Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“Paying someone to mow for us is the best decision I’ve ever made.” I laugh.
“Stop paying whoever it is. I’ll take care of it for you.”
“No. I can’t let you do that.”
“I can mow my girlfriend’s grass,” he grumbles.
“And I can pay the teenager down the road to do it too.”
“Fine,” he gripes. “I’ll call you later.”
“Have fun.”
His laughter is all I hear as the call ends.
It’s a big deal to let him keep my daughters for that long, and I do trust that he will take care of them. If I’m being honest, somehow over the last couple of months, I’ve come to trust him. I know I need to give him that trust and tell him about my past. That’s the only way I’ll know if he’s here to stay. I need to do it soon because my girls are already attached to him. Okay, fine, I am too. I’ve let him into our lives. He slipped between the cracks. And now, the girls and I are too far gone for him, too used to him being in our lives.
My heart didn’t even see him coming.
When there’s a knock at the door, ten minutes until eight, I smile, knowing it’s Forrest. The girls are on the couch, having just finished breakfast and watching their favorite cartoon. I smile as I make my way to the door and pull it open.
“Hey, baby.” He leans in and kisses me softly.
“Aw, Forty!” I hear a female voice.
Glancing over his shoulder, I see Emerson with her head sticking out of the passenger side window of Monroe’s Tahoe. “Did you have them drop you off?” I ask, but then I see his truck in the driveway.
“Nope. Rome heard me making the appointment for the day and told me to add another for Emerson. Then Legend found out and called back and added a spot for Monroe too. Then the girls found out and decided Maggie should be involved, so it’s a girls’ day at the spa.”
“Really?” I ask as excitement bubbles up inside me. I was already looking forward to today, but having the rest of the ladies there makes it even better.
“Yep. I told them they had to wait in the car. I didn’t want the girls to get all worked up before you left.”
“I haven’t told them you’re watching them today. I knew I’d never hear the end of it.”
He grins. “Today’s going to be fun.”
“Come on in. We might as well tell them now, so we can head out.” He follows me into the house. “Girls.” I step up behind the couch with Forrest next to me. “You have someone here to see you,” I tell them.
That gets their attention. They tear their eyes from the cartoon.
“Forrest!” they call out his name.
He laughs, a deep throaty laugh. “Hey, girls. I thought we could spend the day together while your mom and Aunt Brogan have an adult girls’ day.”
“Yay!” they cheer.
“Best behavior.” I point at them using my most stern mom voice. Their little heads bob, giving me their agreement.
Brogan walks out, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Ready?” she asks.
“I am.”
“Girls, I’m going to walk your mom out. Stay put, I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, Forty,” they tell him at the same time. “Bye, Mommy. Bye, Aunt Brogan,” they chorus.
I don’t have an ounce of panic at leaving him with my daughters today. It’s clear to see he adores them just as much as they do him. They’re comfortable with him, they trust him, and that means everything. I give them both a kiss on top of their heads over the couch and follow Brogan out the door, with Forrest right behind us.
“What’s going on?” Brogan asks when she sees Monroe’s Tahoe in the driveway. I quickly explain what’s going on, and she grins before heading toward our friends, leaving me alone with Forrest on the front porch.
“Thank you for this.”
His eyes soften. “Anytime, baby. Have a great day. Don’t rush back. I’ve got this.”
I have the sudden urge to kiss him, so that’s what I do. I stand on my toes and press my lips to his. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly. “That’s a first,” he whispers, stealing another kiss.
“What?” I have to tilt my head back to look at him.
“You kissed me first.” He grins like a schoolboy who was just told he won dodgeball captain in gym class.
“Is that okay?” I don’t know why I ask. His smile tells me exactly how okay he thought my kiss was.
“More than okay. Feel free to kiss me anytime you want. I’m yours after all.”
“Mine.” I lean in and kiss him again. My heart flutters at the contact. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of kissing him.
“Yeah, you are.” He gives me one more tight squeeze before releasing me. “You better go before I keep you in my arms all damn day.”