Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 92422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
This should be interesting.
As long as he bought tampons, it’s all good.
Nothing else matters.
He settles on the edge of the mattress before delving one hand into the plastic and pulling out the first item.
It’s a small box of pills.
“Those combo meds I was talking about. Not only do they help with headaches and cramps but bloating, fatigue, and muscle aches as well.”
My brows rise. “I’ve always just taken acetaminophen.”
He turns the box over. “This one has that but other things as well.”
He passes the container to me so I can read the list of active ingredients for myself.
“I wasn’t sure how much the cramps were bothering you, so I bought some hot and cold patches.”
When my face scrunches, he says, “You peel and stick them on your lower abdomen. They’re mentholated and will help with the cramps. My sister swears by them.”
Huh. I’ve never used anything like that.
He reaches into the bag again before pulling out an oversized package of pads.
“It’s the multi-pack.” He taps the colorful wrapper. “This has everything from light to heavy.”
Then he adds a couple of blue boxes with a sporty looking woman on them. “I know you said heavy duty, but there was a sale. Buy two and get a third for free. There’s a variety. I figured you’d use them at some point.”
The tampons run the gamut from tiny and light to oversized and super-duper absorbent.
“I wasn’t sure if you had a gelled eye mask for headaches, so I grabbed one of those as well.”
I shake my head and fight back the tears that are threatening to fill my eyes. Stupid hormones. “I can’t believe you bought all this. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m your husband. That’s what we do.” He flashes a lopsided grin. “Plus, there’s more.”
“More? How’s that possible?”
What more could there be to buy?
He reaches into the bag again and pulls out an oversized chocolate bar.
“Did you know that dark chocolate is rich in magnesium? Apparently, that helps relax uterine contractions.”
Laughter gurgles up in my throat. “Are you being serious?”
“One hundred percent. Plus, it just tastes good. I’d challenge anyone to eat chocolate and not feel better.”
Well, the man makes a valid point.
“And lastly, I noticed that you have a Kindle. So, I picked up a gift card. That way you can buy a few books and get your mind off everything. I’ve never been much of a reader, but isn’t that what books do? Transport you to another place?”
“Colby…” My voice trails off as thick emotion fills it. “Thank you.”
I really didn’t expect any of this from him.
More than that, I can’t remember the last time someone took care of me in this kind of manner. As if I were important.
“You have sisters,” he says, interrupting the whirl of my thoughts. “I’m surprised your family didn’t do the same.”
This time, I do bark out a laugh. “No. My mom was a nurse and would give us painkillers, but she always acted like that time of the month wasn’t a big deal and you didn’t whine about it. Instead, you powered through and kept working.”
Colby frowns. “Well, that sucks. If you’re in pain or have symptoms, they need to be treated.”
How is this man for real?
“You’re being too good to me,” I force myself to whisper when I’ve got my emotions under control.
“You’re my wife,” he says simply. “All I want to do is be good to you.”
He rises to his feet and heads for my bathroom. “I’m going to run you a hot shower. After that, we’ll apply a patch to your belly, and I bought some soup for lunch. Then you can download a new book or take a nap. Up to you.”
I can only stare as he saunters out of the room. After a few heartbeats, my gaze falls on everything he bought that’s still spread out on the bed.
Even though I’ve never been much of a crier, I burst into tears.
27
BRITT
It’s been a week since my period, and weird as it sounds, that’s when everything shifted between us. It’s like tumbling down a hill.
I couldn’t stop it from happening even if I wanted to.
There’s a part of me that wonders if I still want to untangle myself from this man.
The biggest shocker in all this is that I actually like Colby McNichols.
No one’s more surprised by this turn of events than me.
There were times last semester when I’d catch sight of him strutting around campus with his posse of puck bunnies and would roll my eyes. He came across as a player who was more than happy to take advantage of the groupie situation.
And maybe that was true. But what I’ve learned over the previous few weeks is that there’s more to him than meets the eye.
Here’s a bit of irony that hasn’t escaped me—I hate being judged and dismissed because of what people think they know. And that’s exactly what I did with him. I slapped a few labels on the guy and deemed him not worthy of my time.