Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
“But that’s why I want you to live here,” she implored. “You wouldn’t need a second job if you just took my guest room, Leighton. Your mom wanted you to follow your dreams.”
I didn’t know what to say. Any route I chose would hurt her. And fuck the ferrets, the shitty cooking, and the smell. When push came to shove, I just didn’t belong here. I had to figure out who I was—who I wanted to be, and…and I wanted to experience something that brought me closer to the dad I’d never gotten to meet. And yeah, I’d probably made the stupidest decision by picking infantry—when that should’ve been my last choice—but if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it properly.
“I’m sorry.” I cleared my throat. “I swear I didn’t jump into this. The first time they tried to recruit me, I walked away. But…” I blew out a breath and scrubbed my hands over my face. “I’m sure it’s gonna suck, but now I don’t have to worry about rent and school and bills and…whatever.”
Aunt Laura sighed and shook her head. “This is precisely what your mom didn’t want.”
I clenched my jaw, and I couldn’t help but get annoyed. “I didn’t want her to hide my dad’s history from me, but here we are.”
She had no response to that.
She rubbed her forehead and flicked me a glance filled with trepidation. “You’ve really made up your mind?”
I nodded. “I go for my enlistment processing in a few days. It’s just an overnight thing, and then I’ll wait for my ship date to basic.”
She deflated with a long breath. “Okay.”
June 18th, 2018
I could do this, I could do this, I could do this.
Maybe he wasn’t in today.
The same headset woman sat behind the desk—Gina, right?—and I cleared my throat to get her attention.
“Hey, I’d like to see Bo Beckett,” I said.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but he told me to come in when I had news about something he’s involved in,” I lied.
She had the same reaction today; she lifted a brow and finally tore her gaze away from the computer.
“I’ll need a photo ID, and please look into the camera.”
I knew the drill.
Seconds later, I was sitting my ass down on one of those uncomfortable sofas, and I did a whiff check on my pits. Okay, still good. It was humid as balls today, with a storm coming in tonight. The sky was so dark that the lobby needed actual lighting.
Maybe it was a sign of my impending doom.
I’d barely slept last night, and I didn’t think it would get better tonight.
Bo turned up just a few minutes later, this time wearing utility pants and a snug Henley. The pants, and their army-green color, made me wonder if he was being deployed. Like, was that what they called it at private agencies? And did they leave in uniforms? Probably not, right? They had to blend in and stuff.
He smirked a little as he walked closer. “What did we say about lying, kiddo?”
I had a defense for that. “I’m convinced I’ll be turned away if I admit I don’t have an appointment.”
Man, he was gorgeous. Out-of-this-fucking-world hot. If he was gay and I had bigger balls, he’d be turning me down right now and saying I was too young for him.
He chuckled and sat down across from me. “Fair enough. What is it this time?”
Oh, just some questions from a nervous guy who’d possibly made the worst mistake of his life.
“Did you find your dad’s family?” he asked.
“Not yet,” I answered. “My aunt is helping me.”
“All right…”
Right. Moving on. I took a breath and did my best to relax, which wasn’t easy when it felt like I had a brick in my stomach.
“You were in the Army before, right?” I mean, he’d mentioned basic training.
“I was.” He inclined his head.
“Were you stationed at Benning?”
His forehead wrinkled slightly, as if he was wondering where I was going with this. “Yeah, the first few years.”
Okay. Yeah. Confirmed. “I enlisted,” I admitted. “I’ll be there too. I just went through MEPS the other week.”
That made his eyebrows lift a fraction, and I could practically read his mind. He thought I was gonna fail. I didn’t belong there. And he was right. I’d fucked up.
Oh God, what had I done?
“How quickly do you think I’ll fail?” I asked.
He didn’t miss a beat. “With that attitude, probably on day two. I trust you can survive the first hundred yards training on day one.”
That was…about the only thing I was good at, though only on flat surfaces. I was weirdly fast—when I didn’t trip.
Bo leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I didn’t get the military vibe from you last time. Quite the opposite.”
Yeah, no shit.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I offered helplessly. “I’m here, talking to a stranger, so…”