Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 114211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
“Trust my heart,” echoes Pete, then sits back in his seat still clutching the box. “Trust my heart. Y-Yeah … trust. I’ll just … I’ll just trust my heart.”
“Good job.” I nod at the road. “Now how about you put your foot to that gas pedal?”
He does just that.
Minutes later, his car is rolling into a parking lot I barely recognize. The crunchy, broken gravel of Happy Trails is now a smooth lot of concrete, freshly painted, with tree and rosebush-filled medians throughout. A wide covered walkway surrounds its perimeter I don’t remember seeing before. I don’t know if it’s just a trick of the mind because of the renovated parking lot, but the building itself looks spruced up, too, all the doors brightly colored and the brick exterior flawless and eye-catching.
Pete couldn’t care less about any of that. The second he parks the car, he’s out of it and hurrying to Juni’s door without even any of his luggage. I guess I shouldn’t be one to talk, because I’m out of the car nearly as fast, except it’s to Unit 3 that I make my way.
I barely lift my fist to knock when the door swings open.
And there he stands.
My Anthony.
I know it’s the same Anthony I left. Same dopey blue eyes that first caught my attention. His cute, lopsided lips that tugged right on my heart the first time I saw them form a smile because of me.
But he exudes more confidence, even when just answering a door. The way he stands. The fit of his jeans, his plain t-shirt that doesn’t have any stains or rips in it, showing at first sight all the extra care he puts into himself now.
Then he goes and ruins it all by squinting at me and saying, “It’s about time your ass got here. Been waitin’ all mornin’!”
I grin.
Actually, that doesn’t ruin it at all. Old Anthony’s in there, too, no matter what he wears or how confident his stance. He’ll always be Anthony—a hot mess to the bone.
I come right up to him, wrap my arms around him, and lift him straight off his feet. Anthony grunts, surprised, and wraps his legs around my waist by instinct, wide-eyed.
“Someone’s been workin’ out,” he mutters, amazed.
I don’t let another second go by without my lips on his. When I kiss Anthony, my heart ignites like the sun beaming at my back. I can’t have imagined how good it would feel, to finally have this boy’s lips back on mine where they belong. To have this guy in my arms. To have his arms around me. To be reunited with the man, maybe the only man ever, who succeeded in breaking down every last one of the walls around my heart.
He pulls back. “Hey, hold your horses there! Don’t we need to get your things? Haven’t even given me the chance to take you on a grand tour of my new place yet!”
“The bed,” I growl, “that’s where the tour starts.” Then I dive back into his face and kick the door shut behind me.
Juni calls it an innocent “welcome back to Spruce” party.
Anthony calls it an elaborate trap to keep me and Pete here in Spruce forever.
Whatever you call it, Trey and Cody show once again that the two of them are the most hospitable, generous pair of husbands on the planet, as they graciously offer their house as the venue. I was assured that the guest list is small—just a few friends from around town that we had met—but I guess word gets out in a place like Spruce, because there are a lot more new faces in this house tonight than I’ve seen in one location before, even considering the few times we’ve been to the crowded Tumbleweeds.
One of the first people I meet is the bigger-than-life mayor herself Nadine Strong, both of whose sons are married to men, I’m reminded. Only one of them is here—Jimmy, who apparently has a rough past with Anthony back in high school—but he gives me an earful about his football coach older brother Tanner, who is in the middle of planning a big wedding vow renewal ceremony with his husband Billy. I guess they were one of the first out couples of the town, Trey and Cody themselves just behind them, and are like local celebrities here.
But I don’t spend long with Nadine or her son Jimmy before I’m pulled into a chat with the clique of gossipy nurses, including Marybeth and Carla, who are dying to know if me and Anthony are “official” yet. “Oh, Trey was tellin’ us both that you were a medic in the Army. Is that true?” asks Marybeth. “That … is … amazing,” sings Carla, gagging on that news. “We’ve got a spot warmed up for you at the clinic if you’re thinking of relocatin’ your handsome butt down here for good,” Marybeth goes on. “Don’t we, Carla? Dr. Emory is a total dream to work for.” Carla offers a meek grimace in response, mumbling, “Wouldn’t quite go that far …”