AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“This is kind of an emergency,” I practically growl down the phone, realizing it’s not the way this agent does business.
“I have your number, Mr. Fox. I’ll let the owner know. Goodbye,” she clips before hanging up.
A few deep breaths of my own and I refocus. If I wet my pants at every refusal or hang up, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
I have to admit though, it’s been a while since someone hasn’t heard of me, hasn’t bent over backward for me once I tell them who I am.
I’m all fuckin’ humbled. Very Zen. Now let’s get down to bringing Rachel back, shall we?
My instinct, my gut feeling is to shower and get dressed than just drive out to her house, put her over my shoulder, and bring her back here.
The caveman in me sees no problem with that, but if Rachel really wanted to be here, she would be wouldn’t she?
I can’t force her to be here with me if she doesn’t want to.
Even though a huge part of me is convinced that’s exactly what she wants.
It’s why I’m so confused about all this.
Should’ve told her. You almost did, had it on the tip of your tongue.
I wince at the thought, because I know I should’ve told her.
Who’d believe it though? That whole love at first sight thing. Isn’t that just something they put in movies to make people think they really stand a chance?
I know it’s the truth though.
I do love her, loved her the split second I laid eyes on her. Before I even knew her name I knew I loved her more than anything else.
I wait for Valentine to bark, reading my mind like he does sometimes and yelling at me when I forget to include him in my thoughts.
Of course, I love Valentine too, but Rachel’s the one. The missing part of me I’ve waited for my whole life for, I just know she is.
Puffing out air from my cheeks, I consider some other options, most of them involve me driving down there and either bringing Rachel home or ruining my chances more than I already have.
“Dammit, I have to do something!” I growl, forcing myself upstairs for a shower, determined to let an idea come that means I can get her back.
Chapter Fifteen
Rachel
If I’m already imagining hearing his dog after less than an hour, how am I supposed to get through the next few days packing and moving without being haunted by the memory of Conor?
Truth is, I can’t. I know I can’t.
I can hear my dad snoring sound asleep in no time though, he really has been up all night and I know that the past few days he’s hasn’t had much sleep with all this moving to get ready for.
Remembering what dad said about hiring extra help, I feel less overwhelmed but still have to face up to packing all the stuff I’d rather not have strangers handling.
Telling myself it’ll be something to take my mind off Conor, I set to work after another quick double-check that there definitely isn’t a handsome wolf-dog lurking out front, calling for me and wanting to take me home to his master.
There’s not a whole lot of ‘me’ to pack. I’ve hardly unpacked most of my stuff from college, just things I use most often.
What’s left behind in the closet is all stuff I haven’t even thought about in years, let alone had to go through and sort out.
Not surprisingly, nothing clothes-wise would even remotely fit me anymore, so I start a pile of the best quality things that can go to a thrift store.
That takes care of about eighty percent of my wardrobe.
The rest is silly stuff. Shoeboxes filled with the past, a childhood I don’t even really remember much. I’ve never been one to hang on to things but one day I might have kids of my own, so it would be nice to show them something about their mom when she was little like them.
No need to open them either, I know exactly what’s in ‘em. Photos of me growing up and a whole bunch of photos of me and my dad with sharp edges down one side.
Years ago, when my mom walked out on us, I cut her out of every photo I could find.
It would hurt my dad if he knew, so I keep them out of sight.
I think it’s because of her I hate fighting with my dad. Hate fighting with anyone. I don’t have a clear memory of it, but from what my dad’s told me, they had some pretty nasty arguments before she finally left.
I used to want to be a mom, just so I could do a better job. But then I grew up and grew out, making me think it’s a little hard to become a mom and a loving wife when you can’t even get a guy to look at you without making a joke or looking away in shame.
