Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Cash shook his head. He needed time to think. “I’m going for a quick workout. Call me when you get the time of the meeting.” He grabbed his cell phone, wallet, and key fob, and headed out.
Chapter 16
“Daddy, carry me,” Mae said as he reached over to unlatch the seat belt securing her car seat and its precious cargo safely in place within his vintage hotrod. She fussed with the harness, but her small fingers weren’t nearly strong enough to release it.
When he moved her hands out of the way and pressed the button to free her, her arms expertly wiggled out of the straps to circle around his neck as if her legs no longer worked enough to get herself out of the car.
His sweet daddy’s girl always became needy as hell during adversity. He’d be carrying her everywhere they went until he was able to get life settled for them again.
He looked over to see Abi in the seat next to Mae, having a hard time getting the seat buckle to release. He reached over and pressed his thumb into the latch, the buckle slid easily out. Her silent appreciation came by the brief glance they shared.
Under normal circumstances, Abi would have something snarky to say to Mae about her request to be held. Where Dev was inclined to baby Mae, Abi was just as determined that Mae learn to stand on her own two feet—both figuratively and literally. Not today though. Maybe his stoic older daughter was as raw as Mae and had all she could deal with holding herself together.
A slash of pain ripped across his heart again. His fucking kids brought out so much emotion inside him, his heart couldn’t take seeing their pain.
Mae clasped her hands behind his neck, her feet kicking against the back of the front seat. In one fluid motion, he scooped her up. Abi got out then leaned back in to get the dog’s crate.
“I think she needs to poop,” Mae said as he righted her on his hip. Her tennis shoe covered feet dug into his back and stomach to climb up him enough to look over the top of the car. She still had to crane her neck to keep an eye on Abi and their puppy.
“No. Really?” Abi deadpanned.
“Mae, you’re hurtin’ me,” Dev said, lifting her foot off his stomach. She plopped back into place against his side. The puppy became the center of her attention. When Abi’s head was no longer visible, Mae started slapping at Dev to put her down.
She was like a comedy show of swinging thoughts, much like himself he suspected.
He took a look around the parking lot to make sure no vehicles were coming or going before he put her down. She was off like a flash, darting around the hood of his car as Abi came from the other side, puppy in hand, heading for the small patch of grass to the side of the building. Mae ran in a half circle to trail after her sister.
He let go of a sigh he hadn’t known he was holding and took his first real breath of the morning.
An untrained puppy thrown into the mix was all he needed right now.
Fucking Tena. Goddamn cunt.
“You have to leave him alone and stay still if you want him to potty.” Abi scolded Mae who jumped around like a jack in the box of excitement.
She went ramrod straight, all the squeaking she’d been doing fell silent.
Both girls watched the dog intently.
He wondered if animals had performance anxiety. Dev could never pee with everyone watching like that. He reached for their backpacks, the dog food, and box of donuts he’d grabbed on the way over. He’d also made a run to a convenience store ten minutes away to get the girls, meaning Mae, her favorite fairy juice. He grabbed that sack too.
Dev went the long way around the trunk to shut Abi’s door and picked up the crate. Maybe his mother was up for some babysitting duty today. If not, maybe he could throw some extra money at Millie to look after them.
“Come on, girls,” Dev said at the entrance of the raised warehouse cargo doors. “Let’s go see if Momo’s upstairs. I gotta client waitin’.”
His father came through the office door, trotting down the steps. Dev actively ignored him.
“On mama duty again?” his old man called out. The words dripped with degrading accusations about Dev’s manhood.
“I think about your death every single day, old man,” Dev murmured when his father got closer. No need for the girls to hear him wishing his father to drop dead right that minute.
“Fox,” Mae said. Her everlasting joy had her leaving the dog and running to her grandfather.
“Nice grandparent name,” Dev muttered as his father stopped to take in everything he was seeing. They had all tried to get him to call himself something other than their own last name, but his ego wouldn’t allow it.