Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 85876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry.” I turn to look at her over my shoulder.
“Can I go?” she mumbles, and when I nod, she pushes open the door, hops down, and slams it shut before she rushes toward her doorway.
“I don’t know about you, but I’d like to know what happened between Kristen and her old friends.”
“We’re on the same page. What did they say when you approached?”
“That they were just confronting Carrie, because Livy heard she was going to kill Isabel, and since Carrie killed Kristen, Livy took that as a serious threat.”
“Mean girls.”
“That’d be my guess,” he says, then smiles huge, looking past me. I turn and watch Miranda get out of her car, a smile curving her full lips when her eyes land on mine.
Unhooking my belt, I push open my door as she opens her back door. “Fancy seeing you here,” she says as I walk around to meet her, my hands clenched into fists at my sides when I’m standing close enough to touch her. Dropping her eyes to my hands, she rubs her lips together, then takes a step toward me and rests her palm on my chest before leaning up on her tiptoes to touch her lips to the edge of my mouth. When she leans back, her eyes wander over my face, and she smiles before asking softly, “Are you here for work?”
“Yeah.” She nods, and I look into the car at Kingston, who’s unbuckling himself. “How was your ice cream?”
“Good.” He gets out of his seat and jumps into my arms, catching me off guard.
“Did you bring me some?” I move him away from the firearm strapped to my side.
“Nope.” He shakes his head, then looks around me. “Who’s that?”
Glancing at Miles, I then focus back on him. “My brother, Miles.”
“What’s up, little dude?” Miles holds up his hand for a high-five, then he turns his attention to Miranda and reaches his hand out toward her. “Since he’s not going to introduce us, I’m Miles.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” She laughs.
“You too. He talks about you all the time.” He pats my shoulder, and she looks at me, pressing her lips together like she’s trying not to laugh.
“Are you coming to noodles?” Kingston asks, touching my cheek, and I tip my chin down toward him.
“Noodles?”
“I was going to call you,” Miranda says, taking him when he reaches for her. “He wants to go out for noodles tonight and wanted me to ask you to join us.”
“There’s a noodle place?” Miles asks.
“Noodles and Company downtown. They have every kind of pasta you could think of.”
“I’ll have to take my daughter Winter there.” His face gets soft. “Pasta is her favorite food group.”
“Kingston’s too,” Miranda says softly, and I want to punch my brother in the face, because I’m the only one I want her soft and sweet for. Well, besides her son obviously.
“I should be able to get back here by five thirty or six, if that works?” I say and her attention comes back to me.
“That’s perfect.” She smiles then looks down at Kingston when he touches her face.
“I have to potty.” He tells her.
“Alight.” She glances at Miles. “I’m going to get him inside, but it was nice meeting you.”
“You too.” He jerks up his chin.
“I’ll see you tonight.” she looks at me, and her face gets soft before she puts Kingston on his feet and takes his hand.
“See you babe.”
“Say ‘later,’ lovie.” She says to Kingston turning him away from us.
“Later.” He waves, and I watch the two of them get inside safely before I hop back into my truck.
“She’s pretty and seems sweet,” Miles says casually as I back out of my parking space.
“She is.”
“And her kid is cute.”
“Why are you telling me shit I know?”
“Because I wanna make sure you know,” he says, and I look over at him. “Sometimes, we don’t realize what is right in front of us, and I’m telling you, brother, that you could have something beautiful if you don’t fuck it up.”
“I’m not going to fuck it up, and we just started seeing each other.”
“That might be, but it’s obvious she’s opening the door and allowing you into her life, and her kid’s life. That’s huge, bigger than you probably realize.”
“I do realize how big it is.” And I do. I knew that when I flashed my badge last night so I could get into the room with her and her son. I knew doing that would put her and me in front of her ex and likely create drama for not just her but for both of us. But I wanted him to know she wasn’t alone. I wanted him to know I was there. I also did it, because there was a ball of jealousy sitting in my gut, since I couldn’t stand the idea of her being around him.