Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“See, you did dump the beer on purpose. Do you hear that?” Luna turns to me again, and I nod, but this time I’m frowning. A boyfriend?
A quick look over at Dylan reveals he’s wearing a similar unhappy expression. He’s also stopped knitting.
“What’s this about a boyfriend?”
“Oh, he was really cute. About five ten, curly hair, and the most ador—” Nat shuts up when she sees the glower on Dylan’s face. “I mean, I thought he was cute back then, but not now. Right, Luna? He was cute like you’d think baby lambs are cute.”
Luna, sensing the danger for her friend but not for herself, hops right into the fire. “Very much like a child. We were all interested in taking care of him, not for dating purposes. Not really. He was just nice to be around. When you talked, he was an attentive listener, and he was actually really funny. I—”
Dylan’s chair legs scrape loudly against the marble tiles as he rises and walks out of the living room. Nat follows right behind. “You’re not jealous, are you? It was years ago.”
“I’m not jealous,” he replies, but no one believes that.
I laugh to myself and glance over at Luna to see if she’s enjoying the moment too, and she is, but not the moment with me. Instead, her chin is in her palm and her gaze is unfocused as if she’s lost in her memories of that boy from college. Her first love?
I clear my throat loudly.
She startles. “Something wrong?”
“Baby lambs are not cute.”
“Jealous?” She gives me a cheeky grin.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Yes, very.”
She looks surprised that I admitted it. I shrug. “What’s the point in lying?”
“You’re not jealous of Michael.”
“Because you don’t have a silly, lovesick expression on your face when you think of Michael.”
Luna presses her fingers to her cheeks. “I do? It was in college, and I barely remember what he looked like.”
“Let’s keep it that way so I won’t be forced to do something that puts me in jail.”
She pats my shoulder. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“Hmmph.”
This only makes her laugh harder. “I won’t think of cute little lambs anymore.” She pulls me to my feet. “I want to do my nails with all the stuff you bought. You can watch me if you like.”
“I like.” I follow her docilely, like a little lamb, out of the room. On our way upstairs, we catch a glimpse of Nat and Dylan ensconced on a sofa in the front room. Nat has her head on Dylan’s lap while Dylan works away on his project. All signs of discord are gone.
“You close to being finished, man?” I ask.
“A couple weeks, I think.” He holds up his needles and shows off his work.
“Do you knit in public?” Luna wonders.
“Yeah, all the time,” Dylan replies. “People aren’t rude about it. In fact, a lot of them will come over and want to touch the yarn, get the details of what I’m working on.”
Nat sits up. “And by people, you mean women.”
“Some,” my friend admits.
“Are you telling them you’re taken?”
“Absolutely.”
“But they don’t listen?” she wants to know.
“Some women are persistent.” Dylan throws me a plea for help, but I know better than to get in the middle of this. I step back, hooking my arm around Luna’s waist, although I’m not sure if it’s to whisk her away or hide behind her.
“You need to wear a ring.” Nat’s on her feet now.
“I was waiting.” Dylan drops the needles. “But I’m happy to get one now,” he adds, sensing the danger.
“You better be.” She stomps off with Dylan following.
“What about you?” Luna looks up at me.
“I don’t knit. Women hate me. I’m public enemy number one, remember?”
Luna gives me a narrow-eyed inspection. “You’re hot and rich. You probably have all kinds of women throwing themselves at you.”
Too many, but I’m not going to say that out loud. I’m not that dumb. “Not a single one. I’m like a public pariah.”
“You better keep it that way.” She sticks her chin up in the air. “No doing crafts in public.”
“I’m all thumbs. I can barely type, let alone do stuff like Dylan does.”
“No smiling in public either. I saw how other women looked at you in the bakery when we first met. Like they wanted to order you off the menu.”
“I’m gluing my lips together in a straight line.”
“No saying cute things either.”
“I’ve never said anything cute in my entire life. None of these things will be hard to do. Keeping my hands off of you for another second, though, that’s impossible.”
Chapter Fourteen
LUNA
I let out a small gasp when Graham scoops me up into his arms suddenly. It quickly turns into a laugh.
“What are you doing?” I wrap my arms around his neck as he carries me down the hallway.
“I told you I can’t keep my hands off you.” I’m finding that I don’t want him to.