Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
I should be offended. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time, so why does my stomach do a little flip when he suggests it? “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, I really do. But I don’t want to be in your way.”
He straightens, putting distance between us. I should be able to breathe easier, but instead I’m missing being close to him. “What do you mean in my way?”
I shrug, holding the stack of plates in my hands. “You know… in your way of getting the rehab for your leg… or I’m sure you’re seeing someone, and you definitely don’t need to waste your time taking care of us.”
“I’m not,” he says.
I tilt my head to the side. I should let it go, but I know I can’t. “You’re not what?”
His gaze burns into mine. “I’m not wasting my time. And I’m not seeing anyone. I haven’t seen anyone since before the accident.”
My mouth falls open because it’s hard to believe that Davis is not seeing someone and hasn’t in over two years. Have the women of Whiskey Run lost their minds? He’s a catch. And if he’s been here a month, then he’s definitely had time to meet someone.
“And I would appreciate it if you’d let me mow your grass, Abby. I’d like to do something for you. Not because of your parents or because I’m best friends with your brother. I want to do it for you.”
Instead of asking him why, I suck in a breath, causing me to sound like I’ve been running instead of just standing here. “Okay. Thank you, Davis.”
He looks at me with satisfaction on his face. “Thank you,” he says with an emphasis on you.
He walks out of the dining room, and all I can do is stare after him. After all this time, the idea of spending time with Davis fills me with excitement. I tell myself not to get excited, but of course, I’m not going to listen. It’s hard not to imagine what could be when you’ve liked someone for as long as I’ve liked him. Way before I should have.
CHAPTER 6
DAVIS
I mowed her grass, played with Alexis, and now I’m sitting on her front porch, drinking sweet tea. I know I should leave. I don’t want to wear out my welcome the first time I’ve come to her house, but something is keeping me from leaving.
Well, not something. I know exactly why I don’t want to leave, and she’s sitting next to me in the other rocking chair.
“You probably need to get Alexis in bed, huh?”
She sets her glass of tea on the table between us. “She has another hour before she has to be in bed. Right now, she’s working on her math homework, and she’ll probably be doing it for at least another thirty minutes.”
I look in the screen door, and sure enough, Alexis is sitting at the dining room table leaning over a paper writing something. “She has that much homework in kindergarten?”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, Davis. You’re sounding just like my dad.” She giggles and continues. “Alexis loves math. She asks her teacher for more homework, and even though she gives it to her, it’s not enough. She has started creating her own math sheets and then does those too.”
My mouth falls open. “Wow, you’re raising a genius, Abby.”
She laughs, but I can tell she appreciates the compliment. “I don’t know about that, but she’s pretty smart, that’s for sure.”
“How could she not be? She gets it from her momma.” I look around the yard that’s filled with a beautiful flower garden. She literally has a white picket fence surrounding the house, and her home is like a storybook. “I’m proud of you, Abby.” My eyes flare to hers. “I’m sorry. That must be weird for me to say.”
She sits up a little straighter, and her smile is tight. “No, it’s fine. I know what you meant. I was a teenage mom, and somehow my kid survived. Trust me, I understand, and I get it from people in town all the time. I guess people are surprised that I’m not pimping myself out on the street corner or something.”
I move to the end of the chair and lean toward her. “Abby, no, that’s not what I meant at all. I mean, you’re twenty-four. You’re a college graduate, a mom, a teacher. You have a home that is cozy. You love and respect your family, and you’re a great sister and a good friend. I know I’m an outsider looking in, but this life you’ve created is something else.”
She shrugs, but her eyes don’t leave mine. “It’s not that big of a deal, Davis.”
I reach over and put my hand on her arm and brush my fingers along her wrist. “It IS a big deal. It’s a really big deal, Abby. Trust me, the life you’re giving Alexis is everything. As someone that grew up without a mother or a father and moved homes every other month, what you’ve accomplished is amazing, and you shouldn’t discredit yourself. You’re amazing.”