Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Okay, princess. You let me know if you get too hot and want me to open that window in the bedroom. It sticks like hell.”
“I will. Love you, Dad,” I said, kissing the top of his head as I passed him.
“Love you too,” he said as I walked away. “Glad to have you home.”
* * *
“Frances, you drop that box and I’ll shave off half your beard while you’re sleeping,” I warned as one of my childhood friends carried two too many boxes toward the house. “I’m not joking.”
“Call me Frances again, and I’ll drop-kick it across the yard,” he shot back, kicking out his leg just to irritate me.
“Sorry, Frank,” I sang, walking up the ramp into the hot truck.
We were halfway through moving my stuff into the house, and it was already so hot that I had sweat stains on my T-shirt. It was a good thing I had absolutely no intention of trying to impress the guys who’d shown up that morning to help.
After I’d hugged both of them hello, I’d pointed them in the direction of the truck and we’d started to unload. Dad kept an eye on Etta and built our beds as we moved the boxes in, but none of us let him carry anything heavy. A few years ago he broke his back when some bitch in a Honda ran a stop sign and slammed into his motorcycle, and he’d been having problems ever since. I wasn’t about to have him mess himself up more by carrying a box of my books into the house.
Sometimes, when I was away from home for a long time, I began to feel like the life I’d left behind didn’t matter. It seemed so far away that I let myself forget the connections I had in Central California. But the minute I was home, I began to remember why I’d felt so safe and comfortable in that little town outside Sacramento.
My dad’s friends were really more like a family. When he’d brought Miranda and me down from Oregon, they’d seemed big and scary, but after only a few hours, my sister and I had both known that we’d found our tribe. The men and their wives were rough around the edges. They smoked and drank and partied all night. They also loved their kids, went to every school event, and looked out for each other like no one I’d ever met before or since. Their kids were even better. It was like, from the moment they’d met us—two petite blond-haired girls who were suspicious of everyone and everything—they’d adopted us as their own.
Frank was the oldest son of my dad’s closest friend, and one of the few of us kids who’d stuck around once we were grown. He had two younger brothers named Reggie and Olly, but only Olly had stayed in the area. He was helping unpack, too.
“Girl, you look hot as hell,” a raspy voice called out behind me. “And I don’t mean attractive.”
“Thanks, old man,” I replied, laughing as I turned to face my honorary uncle. “You look old, but that’s not surprising.”
“I’m in the prime of my life,” he argued, his big barrel chest shaking as he laughed. “Come give your uncle Danny a hug.”
“Missed you,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“Same. You home for good?”
“Home for now,” I answered, leaning back to meet his eyes.
“Always on the move,” he said, shaking his head. “You and that sister of yours.”
“What can I say?” I shrugged as I stepped back. “I’ve got places to go and people to see.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he replied, reaching out to give my ponytail a yank. “Where are my pain-in-the-ass sons? They helping you?”
“Your pain-in-the-ass sons have been here for two hours,” Frank said, walking toward us. “Where you been, old man?”
“In bed with my wife,” Danny replied, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning.
“That’s my mother you’re talking about,” Frank bitched, shaking his head as he hopped into the truck, not bothering with the ramp.
“So sensitive,” Danny said quietly to me, shaking his head as his eyes twinkled.
“Move,” Frank ordered as he carried boxes down the ramp. “Don’t want to be doing this shit all day.”
“Nobody made you come,” I sniped back, shifting out of his way. “You’re in such a pissy mood.”
“You know I love ya,” he called back over his shoulder. “But it’s already hot as fuck out here.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a box, taking a minute to get my balance with the extra weight before following him toward the house. I wasn’t about to stand around chatting while other people unloaded my stuff.
“You going to be here for a while?” I asked as Danny carried a couple of boxes behind me.
“Yeah, got nothing else planned. We’ll catch up later,” he huffed, out of breath.