Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“It seems you like that.”
“I do.” I have so much to look forward to, so much to experience, and for the first time ever, the thought isn’t daunting. It’s…everything.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Archer
East ends up staying in his program until the first week of January. It’s been hard without him, but I’m willing to wait for him as long as it takes. The most important thing is to have a happy, healthy East.
It’s a two-hour drive to the facility where East is staying, made even longer because of the snow. My insides are jittery with excitement the whole time. I’m so ready to bring him home, to hold him and touch him and just…look at him. Fortunately, my eagerness for him makes the drive go faster, and before I know it, I’m pulling up at the facility.
East is waiting for me in the lobby, and as soon as he sees me, his blue eyes spark with a sort of happiness I’m not sure I’ve ever seen from him before. One that’s bright and blinding and the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen in the world.
“Come’ere,” I tell him, taking long strides his way. He pushes from his seat, and I wrap my arms around him. “God, I missed holding you.”
“I missed you too,” he replies, burying his face in my neck and breathing me in, his hold around me tight, squeezing me to him, showing me he feels just as strongly as I do.
“You got everything?”
“Yep.”
“Okay. Well, there are two eager dogs waiting for you in the truck, so we should get out there and see them.”
“You brought them?”
“Of course I did.”
“Let’s go,” he says, almost giddily.
East has already signed all his paperwork, so we head out to the truck, the cold air biting at my face as we go. The dogs go wild as soon as they see us. I’d known I couldn’t leave them at home. They missed East too much, and he missed them.
As soon as he opens the door, they jump all over him. He kneels, petting them and loving on them, wrapping his arms around them as they lick and whine, so damn happy he’s back.
They knock him on his ass, but East just laughs, my favorite fucking laugh, and one I hope to hear a whole lot more now. I know things won’t be perfect. There will be good days and bad days. This is a battle he might be fighting his whole life, but I’m hoping for more of the good days for him. Whatever happens, I’ll be right there with him.
“Honestly? That’s how I wanted to react when I saw you,” I tease, making East laugh. I hold out my hand for him, and he takes it, letting me pull him to his feet.
Once all the wiggles are out of the way, we climb into the truck to return to Birchbark.
“Anywhere you’re gonna need to stop? You hungry or need to pick up anything?”
“Just home. They gave me a prescription for my antidepressant and mood stabilizer. My first psychiatrist appointment is already scheduled for next week, and I start seeing my therapist weekly on Thursday.”
I reach over and thread my fingers through his as I drive.
“What’s new? What did I miss?”
I talk to him about Gracie’s, which is opening this month. I tell him about baby Hazel. “It’s so cool seeing my sister as a mom. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s so fucking perfect, East…this amazing little human. I’m in awe of her.”
“You want to be a dad.”
It’s something we talked about, but that was before we were serious like we are now. The truth is, I would like to be a dad one day, but I want him more than anything else. “I want what’s best for both of us, what we both want.” Because I’m not sure that’s in the cards for him.
“I don’t know if I’d be a good dad.”
“You’d be the best dad. No one would love their child like you.” Because most people don’t love like East, so completely, so thoroughly. “Your heart is too damn big for anything else.”
He nods, looks down at our entwined fingers, then raises our hands to kiss mine. I’m not sure what the future holds for us, but now isn’t the time to make any important decisions.
“Have you figured out what you’re gonna do?” he asks after a moment.
“I might go back to school to be an EMT like Mom. That’s what I originally planned…before Travis.”
“You’d be good at that.”
I wink. “I’m good at everything, sweetheart.”
East chuckles. “It’s so good to be home.”
“Wait until we get to the house. It’ll be even better.” I waggle my brows.
He nods but doesn’t play along with my sexual innuendo. We continue to talk the rest of the way home, with moments of silence where East looks out at the scenery. There’s something on his mind, but I trust he’ll tell me when he’s ready. He’s already done more talking than he used to.