Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
But one day while visiting her aunt for brunch, Skylar spies the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen working the grounds. He’s tall, rugged, and best of all, he has eyes for her too. But her aunt forbids her from seeing him. If Skylar goes anywhere near Cade, she’ll never see a dime of her money.
But Skylar can’t be told what to do. She sees Cade in secret, falling deeper and deeper in love, until one day a secret is revealed–a secret so dark it could threaten not only her future with Cade, but their entire family as well.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
SKYLAR
“I know how much you hate going to these,” my dad says from the driver’s side of his truck. “But she is family.”
“Yeah? If she’s family, why doesn’t she share any of her money with us then? She’s a multi-millionaire living in a mansion, and we live in a goddamn trailer park.”
My dad sighs. “People have their own ways, Sky. I can’t tell you how my sister thinks.”
I look out the window. No potholes on this side of town. It’s like they paved it yesterday. “But she’s on her own now after Steve died. We’re all she’s got left.”
Aunt Beatrice’s house is at the end of the street dotted with lavish, old-fashioned New England homes, and then down her own long private drive. It’s more of an estate than a house. I could picture them shooting one of those British historical dramas people are always raving about here.
As we pull in, I notice a pickup truck parked off to the side by her four-car garage. In front of one of her side gardens, there’s a man–tall, in jeans and a white tank-top, standing with a shovel over his shoulder. I instantly feel my body temperature rise.
Another man is taking a photo of him with his phone.
“What is this? Beatrice doing a photoshoot here or something?” I ask as we get out.
My dad looks over and laughs. “No, that’s the new grounds crew. Come on.”
I’m barely able to pull myself away. My eyes are practically glued to this mystery man the entire walk up to the front door. He turns and looks over in my direction just as my dad turns the handle, but we’re stepping inside before I can catch a glimpse of his face.
We find Aunt Beatrice sitting in her favorite chair in the waiting room, a glass of red wine in her hand. As usual, she’s completely overdressed in a cream-colored gown with her hair pulled back, looking like she’s ready to go to a military gala or have dinner with the president.
“Oh there you are!” she remarks. “I thought you were never going to make it!”
“We’re early,” I quip back.
She completely ignores me, going over to my dad for a hug. “How are you, dear?”
“Tired. Working a lot.”
“Oh, what a bore,” she groans, as though my dad has any other choice than to work 60-hour workweeks.
She turns to me and twists her nose up like she just smelled a fart.
“And what about you? Are you being a good little girl who will one day deserve a place in my will?”
Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick.
My dad makes a sound reminding me to behave myself.
“Of course.”
“That’s a good girl.” She smiles, sipping her wine. “Well come on in, you two. The meal should be ready now!”
Turning her back on us, she leads us from the seating room, down the hallway and into the dining room in the back of the house.
As we’re taking our seats, I see the man from outside through one of the windows. I could swear he glances over his shoulder at me as he passes, and my heart skips a beat. But just as his face is about to be revealed to me, he’s gone from view yet again.
There’s a lingering effect as I stare at the empty window frame, leaving me wondering what just happened.
I’ve never felt anything like that before. There was something about that man that caught me off guard, as though I’d stepped in a bear trap.
I feel fuzzy and off-balance and only come out of it when Aunt Beatrice takes her old silver bell from beside her and rings it. I cringe and glance at her as she sits smugly at the head of the table.
Moments later, her two Filipino servants arrive with our brunch. Dad and I thank them, but Beatrice acts like they aren’t even there.
“So you’ve finished school now, Skylar?” Beatrice asks. She should know that I graduated three months ago. I feel like she just forgets most of what I tell her, so I don’t know why she even bothers to ask anyway.
“Yes, I graduated in June,” I reply as our amazing brunch arrives. One of the girls even pours me orange juice without being asked.
“Top five percent of her class,” my dad says with a smile.
“Don’t boast, William,” Beatrice snaps. “No one likes a boaster.”
I audibly sigh, not even trying to hide it. Beatrice notices and turns to me, a scowl on her face.
“What is it you plan to do with your life now, Skylar? You want to be one of those skin stencilers, is that right?”
“I want to be a tattoo artist, yes.”
Always trying to belittle my life’s ambition.
She nods as she scrapes a butter knife across her grilled English muffin. “I’ve never understood why people put all that nonsense on themselves. Turn their skin into canvases. It’s just so strange.”