Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
“I can’t wait,” I said as we pushed through the door of Auden’s house.
We stopped in the foyer just as a car door slammed outside and Athena came barreling up the front walk, not bothering to stop and smell the roses. Literally.
She walked right into the house and stated, “I think the disappointment has a camera set up at your place. Or, maybe, your dad does. I walked up to hear him talking to who I assumed was your brother on the phone. First, your dad said that he saw your mother pull up earlier and leave with you. Then, he was talking about how he was at the hospital, and you were there, but the doctors and nurses wouldn’t tell him anything about you. How else would he know that unless he was either there, watching, or had a way to watch you?”
I felt the man who’d been standing at my side stiffen.
I looked over to him and watched a silent communication pass between his brother and him.
A short nod from Quaid had me guessing that they’d just made some super secretive plan to have my house checked over before I went back home.
If I went back home.
Maybe I’d just rent an apartment somewhere, pay in cash, and have movers go box all my stuff up and move it for me.
I could sell my house, then put the money straight into a savings account for my next place, wherever I ended up.
What I did know was that I wanted to test the waters with the man at my side before I did anything drastic.
I looked away, once again taking in the room surrounding me.
I was so lost in thought, thinking about a few touches he could add to make this place feel like home—an ottoman next to a chair by the fireplace, and a throw that was soft as sin over the arm of the couch for impromptu naps—when the door burst open, and all kinds of Carters poured in.
Children.
Babies on hips.
Excited squeals in the wake of their entering.
Moms chattering.
Garnett and her boys. Their dad.
And food.
So. Much. Food.
“I have cookies!” Garnett cried.
A woman after my own heart.
Don’t talk to her when she’s overstimulated. She’ll hurt your feelings.
—Athena to Auden
AUDEN
“Did you know that if you hold your closed fist out to a girl, she’s automatically going to think it’s a bug?”
I looked at my younger brother, Garrett. “No.”
“Try it.” He jerked his chin toward where Ellodie was standing next to Quaid.
Their daughter, Peyson, was in her arms.
It’d been a whole two years since their first, Cam, a little boy who was hell on wheels, was born. Within a year, they’d been pregnant again with Peyson and Leyson.
Pey and Ley were now three months old, but Pey was at that point in her life where nobody but her mother would do.
And since I liked to hold her, even if she cried when I did, I walked right up to Ellodie with a closed fist and said, “Here, hold this so I can hold my favorite niece.”
“You totally said the same thing about Dalia last week,” Quaid said.
“Eww, is it a bug?” Ellodie asked, looking disgusted.
She did not reach her hand out, either.
I smirked and showed her my empty palm, then reached for her kid.
Pey immediately started crying.
I walked off with her, causing Quaid to snort, and gave her kisses as I did.
“It’s okay, Pey,” I said as I walked up to Quincy, who was holding Dalia, his daughter. “Dalia, here, hold this.”
Dalia scrunched up her nose, but her eyes lit with excitement as she held out her hand and said, “Is it a bug, Unca Audi?”
I flashed her a grin, then twisted my hand around to show her my empty palm.
Her scowl was quick and fierce, just like her father’s.
“Wude.” She pointed her finger at me. “You owa me.”
I took her from Quincy, and the three of us walked over to the kiddie pool that was being set up by my father and Keene, my sister, Ande’s husband.
“You got that almost finished?” I called out.
Keene rolled his eyes. “If your mother hadn’t bought the biggest one in Costco, we might. But no, she has to buy this shit…” he looked at Dalia. “Don’t tell your mother I said that.”
“Said what?” Dalia asked innocently, batting those long eyelashes at him.
“You just gonna let that baby cry?”
I froze at the sound of that sweet, sultry voice from behind me.
An hour ago, I’d left Maven in my room to shower and change, and honestly, I wasn’t sure she was going to make it out of my room with my entire family here. Yet, she’d surprised me once again.
I turned to find Maven behind me. “I thought you might’ve fallen asleep.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Well, about that.” She looked at the yard that was crawling with the Carters. “I might’ve taken a wee bit of a nap. I’m sorry. But also, I told Pepper to head this way with our shop’s entire inventory for tomorrow. I don’t plan on going back. Also, Pepper’s here. That’s what woke me, her calling. Can I get your help bringing everything inside?”