew what happened.” Sally faced Cadie. “Do you need anything, sweetheart?”
With a shake of her head, Cadie smiled. “I’m good. Thank you so much, Sally.”