Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 72669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“Invite them, too,” I ordered, taking a sip of the hot coffee.
Masen sat down beside me, and we both watched as Aaron finished off the last of the kolache, then boldly reached for a glazed donut.
“These better not have anything else on them,” Aaron glared at the both of us.
“Like jizz?” Masen asked boldly, making Aaron choke slightly. “There aren’t any crème filled ones, so if you find one, you might not want to finish it.”
Aaron gagged.
I laughed and pulled her tighter into me, lifting my coffee over her shoulder and sitting it on the ridge of the couch.
She nuzzled my bare chest, lazily lifting her hand up to play with my chest hair.
“What time is dinner today?” she drew circles on my chest. “I can’t believe I got it off, though. We should make sure to say a Thanksgiving prayer for that.”
“Four, from what I remember. Although, I was supposed to bring a pie from the shop in town,” I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and pinching the bridge of my nose. “Shit.”
“I can go get one after I get my grandma,” she offered.
“You’re never going to get your grandmother into the truck,” Aaron pointed out. “You can use the new one I just bought.”
“You bought a new car?” Masen asked.
Both of us looked at Masen like she was joking, but obviously she wasn’t.
“What?” she pursed her lips, taking a sip of my coffee and handing it back to me.
I took it and took my own sip before I placed it back on the ledge of the couch.
“You do remember, right, how he got the burns?” I asked finally.
Her eyes widened, and then a blush stole over her face.
“Shit,” she covered her mouth, causing Aaron to laugh.
“Ahh, you’re a breath of fresh air, Mase,” Aaron grinned, reaching for another donut.
“You’re going to eat all of my donuts, aren’t you?” I asked him. “There are a ton of sprinkled ones there.”
Aaron shrugged and took a bite.
I rolled my eyes.
“Maybe this afternoon I can talk to your grandmother about buying her house. And you can tell our parents that you’re getting married,” Aaron said.
I turned to Masen and smiled.
“They’re going to freak out.”
She nodded in confirmation.
“They sure are.”
***
Masen
“Mom,” I wheezed through a constricted wind pipe. “I can’t breathe.”
“I’m so happy for you, honey,” she whispered. “So, so happy.”
My mom finally let me go and I stretched my neck to ensure proper blood flow began going back into my head. My mom jumped from me to my father, and when I say jump, she literally jumped.
“Chill out, Karen,” my dad ordered. “You’re embarrassing me.”
I laughed.
That was as far from the truth as it could possibly be.
My mom didn’t embarrass my father at all; in fact, my father was worse than my mother in his excitement.
“Let’s toast!” Booth’s mother said. “Gather round.”
Adria passed out goblets for the champagne that Booth had forced us to stop and get on the way to pick up my Grammy.
Once every one had a glass, Booth’s stepfather spoke.
“Alright,” Bill said. “I know, just like we all know, that this day was bound to happen. I can’t help but feel excited that it’s finally come, and I can’t wait to bring Masen officially into our family.”
My belly warmed deliciously at Bill’s kind words.
“It’s been a hell of a long time since we’ve all been together like this, and I can’t wait for next year, and all the years to come,” Bill finished. “Cheers.”
Booth rolled his eyes from across the room where he was leaning against the door, speaking with my grandmother in low tones.
I grinned at him and turned to the picture that still graced the Sims’ wall.
There, in a place of honor, was a picture of me and Daniela, the first year we’d come over to spend Thanksgiving with the Sims’ family.
I was holding on to Daniela’s hand as she tried to force feed me a bite of pumpkin pie, the most horrid pie on the planet.
Tears clogged my throat as I looked at that picture, one moment frozen in time of one of the happiest moments of my life.
I licked my lips just as two strong arms wrapped around my chest from behind.
“You okay?” Booth rumbled, pressing his lips against my neck.
I shivered as his bristled jaw rubbed deliciously against my sensitive skin, causing goose bumps to break out all over my body.
Patting his hands, I leaned back against him and said, “I wish she was here.”
“Me, too,” he said. “She’s missed.”
She was.
Although my parents were here and happy, they weren’t happy at first to be celebrating.
We hadn’t had Thanksgiving or Christmas at all since she’d died.
Those two days were just like any other day for me, and I was happy to see that both of my parents were enjoying the day despite missing one integral part of our family.