Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“That he is,” I agree, taking a bite of my chicken. “Have you finished the new Evaline Winters book yet?”
“Oh my God, I’m reading it now!” she says, though it comes out muffled since her mouth is full.
“Taylor,” Shane chides, sitting across from us. “Don’t speak with your mouth full.”
Taylor rolls her eyes but waits until she’s done chewing before she continues, “That book is making me so mad. How far along are you? I don’t want to give you any spoilers.”
“I already finished it,” I admit sheepishly.
“What? How? It’s so freaking long!”
“Yesterday, I had to draw up a few designs for some upcoming appointments, so I was listening while I was drawing.”
“I feel like that’s totally cheating,” Taylor says, “but also kind of brilliant.”
“Reading is reading,” I tell her with a shrug. “E-book, paperback, audiobook … doesn’t matter.”
“Fine,” she concedes, “I’ll give it to you, but that means I get to bitch because seriously, that hero is making me so mad. How does a man so stupid run such a successful business? The miscommunication trope is the worst,” she whines in between taking bites of her food. “Like, you run all these businesses, but you can’t just talk to her?”
Shane chuckles. “It’s a guy thing.”
“No.” Taylor shakes her head. “That’s a lame excuse. Be better.”
We both laugh and then continue to eat while Taylor spends the next twenty minutes listing everything that’s wrong with the book. And since she’s completely right about all of it, all I can do is agree.
“Hey, Evans!” Fred, another firefighter Shane introduced me to earlier, calls out. “Come be on my team, so we can kick these guys’ butts.”
Shane glances from Fred to me hesitantly, looking like he’s unsure if he wants to leave me. While I appreciate him staying by my side all afternoon, I also want him to enjoy himself.
“Go,” I insist. “I’m good. I can watch you play and ogle you from here.”
Shane chuckles. “All right. I’ll be back.” With a kiss that promises there’s more to come later, he gets up and runs over to join the guys.
I’m watching them play while nursing my lemonade when a woman walks over and introduces herself as Pamela. I recognize her as one of the women who attends the yoga classes Mom and I have been to at the health club.
“I must admit,” she says, taking a sip of wine cooler and having a seat next to me, “I was holding out hope that Jamie would pull her head out of her ass and put her family back together, but she’s clearly too late.”
“Jamie?” I ask in confusion because there’s only one Jamie I know and …
“Shane’s ex.” She shakes her head like she can’t believe I don’t know who she’s talking about. “We were friends in high school.”
“Right.” I nod, dreading where this conversation is going and wishing Shane would come back to save me, but he’s too distracted by trash-talking with the other guys. “Haven’t they been broken up for a while though?”
Shane said she took off when Taylor was a baby.
“Technically,” she says, lowering her voice, like she’s revealing a secret. “But everyone knew they would still hook up when she came into town.” She giggles, and her drink sloshes out of her bottle and onto her hand and dress. “Whoops.”
She laughs it off like she’s not a drunken mess, and I force a smile, feeling sick to my stomach.
“Anyway,” she continues, “with Shane never dating, we all thought maybe one day …” She leans in closer, and more of her drink spills. When it almost hits me, I stand, having had enough. “But it looks like he’s moved on,” she finishes, standing right along with me, clearly not taking the hint.
“Yeah, he did,” Taylor says, appearing out of nowhere. “And you saying that stuff is a bitch move, Pamela. Just because your husband is screwing the nanny and you don’t want to admit your perfect family isn’t so perfect doesn’t mean you have to rain on other people’s parade. My parents are over—have been for, like, ever—and my dad is happy, so quit your crap.”
I shrink back, hating that Taylor has now garnered everyone’s attention while also loving her even more for standing up for her dad and me.
“Taylor, if your mother knew how you were speaking to me …” Pamela splutters. “You know I’m just looking out for your family. Did you know this woman killed her husband and baby? Do you really think your mom would want you hanging out with someone like that?”
I gasp at her words, tears blurring my vision, and I wish I could do or say something. But instead, I stay stuck in my spot, unable to speak or move.
“What is wrong with you?” Taylor yells. “My family is right here, and Kinsley didn’t kill anyone. It was an accident. And unless you want to say something nice about my dad or Kinsley, you need to keep that shit to yourself.”