Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“It’s beautiful. Would you be opposed to eating breakfast out here?” I cross my fingers behind my back. I can imagine having a plate on my lap, my feet propped up on the railing while listening to the sounds of nature.
“Fuck yeah. Let’s go on inside. I’ll let Shadow do her thing. We’ll plate our food and post up out front.” When Jagger opens the door, I’m in awe once again. Walnut-colored wood floors greet me, and the stone from outside is carried through on one wall in the living room, the same one that has a fireplace built in, a massive television hanging above it, and a big, oversized couch with two chairs on either side. “I’ll give you the tour later. Food’s ready, and I’m sure you’re starving.” I turn around after he drops Shadow on the small bed in the corner near the wood burning fireplace. She kneads the fluffy fabric as if she’s making biscuits, does a small circle, spinning around, and curls into herself like a croissant.
Jagger has done an amazing job for himself. He’s always had big dreams, had a penchant for the fast life in the form of racing cars, and I find myself wanting to wander through the entire house instead of eating. My stomach growling tells me otherwise, so I follow Jagger into the kitchen, where I’m yet again surprised. There’s a smorgasbord of food, way more than two people need. There’s a bowl of fruit, a platter of biscuits, a pot of sausage gravy, another bowl filled with scrambled eggs, and, last but not least, bacon.
“Umm, Jagger, I think you made enough for three families,” I say as he’s filling up two mugs of coffee.
“There’s a reason for that, one I’m hoping like hell doesn’t happen. The guys, they’ve been known to bounce around from place to place, bring their wives and children. It’s usually one or two of them, plus it’s not every day I get a chance to have breakfast in the company of my woman. How do you want your coffee?” We’ve been so wrapped up in our stuff, I haven’t asked how the guys are doing. As teenagers, we’d all been around one another, though not nearly as much as I was with Jagger. The guys would say hi, give me a hug, ask how I was doing or if I needed a ride, but it was more in a neighborly kind of way.
“Cream and sugar, heavy on the cream or milk. Whatever you have is fine. Will you catch me up on the guys while we eat?”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” Jagger’s blue eyes lift to mine, and he shoots a heated look my way, causing a warm tingle to rush to my core.
He looks at me like I’m the only person in the world who matters.
15
LYRIC
“Asher is married to Lennie. She’s got family from Wyoming that semi adopted her and her sister, Minnie, without the papers since they’re older via her husband, Clay. The Johnsons will be down here soon because Lennie is pregnant, and her aunt’s house is next door to them for anyone to use.” We never got to talk on the porch. I gorged my food, eating more and faster than I ever have before. The pizza, salad, and breadsticks we had delivered to my house last night had long since left me. The sun started shining through the trees, beating down into my eyes, and Jagger started sweating, causing us to come back inside. We tag teamed the kitchen, putting away what was left yet making it easy enough to pull out in case anyone stopped by, and then loaded the dishwasher. Jagger is truly Eleanor Steele’s son. She taught him from a young age to take care of what needs to be taken care of. He’d already cleaned the majority of the workload before I got here.
“Wow,” I say with a soft sigh. I’m lying on top of his body, my hands crossed over one on top of the other on his chest, my chin on them, listening as he gives me the updates.
“He’s also a firefighter, pulls his weight at Jagged Edge when he can, and Lennie works for Luke at his obstetrician and gynecologist office.” He takes a breath, then lifts his head up for a minute to prop another pillow behind his neck.
“I can move,” I offer.
“Not on your life. I like you exactly where you are, feeling every inch of your body.” He gives me a wink, then continues on, “Alright, Trent is a police officer but on the detective side, doesn’t go undercover anymore since he’s with Asher’s sister, Kennedy. They have Briar, who’s a spitfire and will be over here any given time to use me for my pool or eat my snacks. She’s also from Kennedy’s previous relationship, but Trent formally adopted her, and Kenny is pregnant, too.”