Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“Are you threatening me?” She turns her ire on Devin.
“That wasn’t a threat.” He says it matter-of-factly before facing me. “You ready?”
All I do is nod my head because I’m too overcome with emotion. Not only about my family but over Devin too. He doesn’t say anything as he takes my hand and leads me back toward his truck.
My aunt still carries on asking the few people who watched our exchange if they saw Devin lay his hands on her. I also hear her spout out a few terrible names, but I attempt to ignore it as best I can as I climb into the truck.
“I’m sorry,” I tell Devin as we pull out of town and head toward his home. I can sense his anger because it fills up the cabin of the truck. I get it. If he wasn’t town gossip before, he sure is now.
“That wasn’t on you.” His voice is calm, and yet somehow there’s an edge to it.
“Maybe not, but you being with me...hiring me,” I correct. “I dragged you into my family bullshit.”
“I promise you, bunny. I don't care what people in that town think of me.” He sounds like he means it, but I know he’s trying to reassure me.
The problem is, I’m not sure if he knows the fallout that is sure to come now.
Chapter Ten
DEVIN
Joy is quiet for a long time, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She’s worried about what people overheard between her and her aunt. And even though I told her it doesn’t matter to me, I know she’s worried about me too. That’s the way she is.
I’ve seen her at the diner and helping Sabrina with the holiday tour. I know how she frets over everyone but herself and how she runs herself down doing it. She was the first to volunteer to cover a shift at the diner because she couldn’t stand the thought of someone else not having the day off. It’s that kind of thought pattern that’s making her doubt my sincerity and put the blame on herself.
“Hey,” I say after a long stretch of silence. “Your wheels are going to catch all this glitter on fire if you don’t stop spinning them.” She looks over at me, and I nod to the backseat that’s stuffed full of all the decorations. “I know that shit’s flammable, so don’t try and tell me it’s not.”
“Don’t try to put me in a good mood.” She sighs dramatically, and her shoulders sag. “I want to stay mad.”
“What for? Your aunt is probably stewing right now, and you don’t want to act like her.”
“Fair point,” she agrees.
“The best way to get your revenge is to find joy, Joy.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” She rolls her eyes, but I see the smile she’s trying to hide.
“Hmm, that was good but I’m gonna need you to do better.”
“What?” She looks at me with a confused expression.
“That smile. I’m gonna need you to give me the real deal. Teeth showing and everything.” I turn onto the road that leads to my house and rest my hand on her thigh. “But I think I might have something that will do it.”
“What are you talking about? Did those tight jeans cut off the circulation to your brain?”
Now I’m the one smiling as I chuckle at her joke. “Not yet, but you’re doing a good job at helping them along.”
“Devin, what are you—”
She slowly turns to the light up ahead, and then I watch as her expression morphs from shock to delight and then to full-on giddy.
“You didn’t!” She’s smiling for real now from ear to ear.
“You’re right, I didn’t. But I made some calls and got someone to do it for you while we were gone.”
“You did this for me?” She seems surprised, and I let out a small laugh.
“Well, I didn’t do it for me, bunny.” I squeeze her thigh as I pull up in front of the house and put the truck in park.
“It looks like something out of a movie.” Joy’s face is bathed in the light, and she looks like a kid seeing the magic of Christmas for the first time. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is.” I can’t take my eyes off of her as she takes it all in.
“Thank you.” When she finally looks at me, she’s got tears in her eyes. “After everything that happened tonight, this makes it all seem small and stupid.”
“Because it is.” I reach up and unwrap the hair tie from around her bun so that her hair falls down. “Keep it like this for me,” I say as I put my hand on the back of her neck and pull her closer. “But just for me. Only when it’s the two of us.”
“You got it, cowboy.” She smiles again, and it might be the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Which is why I can’t stop myself from kissing her.