Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
"Try me, Cupcake."
"Don't call me that." She stomps her foot, almost tripping herself. "Stupid sneakers," Kindred huffs under her breath. She's not wrong. Her little stomps are cuter when she's got those heels on, and more dramatic too.
"Or what?" I toss back at her.
The name fits. Kindred might be feisty, but she is sweet, cute, and endearing like a small, delicious treat that I want to get my mouth on. One I want to savor every bite of.
"You think I'd tell you? No." She shakes her head, smirking. Nah, she'd rather catch you by surprise.
The thing is, I'm not surprised. I'm always ready when it comes to her. That is, after all, why I'm here and not home reading another one of the books I got today. If Kindred isn't home tucked in for the night, neither am I.
“All right, it’s getting late.” Hollis has been slowly inching toward the desk to get closer to Candy. “I need to get my girl home.”
“I’m in the middle of something here,” Candy hisses at him, not willing to leave Kindred’s side. These two are quickly becoming Frick and Frack.
"Babe, Kindred can't break into the library. She has keys to all the buildings owned by the town."
Candy's nose scrunches. "What?" She turns toward Kindred, who is looking anywhere but at us. "Hey." Candy pokes her in the side. "You have keys to this place?"
"Maybe," she admits, picking an imaginary piece of lint off her black sweater. The whole library goes silent for a few beats. Silence isn't Kindred's strong suit. "It was more fun this way, okay?"
Candy's confused expression turns to amusement. "It was fun." A small laugh leaves her.
“Come on, let's get you home.” Hollis holds his hand out to Candy. She comes around the counter to take it, and they both head out together.
“Well, then. I suppose you should be on your way too.” I’m not going anywhere. Not when I don’t have a clue what she is up to or why she’s pissed at Shelly. The woman is sweet and is part of the local sewing group the Knotty Knitters. They make hundreds of gloves and hats for donations each year.
“I’m going right here.”
“Hudson.” She sighs. “I’m fine. You don’t need to watch over me like a hawk. You can tell my brother I’m fine. I’ve been fine since he left for the Army.” Not sure I agree with that.
She might have been for a few years, but then her grandmother passed. The woman who raised her and Ethan. I’d only gotten the pleasure of meeting her once. Even in that short encounter, I saw where Kindred got a lot of her personality.
“You think I report back to your brother?” Why the hell would I do that?
When he calls, Kindred comes up in conversation, but it’s not me giving him a rundown about her. I don’t go that deep with Ethan about his sister. They are completely separate in my mind. In fact, it’s Kindred that has my loyalty, and she is different from everyone else in my life.
"Of course you do." She rolls her eyes at me.
"I don't talk about you unless you're brought up." Kindred flinches, hurt crossing her beautiful face before she quickly masks it.
What the hell did I say wrong now? Does she or doesn't she want me talking about her? The truth is, I don't talk much in general, and when it comes to her, that shit is personal to me in a way I can't describe. I just know it is.
"Whatever." She dismisses me. Now that irritates me. I'd rather she be mad.
"What did I say wrong?" I ask, going with a piece of Shelly's advice about simply opening my mouth and asking. That might help me figure out Kindred more than reading books.
"Nothing." Kindred sits down at the desk and starts clicking away, ignoring me.
It's cute that she thinks that I’m going to let her off that easy.
I grab a chair from one of the many tables and set it down in front of the desk counter. Kindred isn't terrible at anything, except keeping those tempting lips closed. Even when she's alone, she keeps talking to herself as she completes a task. It's adorable. I've even seen her fight with herself a few times.
Kindred fidgets in her seat, wiggling around, trying to pretend my presence isn't bothering her. She’s trying to act as though she couldn’t care less, but I know she does. If she didn't, she wouldn't get so worked up.
"What?" she whispers to herself, leaning closer to the computer. I watch as her eyes move up and down the screen, her brows rising higher and higher as she does. I stand, wanting to know what has her attention now. I don't make but a couple of steps toward her, and she's closing and shutting everything down.