Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 27069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Brody.
Fuck. Was the Fox coming? Autumn was sitting in the passenger seat and he couldn’t see anyone else. He doubted the Fox would let Brody drive if he was with him. But who knew how that man’s brain worked?
Spike let them in, watching as Steele’s car pulled in behind them.
Well, this was going to be interesting.
Grabbing a glass of pink fairy juice, he took it back to Mrs. Larsen. “Here. I’ll get you a seat.”
“Yes, I might need a seat after I add a bit of my own special juice to this.” She drew a flask out of her one-of-a-kind Spain bag. Spike thought the bags that Mrs. Spain created were kind of . . . interesting.
But what did he know about fashion?
“Mrs. Larsen!” Reverend Pat said in a shocked voice. “What do you think you are doing?”
“What?” Mrs. Larsen said. “It’s for medicinal purposes.”
“What is?” Mr. Spain asked loudly as he and Mrs. Spain joined them. “Oh, is that your special flask? Can I have some?”
“No, you can’t have any,” Mrs. Spain replied.
“Why not?”
“Because last time you had some of that special juice, you ended up line-dancing!”
And that was bad?
Spike gave Mrs. Spain a confused look.
“Naked!” she added.
Spike grimaced. Hmm. Yeah. That wouldn’t be good. For anyone.
“Excuse me, I have to go greet some guests. I’ll get some chairs for you all.” He stopped to speak to Razor and Ink, asking them to bring some more seats down.
Then he grabbed Millie. “Baby, more guests have arrived.”
“Effie?” Millie asked.
Effie and Millie had become good friends. But then, everyone who met Millie fell in love with her.
“Yeah. But also Brody and Autumn.”
Millie’s eyes widened before a large smile came over her face. “They came? That’s awesome!”
Spike grunted.
“Daddy, don’t be rude to them.”
“Not going to be rude to them.”
“It’s good that they came,” she said. “It can’t be easy for them, being attached to our furry friend.”
“Furry friend?” he asked.
“Yes, well, I don’t like to say his name out loud.”
“Wise,” he grunted. “Pretty sure he’s like Rumpelstiltskin.”
“Exactly what I thought, Daddy!” she cried, clapping her hands. “Great minds think alike.”
Spike sent her a look. Millie knew he was just worried, and he didn’t mean to look as though he’d been sucking on a lemon. She didn’t know Brody and Autumn well, but Brody was good friends with a lot of them. And Autumn was fast becoming one of Sunny’s closest friends.
Leaving them out just because they were with the Fox wasn’t nice.
And frankly, she thought leaving the Fox out was mean too. After everything he’d done for all of them . . . well, he deserved an Easter egg hunt, too.
Spike was just being a worrywart. He did that sometimes.
But nothing bad was going to happen. It was Easter! Well, a month after Easter but in her mind it was Easter. It was impossible for bad things to happen at this time of year.
Millie followed Spike through the house to the front door. Brody and Autumn were already out of the car, looking around. Brody saw them and waved.
Steele, Grady, Effie, and Brooks pulled up behind them. She waved at them before she headed down to Brody and Autumn, who looked like they were contemplating climbing back into their car.
“Hi, guys! I’m so glad you made it!” She wrapped her arms around Brody first, since she knew him better. Then Autumn. Millie wanted them to feel welcomed here.
Spike was so close behind her that she could feel the heat of him. Protective, as always.
“Sorry we’re late,” Autumn said with a shy smile.
“My fault,” Brody added. “Apparently, I drive like a myopic grandpa.”
“I didn’t say that!” Autumn protested.
He just grinned at her.
“Well, I’m so glad you’re here for Millie’s Super-Duper Easter Egg hunt!”
Brody blushed. “Um, us too.”
“Did you, um, come alone?” Millie asked.
“Millie,” Spike warned.
“What?” She glanced over her shoulder, giving him an innocent look.
He gave her a knowing look back. Drat.
“It’s okay,” Autumn said quickly. “It’s just the two of us. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is!” Millie said, clapping her hands. “Just like it’s okay if all of you had wanted to come. Everyone is welcome. My house is your house. Go out back. Everyone is here. There are baskets and headbands and yummy snacks. Try the cupcakes! I ate two.” She patted her tummy.
“Two?” Spike asked. “I thought I told you one.”
“Maybe that’s what you thought you told me, Daddy. But that’s not what I heard.”
He leaned into her to whisper. “Baby doll, you’re close to having your bottom warmed. No more cupcakes.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Yikes.
Autumn and Brody quickly headed off.
“I hope you didn’t scare them, Daddy,” she said worriedly, turning to look at him.
“Baby doll, they’re in love with the Fox. I doubt anything I could do could scare them.”
Well, she guessed that was true.
“Was that who I think it was?” Steele demanded as he walked up to them.