Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“Would you like a fresh cup of coffee?” Carter asked, putting Kailey on her feet. “Go to the table and wait for mommy.”
She did a full run, climbing into the seat she’d arranged next to mine. Her chair had a bolted booster seat, and she climbed in closer to me. “I wanted to sit next to you. You’re my big brother. Mommy’s sitting on the bench with Daddy.”
“Need a refresher?” Carter asked again. I lifted a finger to the carafe on the table. Carter nodded. “I should have known. Your mom thinks of everything.”
It had been several years since Carter and my mom had gotten together. They’d tied the knot about eighteen months after that first date. During that time, I’d had ample opportunity to see how well they complemented each other. I wanted my mom to be happy and appreciated for everything she brought to a relationship. Carter shared stories about the lives of the rich and famous and the pretense that accompanied such a lifestyle. He appreciated the way my mom anchored him to the life he had always wanted to live.
Great for them. Woo-hoo. However, I still didn’t let him off the hook. I couldn’t shake my distaste for him.
As I grew older, the more I wanted to become a self-made man. I wanted to live and thrive on my own accomplishments. While I had allowed Dash his taste for luxury, I ensured that I still managed my own path. Since Carter was insecure about his and my relationship, he was always offering some sort of financial help. I didn’t want it, and I couldn’t make him understand why. In that same vein, I wanted to appear strong and tough so Carter always treated the females in my life with the respect they deserved.
He hadn’t lost sight of that one time. Not that I saw. But neither had my father…until he did. Though, that wasn’t entirely true either. My distrust of the men in my mom’s life naturally put us at odds with one another.
“Here you go.” My mom placed the bagels on the table and reached for Kailey’s training napkin/bib contraption from behind her chair. “You’re really not sitting by your dad this morning?”
“Nope.” After my mom snapped the napkin in place, Kailey climbed over her chair onto my lap. I had to be mindful of where her feet landed as I helped her settle down on one thigh. She scooted her bowl over closer to her side.
“Well, I’ll be lonely over here,” Carter remarked teasingly.
Kailey giggled and twisted until her face lifted to mine. “Mommy’s sitting by Daddy. He’s not lonely. He’s tricking me.”
“Got it.” I started filling my plate, sinking into the comforting atmosphere my mom created. It brought back memories of my younger days, when I’d lived with the same confidence that Kailey currently had. My father was louder than Carter, and angrier, but my old man was often absent, allowing my mom’s warmth to guide my life.
The way Dash had stayed lodged in my head was also fading. I felt like I belonged here, with or without him, that it was my home too. I appreciated Carter for that.
“I had my assistant forward you the confirmation email for the place on Duck Key,” Carter said, absently filling his plate. “The keys are in a lockbox on the property. Access information is included in the email. I believe you’ll really like this place, Beau. It’s a fisherman’s dream spot.”
“Great,” my mom responded, pouring milk into Kailey’s cereal bowl. “We’re planning to leave here by ten at the latest.”
“Beau, are your friends arriving today?” Carter asked, his eyes lifting to me. “Do I need to forward them the entry information?”
“No, Scott’s had to push back their arrival by a couple of days. He’ll get there around the same time you do,” I said, assembling a bagel sandwich out of the eggs, various meats, and cheeses. With a nod, I grabbed another bagel to make one for the road. It looked that good.
“Is Dash coming?” Carter asked.
I chomped into the first bite of the bagel and accidentally nipped my lip. “Ouch,” I muttered, tasting blood.
Kailey quickly grabbed her napkin from around her neck, dabbing at my sore lip. Her sweet, concerned gaze stared up at me.
“Let Mama kiss it. She makes it feel better,” Kailey said, offering all the help she could.
“Sweetheart,” my mom started. She received a pretty thorough update about the state of my and Dash’s relationship last night. Thankfully, she headed off any more questions from Carter. “Dash isn’t coming this time.”
“The guy needs to slow down,” Carter said, spreading jam over a biscuit. “He hasn’t taken significant time off in years. He’s so driven.”
I swallowed the bite that made it in my mouth and reached for the pitcher of ice water, pouring a good portion into a glass. When Kailey’s big green eyes still stared at me in concern, I tapped my cheek and bent for her to place a kiss there. She did happily.