Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
“Guess the ATV will come over later then?”
I nod. “Yeah, I liked giving you this kind of ride a lot more. I’ll bring it over later. Park it by the garage.”
“Okay. Well…” She shrugs and starts to turn when I grab her by the back of the neck and give her one last hard kiss.
We are breathing into each other when we pull away and I know there’s no turning back.
“What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“What do you mean?”
“After dinner. I’m picking you up. You’re coming back home with me. You said you wanted a sleepover, remember?”
Only, it won’t be with the reindeer.
“I did, didn’t I?” She glances toward the house then back at me. “My grandparents go to bed at like, nine thirty. My brother is oblivious so…I’ll meet you down at the end of the driveway at ten.”
“Ten it is. Not a moment later. Not if you don’t want me tearing that door off its hinges.”
She giggles, then nods and skips away as I plant a hard swat on her ass, thinking of how she’s going to be planting herself on my face later tonight.
I’m skipping dinner. Everything I want to eat will be in my truck at ten o’clock.
Chapter 4
Heather
I’m sneaking out like I’m sixteen.
Which is something I never did when I was sixteen, to be honest. I’ve never done much of anything all that exciting or rebellious. After my parents’ accident, I was numb. Then, as the years went by, I just sort of didn’t care all that much about anything.
I plodded along in school and made that my focus. I got straight A’s and graduated early at the beginning of December, without much fanfare or celebration from Davis. My grandparents sent a card with a generous check. I had a little bit of a party at the house with a few school friends.
Now that we’re moving, I’m going to go to college locally on a full scholarship and study business, because I just can’t seem to find my focus on anything I feel passionate about. I feel like I’ve been drifting for the last five years.
Until today.
Until I kissed Dodge.
Now, I’m laser focused, and the first order of business is getting out of the house unnoticed.
I’m holding my breath as I ease down the stairs, making sure I skip the squeaky ones. An old house has all sorts of idiosyncrasies. Living in the city most of my life, you’d think a young woman would want the vibe and the excitement it would offer.
Instead, when Davis told me he was thinking of moving us back here to Frankenmuth, into my grandparents’ place, I was over the moon.
I knew it was because of Dodge, but I lied to myself and just pretended I was happy we were going to be close to Gran and Paps for their final years, and one of my colleges of choice was close by. I missed them growing up.
They came to visit a couple times a year but from what I understand, mom was bitter because they wouldn’t give her and my dad money for some business they wanted to start. I never knew all the details, I just knew when they did come to visit, they were kind and caring with me and I missed not having grandparents like most of my friends.
Seemed odd that Davis would want this move though, but maybe when he got married to Cindy—gak—things changed for him as well.
Who knows.
All I’m sure of is that I want to be here, close to Dodge, and if the universe is on board helping that along, I’m going to show mad gratitude and ride the wave.
I’m on the last couple steps, holding my boots in my hand as I make my way to the back door, when I hear the low sound of the television in the living room where Davis and Cindy are well into their third bottle of Merlot and oblivious to anything but themselves.
That’s not entirely true. Davis has been strangely interested in making amends with Dodge for the decades of bad blood between our families, and I seem to be the currency he is using to make that happen.
He was the one that pushed me to go over there earlier today. As well, at the bar, when I sat down at the table after he saw us kissing, he was singing my praises instead of being a protective older brother.
“You took that and ran, little sister. Good work.”
I was flying too high to try to figure out what he meant, and as I make my way out the back door into the dark winter night, my breath a fog in front of me, I am still not sure I care what his motives are. I want to be with Dodge, and if my brother is behind it for reasons of his own, all the better.