Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Who is that?” she asked, obviously too afraid to peer down.
“My boss.”
“Oh shit,” she whispered, handing me the lights.
I dropped them down and held out my hands. “I got you. Come to me.”
She let me pull her to the edge. “Can you step on the ladder, or should I carry you?”
“Um…”
“Carry, it is,” I snapped. “Close your eyes.” I reached over, wrapping an arm around her, and hoisted her onto my shoulder.
“Good form,” the chief called.
“This feels familiar,” she complained. “I still don’t like it.”
“You’re lucky the chief is here, or I’d smack your ass.”
“Don’t stop on my account,” he said merrily.
I climbed down and set her on her feet. She swayed a little, and I put my arm around her, pulling her close. “Jesus, Casey, you’ll be the death of me. I’ll put up the damn lights tomorrow!”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she insisted.
“How’d that work for you?” I snarled.
Chief laughed. “Don’t be too hard on her. I remember when the missus and I were first married. She wanted to decorate everything. She coerced the guys at my station into bringing the truck around for a smoke alarm check, then had them hanging lights on the evergreen tree out front using the ladder. I came home to find four guys in my tree and lights everywhere.”
Casey’s eyes went wide, and she looked at the evergreen by the driveway. “That would look—”
I cut her off, swinging her back on my shoulder. “Nope. Not happening,” I growled. Ignoring her indignant gasp, I shook the chief’s hand. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”
“Stay here. I’ll send the boys home with your truck. I think you have enough to deal with here.” He guffawed again. “Lou taught this one well.”
He stepped into his truck, still laughing, and drove away.
I swatted Casey’s ass. “You are such trouble, and I’m angry.”
I turned and headed for the house. I swatted her again. “You never learn. You could have been hurt.”
She stayed silent, but I felt her shiver.
In the house, I stood her on her feet. “What were you thinking?” I raged.
“I just wanted to surprise you. I knew I shouldn’t have gone up just before you got here. I was trying to figure out how to get down when you showed up.”
That dampened my anger a little.
She lifted her eyes to mine. “All I felt was relief when I heard your voice. I knew I was safe then.”
All my ire dissipated at the sound of her confession. I pulled her into my arms. “I almost had a heart attack when I saw you.”
“How did you know?”
“Lila called.”
She sniffed. “I’m not making her soup anymore.”
I smiled into her hair, knowing she would.
“I’m sorry.”
I pulled back and kissed her head. “No more. I’ll finish the lights. It’ll take me ten minutes.”
She smiled. “Really? Oh, I love you!” She flung her arms around my neck.
“But I’m hungry,” I griped.
“I’ll go make you sandwiches while you do the lights. And fresh coffee.”
“Cookies?”
“Yes.”
I turned and headed out, then stopped. I was supposed to be angry. Yelling. Laying down the law. Not going and finishing the lights. I turned back and looked at her. “Did you just play me?”
She smiled. “I love you. About that tree—”
“Not happening!” I roared and stomped out.
I cursed all the way up the ladder, knowing that very soon, in the near future, I’d be hanging lights in that fucking tree.
Because if I didn’t, she would. And God knew what would happen then.
But I was making the chief help me.
Payback was a bitch.
Two years later
My phone buzzed with a text, and I grinned as I read it.
I need ice cream.
My pixie always needed ice cream these days.
I swung into the grocery store parking lot and texted her back.
Anything else?
Her reply was swift.
Some spicy Doritos would be good.
I laughed as I slid from the new SUV. Her cravings were wild and changed daily. Ice cream and Doritos were a better combination than the peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Sort of. As long as she didn’t use the chips as a spoon with the ice cream. I shuddered thinking about it.
On it.
Bag in hand, I got home, admiring the house as I pulled up. It happened every time. It was even better than I had imagined it when I had bought it from Lou. The double doors were welcoming, the porch back to one long expanse.
And of course, the wind chimes that hung on either side of the steps, singing their song, as my wife called it.
Inside, I stopped in the central hall, dropping my keys in the bowl. Above the table was the picture of Lou and Gerard that Casey had redone. In the corner behind glass were their wedding rings. Casey had artfully placed the smaller ring inside the larger one and added some wild flowers from the garden to set them off. It was sentimental and perfect.