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)
CHAPTER 21
DAVIS
It’s been three days of pure family time. And yes, I have been included, but it also means that Abby and I have not been alone at all.
After spending a few hours over at the Campbells’, I left Zach there and drove straight over to Abby’s house. Alexis and Abby are playing outside, and when they see me, they both come over to the truck.
I’m smiling ear to ear when I get out, and I catch Alexis, who practically slings herself at me with a laugh. “What’s up, Lex?”
She throws her head back. “Oooh, you still haven’t come up with a nickname for Momma!”
I look Abby up and down. “You’re right. I’m going to have to fix that, aren’t I?”
Alexis nods. “Yep. Do you want to see the new book I got from the library today?”
I nod my head. “I sure do.”
She takes off running toward the house, which means I have around ten seconds before she’ll be running back out the front door. I plan to make good use of those ten seconds. I wrap my hand around Abby’s waist and pull her to me. “I’ve missed you,” I tell her before kissing her until we’re both breathless.
I barely pull away before I hear the screen door opening. I turn to Alexis but see Abby out of the corner of my eye with a smile on her face, touching her fingers to her now swollen lips. I sit down on the porch and talk to Alexis about her book, and of course, we have to read it together. When she’s done, she disappears inside to grab another.
Abby is sitting in the rocking chair across the porch. I get up to go sit in the one next to her. “Hey.”
She smiles and looks at me through her long lashes. Her blue eyes are darker than normal, letting me know what she’s thinking about right now. “Hey, Davis.”
The sound of my name on her lips causes my smile to widen. “I need to ask you something.”
She nods curiously.
“Your brother leaves in a few days, and I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to talk to him man to man, face to face. It’s past time he knew how I felt about you.”
She grips the arms of her chair. I’d give anything to pick her up and slide her to my lap, but I don’t have that luxury. Not yet.
When she doesn’t say anything, I ask her again, “What do you think? I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, but I need for him—hell, I need for everyone to know that you’re mine.”
She opens her mouth, but as soon as she does, Alexis comes running out the door onto the porch. She’s pointing at the house next door. “Can Jamie come over and play, Mom?”
I look where she’s pointing, and a little girl is standing on the porch next door. Abby stands up and waves at the other mom and tells Alexis, “She sure can. You guys play in the yard while we’re outside, okay?”
Abby barely gets it all out and Alexis is screaming and waving for her friend to come over. The mom walks her to the fence and waves as the little girl comes in the yard.
Alexis and Jamie take off running to the back yard, giggling.
As soon as they’re around the side of the house, I’m asking her again, “Abby, talk to me.”
She blinks at me, unsure. “You realize this changes everything. If anything happened to the two of us, I don’t want your friendship with my brother—”
I cut her off. “Abby, don’t talk like that. I’m in love with you. When I think about you and me, I think about our future. I think about dating you, waking up with you in my arms, walking hand in hand with you through downtown… I think about…. you wearing my ring.”
She gasps, and her eyes are huge on her face. I reach for her hand and rub my thumb along her wrist. “Don’t act surprised, Abby. I love you. Some people will think I’m too old for you, I’m a cripple, and I have my own demons that I’m dealing with… but I hope you know that no one could love you as much as I love you.”
Her hand curls into mine, and she speaks to me in an emotion-filled voice. “And Alexis?”
I nod. “I know you’re a package, Abby. But more than that, your daughter already has me completely wrapped around her little finger. I love her and would do anything for her. She will always be safe, protected, and loved. I promise you that.”
She stands up and comes toward me. My hands are on her hips, and I’m about to pull her to my lap when I hear a blood-curdling scream.
Abby and I both are on the move, down the porch and to the backyard. We get to the side of the house, and Jamie is running toward us. “Alexis is stuck in a tree!” she screams at us.