Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Jessie’s eye turned to me and she glared. “And you!” She hissed and pointed to me. I put my hands up in a placating gesture, but it didn’t work so well when I had a beer in one hand and a piece of pizza in the other.
“What?” I mumbled around a bite of pizza.
“You couldn’t find something more suitable to wear? You had to come in jeans and a t-shirt that says ‘Tell your boobs to stop staring at me eyes?’” She sneered.
“I was in jail! I walked out of the police station and came straight here. Payton got mud all over her dress. Didn’t you spend a shit load of money on that thing?” I asked trying to divert her attention away from me.
“That’s true. We spent over eighteen hundred dollars on that dress. Payton tried to pay for it, but I told her that her daddy wanted to pay for it.” She smiled.
Tony’s beer sprayed out of his mouth, and he sputtered, “What?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t I tell you?” She asked innocently.
I left them bickering, because soon it would turn into threats of death and dismemberment and I didn’t want to be around for that part of this argument. I scanned the room for Payton and found her at the far end of the tent jumping up trying to grab what looked like a pig in a blanket from Bennett’s out stretched arm. Bennett was laughing his ass off, and having too good of a time to see what she was in the process of doing.
She was just rearing back to kick him in the shin with those hell boots when I caught her up in my arms and hauled her back against my chest. “Let me go, he’s trying to eat my wiener!”
“It’s not your wiener, it’s my wiener!” Bennett laughed.
“I’m gonna shove that wiener up your nose when he lets me go!” Payton threatened.
“You wouldn’t know what to do with a wiener the size of this.” Bennett said as he took a large bite of said wiener.
I tried not to be offended by the wiener comment. “Don’t you know better than to steal food from a pregnant woman?”
Everyone froze what they were doing and faced us. Even the music cut off. Silence reigned through the tent, and only the pounding of the rain on the tent’s roof broke the silence.
“Uh, Max? I hadn’t told anyone yet.” Payton said.
I watched as happiness filled those whose faces were right in the forefront of my vision and couldn’t help the smile that broke over my face. “I can see that.”
The rest of the night went off without a hitch. There was no more wiener stealing, and she even got Bennett back for the food stealing by tripping him when he was carrying his drink back to the table, which he then spilled on his pants. Which in turn made him look like he’d peed on them. I just hoped this family didn’t corrupt my poor innocent child, although I knew I shouldn’t get my hopes up.
I was one lucky man, and in days and weeks to come, I would have to remember these good days, because dark times were on the horizon. I just hoped I would be able to keep Payton and my family alive.
Chapter 11
A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.
-Marley and Me
Payton
“Payton.” The annoying voice said.
I ignored the voice, and covered my head with my pillow. Maybe if I ignored it, it would go away. However, my luck sucked, and the irritation continued.
“Payton, you need to get up or you’ll be late for work. You’ve got forty-five minutes.” The bastard I married said as he drew the pillow from my face.
I cracked one eye open and gave him the stink eye. “Leave me alone. I only need ten minutes to get ready, and ten minutes to get there.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been spending at least half of that time every night puking, and then you’re late like you were last night.”
He did have a point, yet I didn’t really care at that moment in time. I closed my eyes and resumed my sleep, but shortly found myself standing beside the bed with Max’s arms holding me up. As soon as I was vertical, my stomach revolted and I dashed for the bathroom. I only managed to run into one wall as I went, and made it to the toilet just in time to puke up absolutely nothing. Just as I did every night before work.
After wiping the back of my hand across my mouth, I stood and saw Max standing in the doorway. “What?” I snapped.
His look said ‘I told you so’ yet he didn’t say anything. The man knew better. I knew where he slept. Pushing him out of the way, I got dressed in my navy blue scrubs and slipped my feet into my tennis shoes without the socks. Lately, even the slightest thing tight on my body drives me bonkers, so I stopped wearing anything constricting. Therefore, that means no socks, no underwear, and no bra. I substituted my bra for a loose camisole that concealed my boobs for the sake of propriety, though.
“You’ve been puking like this for the last three months. When is this shit supposed to go away?” Max asked from the other side of the bed.
I looked up from tying my shoes and replied, “Well, all the books I read said twelve weeks. Yet here I am, nearly thirteen and I’m still puking, so I got nothing.”
He left the room, and disappeared into the main part of the house and called out, “What time is the ultrasound appointment today?”
I followed the sound of his voice to the kitchen and found him digging in the fridge. “Today on my lunch break, they’re working me in since I’m not sure when I can get free for lunch. I’ll text you when I head down there.”