Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 73192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I knew that she was pissed at my words, but I couldn’t change who I was and who I would always be.
There was nothing wrong with making sure that she was safe.
“I can’t be put into a glass box, Tyler,” she told me. “I’m never going to go meekly into the night and follow your every order. That’s just not who I am.”
I felt my stomach tighten. “You’re reckless and going to get yourself killed if you keep doing shit that’ll put you in jeopardy. I can’t live like that, Reagan.”
She looked away. “Then don’t.”
I bent over so that my mouth was only inches away from hers. “It’s too late to leave. You’re mine. Your dog is in my house. Your clothes are in my closet. Your flowers are in my yard…the only thing missing is the final step—you marrying me.”
Her eyes were white hot. “I’ve already done that possessive thing, Tyler. I don’t want to do it again.”
Instead of pissing me off, like she’d likely intended, I trailed a finger up and over her brow. “I’ll never smother you. I’ll never dictate whether you can or can’t do something…I just want you to think it through all the way before taking any hasty steps in the wrong direction.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m a hasty kind of girl.”
I laughed and pressed my lips to her forehead. “And that’s who I love.”
She sighed.
Before anything else could be said, though, there was a harsh screech and then a man’s bellow.
“Fuck me,” I muttered. “I’ll be back.”
This time, it wasn’t Reagan’s sister doing the hurting—it was Reagan’s mother.
“I’m going to cut your balls off and feed them to you!” Lennox bellowed.
Apparently, in the time I’d been talking to Reagan, Dusty had been processed. Meaning he’d had to go down the long hallway where the entire thing was lined with people that loved my girl.
Bennett had his wife with one arm around her midsection, pulling her close to his body so that she couldn’t do anything she’d regret later.
Unfortunately, while everyone was paying attention to them, nobody was paying attention to the big brown dog that was hurtling himself down the long hallway.
One second, he was on his four paws and the next he’d launched himself at Dusty.
Groot landed, and the wheelchair flew backward, hitting the white-tiled floor due to the force of Groot’s launch.
Moments later, Groot attacked.
“Goddammit,” Lennox groaned. “I knew we should’ve locked him in instead of letting that little girl watch him!”
That was when Dusty started to sing soprano.
Epilogue
My greatest accomplishment today has been not saying what I’m thinking aloud.
Tyler
“My wife doesn’t talk to many people,” I admitted, floored at what I was seeing.
I was at a banquet for the city of Hostel and the mayor was presenting me with an award for my superb service for the city.
Reagan had been adamant that she didn’t want to come, but with how big this was for our town, there was no way that her absence would go unnoticed.
“She’s actually talking to someone,” Johnny said, sounding floored right along with me. “Does she know that’s the mayor?”
I didn’t think so. If she did, she might’ve been keeping her trap shut.
“He started talking to her about his vegetable garden.” I likely sounded as amused as I felt.
My phone pinged and I pulled it out of my pocket, smiling wide when I saw the video there waiting for me.
Tonight was our daughter, Clarissa’s, first t-ball game and we were missing it.
We were also missing our son, Ellison’s—named Ellison Rome Cree—third kids’ pitch game.
This particular video was of Clarissa’s first at bat.
Her beautiful long, auburn hair that was curly like her mother’s, was up in a messy bun that I assumed Lennox had a part in taming and her baseball cap was turned sideways because it was too big for her head.
Each swing she took, the ball cap would fall farther and farther over one eye.
Bennett yelled something at the coach who had put the ball on the tee and suddenly Clarissa’s hat was gone.
Now, with nothing obstructing her view, she aimed the bat up with the ball and swung with all her might.
She spun in a circle, the ball going a scant foot from the tee itself, but still in fair play and everybody started yelling.
I could hear my mom and sisters in the back and then there was Rhys, my brother-in-law who’d turned out to be a pretty good guy to have around, yelling the loudest for our girl to run.
Clarissa did run, straight to where Rome was sitting on the sidelines.
She held up her lips as if she wanted a kiss and then Rome, laughing, leaned down so that he could offer her his cheek. Rome’s beard being the only thing she could reach, Clarissa gave him a kiss and then started running to first base as she was directed.