Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
He was breathing, but he wasn’t living.
And that was fine with him.
Because he didn’t deserve to be happy.
Devi was always positive.
Life might throw her curveballs, but she always picked herself up and kept going.
Until tragedy strikes.
And suddenly, Devi’s sunny life grows dark.
Can this grumpy, broken Daddy help Devi find her sunshine again?
Or is she doomed to live in the darkness?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
He had the saddest eyes.
Devi wondered why.
A man like him didn’t have such tragic eyes without it being something truly awful.
And that made her heart ache. She wanted to fix him. But then, Devi was a fixer. She liked to take care of everyone’s problems.
And she was pretty good at it. If she did say so herself.
Too bad she wasn’t as good at taking care of her own issues.
“Good afternoon,” she said cheerfully to Sondra and Mr. Tragic Eyes.
Even though he’d been in every day for the last week with Sondra, who was a regular at the café, Devi had yet to figure out his name.
Would it be rude to ask? How else would she find out?
“Hello, Demi,” Sondra said.
Devi held her tongue against correcting her. The customer was always right. And Sondra was one of their best customers. Aaron would have her head if she was rude to her.
Not that she would be. Devi liked to think that everyone had some good in them. Well, almost everyone.
There were a few exceptions.
And she didn’t think that Sondra was a bad person, she was just a bit . . . forgetful.
“Spiced chai with oat milk?” she asked Sondra. She got the same drink every morning in a to-go cup, even though she would sit in the café and drink most of it.
If anyone ever wanted to kidnap Sondra it would be easy since she stuck to the same routine every day that the café was open.
Devi wondered if Mr. Tragic Eyes was guarding her. He definitely looked like a bodyguard. He was strong and muscular. Constantly on alert.
Yep. He was a bodyguard.
Maybe one of his charges was killed while he was guarding them and that’s why he had those sad eyes.
Although he didn’t look like the sort of man to ever make a mistake.
“It’s Devi.”
Shock brought her back into the present and she stared up at him in surprise. Because he was the one who’d spoken, right? It had to be him. There was no one else that could have such a deep voice.
It was the first time she’d heard him speak, although that wasn’t why she was stunned.
No, it was because he’d said her name.
Her. Name.
Devi.
“What?” Sondra asked, turning to glance up at him. “What’s a Devi?”
He didn’t reply and she figured she would have to explain.
“Um, me. I’m Devi.” She waved at Sondra.
“Oh, yes, right. Wasn’t that what I said?” Sondra asked.
“Close enough.” Devi smiled at her.
“Not close enough,” he rumbled. “It’s not her name. You said Demi not Devi.”
“Um, right, yes,” Sondra said, looking extremely confused.
“Spiced Chai with oat milk?” Devi repeated.
“Yes. Thank you,” Sondra said with a stiff smile. “Devi is an unusual name. Is it short for something?”
“No, that’s just my name.” She shrugged. “My dad’s name is Derick and my mom was Violet. It’s a mix of their two names.”
“Really? How interesting. I’ll take my coffee in a to-go cup,” Sondra said before wandering off.
Devi didn’t bother to tell her that she knew that’s how she took her coffee since it was what she’d been ordering for the last three months.
Which was how long Devi had worked here.
“And you? Would you like a coffee?” she asked him.
He never said yes. But she always asked.
It was her job. Plus, she just felt the need to do something for him, to try and make him less sad.
When he didn’t reply, some sort of devil took hold of her. “Or a tea? I know, how about a green tea? Maybe chamomile. We have a nice ginger tea that’s good for digestion. You look like you might enjoy ginger tea. To help with any . . . you know . . . tummy pains.” She rubbed her stomach.
He raised an eyebrow, his face as stoic as ever.
Uh-oh.
Darn it, Devi. Why do you always push things a step too far?
Story of her life.
Her mom used to say that she had more courage than she did sense and she wasn’t wrong.
“To aid my digestion?” He glanced at Sondra and then around the room, as though searching for something before his gaze landed on her again. “Do I look like I need something to aid my digestion?”
Eek.
“Maybe? You kind of look like you . . . might be . . . blocked . . . um . . . I’m going to stop talking now.” She should have stopped a long time ago.