Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Hello, darlin’,” I murmur.
“Trev,” she breathes and throws her arms around my waist.
I cup her face and kiss her repeatedly, not wanting to let her go. I haven’t been eating or sleeping. Right now, as I have her in my grasp, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve even been breathing.
“Hey, baby girl. I’ve missed you so much,” I say against her lips.
Suddenly, she stiffens and tears away from me, looking around wildly. My heart sinks. This isn’t the reaction I was expecting.
“I’m sorry. I have to be careful. If someone tells Daddy we were together, he’s going to take New York and Nashville away. I still don’t know if I want to give that up,” she whispers.
I think through her words but don’t ask what she means. She’ll never have to give anything up for me. I hope she hasn’t been worrying herself about this.
However, she has a point. We can’t be seen together. I think fast, not willing to miss out on this time.
“Your nanna just left with my family. She left you with the car. I’ll head out and meet you behind the bowling alley. Come pick me up from there.”
“Where will we go from there?” she asks, her soft brown eyes searching mine.
I hold up Nanna’s house keys. “The old house. I’ll explain in the car.”
I tug her in for one more quick kiss. With a smile, she takes off, only looking back once as if to ensure I’m real. I give her a smile and wink. She returns the smile with a wobbly one but turns and rushes out of the store.
I wait a few moments then leave out of the store and make a beeline for the bowling alley down the road. When I get there, I circle the building and come up behind it.
Lynn is already there, waiting in Nanna’s little silver car. I go to the driver’s side to take over since she has that cast. She climbs over into the passenger seat. I slip inside and buckle up. Lynn looks around cautiously. I pull out and headed down the back roads to get to her nanna’s old house.
“What’s going on?” she asks as we drive.
“I think your nanna and my mama are working together, so we can have some time together.”
“Oh my God, I think my mama is in on it too. I’ve been dying in that house.”
“You’re not alone. I’ve been sick to my stomach, not getting to talk to you at all. I’m sorry, Lynn.”
“This isn’t your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me this time. I piled onto our lies and made things worse.”
“Let’s talk about something else. I don’t want to spend our night rehashing who’s to blame. We’re here. I’ll find a solution, but for now, I just really want to spend time with you.”
“Okay,” she says.
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s biting her lip nervously. Quickly, I lean over and kiss her cheek. I can’t wait until I can get my hands on her and really kiss her. I’ve missed her soft lips so much.
“You’re really here,” she squeals.
“That I am, darlin’. That I am.”
CHAPTER 36
Will You Wait?
Lynn
My nanna is so slick. When I asked her about the basket of food she placed in the trunk of her car, she told me she wanted to feed a few friends. I thought nothing of it and shrugged it off.
I had no idea she was packing a meal for me and Trev to share in her old place. I thought she sold this place. Now, as Trev and I move around the kitchen to warm up our dinner, I’m so grateful she didn’t.
“So she knew about the engagement too?”
“I’m guessing so. She said this was going to be her wedding gift to them,” Trevor replies. He pauses for a moment. “Are you okay with being here?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think Pook would have been okay with it too.”
“This looks good, you want to sit in here?”
“Sure, we already have the candles lit in here,” I say and take the plate he’s handing me.
I wait for him to round the kitchen island and sit on the stool beside me. We both dig in with the silverware Nanna packed inside the basket for us.
We release moans at the same time. Once again, Nanna is just showing off. She put her foot in this.
“Oh my God, how is it still so crispy?” Trevor groans as he chews on a piece of chicken.
“I know, right? And this mac and cheese. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it like this.”
“You do and you’re gonna have one fat husband. I can’t wait.”
I place my fork down. “Trev, we should talk.”
He takes a bite of his corn bread and a fork of greens then nods at the food. As if my words register once he’s done chewing, he turns to look at me, a questioning look on his face.