Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
I shrug because it’s the truth. I am crazy for her, and even now when she told me she wanted to ‘pause,’ I knew I wasn’t going to let her end it. I’m hoping she’ll think about it and come to her senses.
I can see the thoughts whirling in his head. “So she’s scared. That’s what it all comes down to. She’s having all these feelings, and she’s afraid you don’t feel the same. That’s what it sounds like to me.” He pauses and gestures to me. “Did you tell her how you feel about her?”
“She knows.” But as soon as I say it, I question if I’m right or not. There’s a really big chance that she doesn’t have a clue how I feel about her. She may not realize how fuckin’ special it is when we come together. I’m her first, and maybe she thinks all this is just normal. Well, I’ve got news—none of this is normal. Every interaction I’ve had with her is special and unique. I shake my head. Damn, she doesn’t know.
JB chuckles. “You don’t even have to say it. I can tell by the look on your face that you haven’t told her. What the hell, Baker?”
I put my hands on my hips and shake my head. He’s right, and I hate to tell him that because I’ll never live it down, but he won’t leave until I tell him. “You’re right. Fuck, I hate to say it but you’re right. She doesn’t know, and I didn’t tell her.”
JB crosses his arms over his chest. “Twenty-five years of marriage and I’ve learned a few things. Hang with me and I’ll teach you.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I said it. Don’t rub it in.”
He laughs out loud and slaps me on the shoulder. “You want something bad enough, you gotta work for it, Baker. You know that.”
I nod as he starts to walk around to the driver’s side. “Where you off to anyway?”
“Remember Mrs. Morrison?”
I nod my head. She’s a single mom of three. Her ex-con husband is in jail for possession of a gun and a schedule one narcotic. “Yeah, I remember her.”
He leans his arms on the top of his squad car. “Well, Mr. Morrison got out of jail today. I’m not sure how it happened, but I wanted to go make sure she knew since she turned him in. Knowing Tony, I’m sure he hasn’t forgiven her. We need to up patrol around her neighborhood for a bit.”
I put my hand on my holster. “I can go and check on her.”
He shakes his head. “No, I told her I’d come personally if I heard anything.”
I step back from the car. “See you, Sarge.”
“See you,” he says as he gets in.
I grab my phone and am about to call Cassie, but I know that telling her how I feel about her is not something I should do on the phone. No, I need to do it in person. After my shift, I’ll go by Dad’s house and climb up the tree again. I just hope she lets me in.
CHAPTER 23
CASSIE
From the time I walked in the door after school, I’ve been in my room. I have yet to talk to my mother, and I’m not looking forward to it. I’m done. Looking back, I should have found a way to get myself out of here before this, but I’m determined to do it now. I’ll leave and then I’ll mend things with Baker. If he’ll have me.
I’m on my laptop, looking at the slim picking of apartments available in Whiskey Run when I shut it in frustration. I hate to do it, but I’m going to have to talk to Brook and see if she can find an apartment through Walker. He owns half the town anyway. Maybe he has an apartment coming available.
I hear my stepdad’s phone ring, and I jump out of my seat. I go to stand in the hallway and strain to hear him talk. I’m pretty sure I heard him talking to Baker earlier, and so now I’m shamelessly listening anytime I hear his phone ring.
“What?”
“Where?”
“The hospital in Jasper?”
I can only hear my stepdad’s side of the conversation, but it’s easy to tell that he’s in panic mode.
My stomach drops and I run into my room and throw on my shoes before running downstairs. Ryan is grabbing his keys off the entry table, and when he looks at me, he looks as if he’s aged around twenty years. “What is it? Is Baker okay?”
His voice is shaky, and he drops the keys on the ground. “He was in an accident.”
I pick up the keys. “An accident?”
Ryan leans against the table and is white as a sheet. “He’s been shot. I don’t know all the details. If they told me, I don’t remember. Oh my God, I promised Lorraine I would take care of our son, and he’s been shot.”