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)
“Ewww, a nap?” Dalia sounded disgusted.
I set Dalia down on her feet and said, “Go get your daddy. Let’s help Ms. Maven.”
Dalia took off like a shot, heading right for Quincy.
She hit him so hard he doubled over because her head went directly into his balls.
I winced and readjusted Peyson.
Peyson who had yet to stop yelling about how mad she was at not being in her mother’s arms.
“Can I hold her?” Maven asked. “Because this is literally breaking my heart right now.”
I rolled my eyes but gave the baby over.
The baby who abruptly stopped her crying the moment she was tucked into a pair of breasts.
“You know,” I said as I watched Maven with my niece, “maybe I should just buy a set of fake boobs on Amazon and then she’ll like me.”
Maven snorted. “Go empty Pepper’s car out, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I winked, then caught up a few of my brothers and we went to empty the car.
Sure enough, the entire area was so filled with baked goods that it was practically stuffed to the gills.
Pepper helped carry everything in with us, and the second all of it was out, she flipped Atlas the bird and took off like her pants were on fire.
“You need to stop being so mean,” my mom hissed.
“What do you mean? Like as in nasty? Unkind?” Dad asked.
Atlas shrugged. “I have no clue what she’s on about.”
My lips quirked at his words.
I chose not to get into it, though, instead focusing on the woman with the baby.
The woman who was wearing my shirt and a tight pair of leggings that looked like they were made for her body.
The shirt was a dark army green, while the pants were a heathered gray.
The t-shirt fit so loose on her that she could get away with not wearing pants and be completely covered.
“Where’d you get those pants?” I questioned.
“Pepper,” she whispered, turning so that I could see both her and Peyson’s face. “She grabbed my emergency clothes from the bakery. I’ll run by tomorrow and get some more clothes, find more permanent living accommodations that’s not my place.”
Peyson was sound asleep, drooling so thoroughly that she was leaking between the valley of Maven’s breasts.
My stomach soured. “You can stay here.”
She smiled sweetly at me, patting me on the chest. “That’s awfully sweet of you, Auden. But we barely even know each other. We can’t go moving in with each other without even knowing each other first.”
She did have a point but…
“How about until you find something more permanent, we beef up your security system at your house,” I suggested.
Ellodie came up in the midst of my suggestion and reached for Peyson. “I’ll take her now. We’re headed to the house. Quaid says he has a stomachache, and hates pooping anywhere but at home.”
Maven laughed. “He did not.”
“These Carter boys are disgusting,” Ellodie admitted. “They draw you in with their hotness, then destroy the romance the moment you get married and they don’t have to impress you anymore.”
My lips twitched as she walked away.
The moment we were alone, Maven said, “You’d never do a thing like that, would you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t even go number two,” I lied.
Maven snickered and was just about to open her mouth to counter my words when my dad walked over, a worried look on his face.
“Good news and bad news,” he said when he got close enough. “Good news, I still have my job. Bad news, I’m expected in a meeting tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn to discuss this situation. Oh, and the chief expects you and me both.”
Maven stiffened.
I caught her hand, squeezing it lightly. “It’s okay.”
She looked at me worriedly before saying, “I’m not sure that you’re right, honey.”
“I’m just gonna go water my plants,” I said. “Make yourself at home.”
Everyone had left twenty minutes ago, and I was in desperate need of a shower and a beer. But I’d already missed watering everything early this morning, if I missed today completely, I’d have to get up way earlier than I wanted to get it done.
I’d held off on the beer while everyone was here, but I needed something to calm me down.
If I didn’t get control of my shit, I would be doing something with the woman across the room when I knew she wasn’t ready.
“How about I do that?” she suggested. “I saw you eyeing the shower earlier.”
My brows raised. “You wouldn’t mind? It takes forever.”
“I would love to,” she admitted. “Go.”
I caught a beer and headed for the shower while she headed outside.
It took me ten minutes to get through my shower and my beer, and by the time I came back out, she was watering the lilies next to my driveway.
I watched from the window, sipping another beer, and fully admitted to myself that I got irrationally happy seeing a woman I’d had a thing for forever at my house, watering my freakin’ plants.