Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“I want purple!” Rayne calls out her request.
“Girls, don’t get your hopes up. Forrest is going to try to win, but these games are hard. He might not be able to.”
Maddox cracks up, laughing. “Briar, keep him in line.”
“What? No, I mean, I’m sure you’re great,” I tell Forrest, grimacing at the fact that I pretty much just told the girls that he wouldn’t win. “But these things are hard to win, right?”
“Your girl’s doubting you, bro. You going to let that go?” Lachlan asks.
“Don’t worry, girls,” Legend says. “If Forrest can’t win them for you, Uncle Legend will.”
“Are you my uncle?” River asks.
“Yep. We’re all your uncles,” Legend tells her.
River looks at Rayne with wide eyes. “Sissy, we gots lots of uncles.”
“And aunts,” Emerson speaks up.
“You have Brogan, but you have me, Monroe, and Maggie, too,” Emerson explains.
“This is the best day ever. Forty is family, and now we gots lots of aunts and uncles too!” Rayne exclaims, making everyone laugh.
“And what about me and Lisa?” Lyra asks.
“Oops.” Emerson giggles. “Aunt Lyra and Aunt Lisa, too, and Uncle Drake.”
“That’s lots,” River says.
“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Roman says. “We’re not going anywhere. You have lots of time to remember our names. All you need to remember is that we’re your family, and if you ever need us, you can come to any of us.”
The girls nod, but it’s Rayne who speaks. “We need those pink and purple bears.” Everyone cracks up laughing as Forrest hands over his money to the game attendant.
“How do you win, Forty?” River asks.
“All I have to do is hit three balloons and make them pop.”
“Oh, well, pop them all, will you?” she asks.
Forrest chuckles. “That’s the plan, Razzle.” He winks at her as he accepts his five darts.
“I want up.” River holds her arms up for Maddox, and he scoops her up in his arms.
“Me too, me too.” Rayne does the same to Lachlan, and he doesn’t hesitate to place her on his hip.
“Go, Forty!” the girls cheer.
The smile on his face matches theirs. His first five dollars is a win as he points to the pink bear and hands it to River.
“Now I’ll get yours,” he tells Rayne. She wiggles around in excitement. I’m surprised Maddox and Lachlan can keep a hold of them with how much they're wiggling around.
It takes two rounds, but Forrest gets to hand Rayne her purple bear. “Lilly needs a bear too,” Rayne says.
“My turn.” Roman hands Lilly to Forrest as he steps up and passes over his five dollars for his five darts.
“Rome, you have big shoes to fill,” Forrest goads him.
“Go, Rome!” the girls holler.
“Even your girls know I’ve got this, Huntley,” Roman fires back.
“Prove it,” Forrest taunts.
It takes Roman three tries, but he finally hands Lilly a green teddy bear. She snuggles it close to her where she’s resting against Forrest’s chest. Lachlan and Maddox declare it’s Tilt-O-Whirl time. With my daughters on their hips, they head off to the rides, and we all follow along behind them. I don’t know what I expected, but we’re truly taking in this fair as a huge group. It’s nice to be surrounded by good people.
I watch as my sister and Maggie laugh and cut up with everyone, and it’s nice to see her happy. As if she’s reading my thoughts, she winks at me and nods. She’s thinking the same thing.
I move to stand next to Emerson and Monroe as we watch all the guys and my daughters climb onto the ride. Maggie snags Lilly from Forrest, and he joins them. “Thank you,” I say, not looking at either of the ladies standing next to me.
“For what?” Monroe asks.
“Inviting us to girls' night.” I finally turn to look at them. “You changed my life. All our lives. I will forever be grateful for that.”
“You and the girls have brought him to life. He was struggling after I moved in with Roman. It all happened quickly, at least in Forrest's eyes. We were together a while before he knew. He was lonely, but he’s not anymore. I should be thanking you,” Emerson tells me.
“Let me tell you a story. I’ll give you the condensed version.” Brogan hears me and comes over to stand next to me. She takes my hand in hers. Maggie joins us, and I tell my story, which is also kind of my sister's story. The only other person I’ve told is Forrest and my therapist. By the time I’m done, I’m crying. Thankfully, the girls convince the guys to go another round on the ride, and they rush back to get into line.
“We’ve been talking to someone. A therapist the last couple of months,” Brogan adds. “It’s helping. We’re healing.”
“We are. However, I don’t know that I would have taken that first step had it not been for Forrest.”