Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“Oh sugar, you’re gonna break my heart,” she whined. “How about tomorrow? Just you and me?”
I was saved by the fuzz.
“Are we having a party in here?” The voice that carried across the space was the voice of the law around these parts. But he was also my brother-in-law.
Seth and Otto wandered into the pub. Otto held my niece Tisha on his back like a turtle shell.
“Hey, y’all,” I called out. “Come join us. Tish, you might need to help me eat this bear claw. Look how big it is.”
As soon as Otto and Seth moved out of the doorway, I saw they’d brought with them the tall, dark, and intimidating fire chief, Evan Paige.
One minute Stevie had been chatting across the bar with Charlie and the next he was crouched in a ball behind the bar next to Charlie’s feet.
“I’m not here,” he squeaked.
Augie entered the pub next, informing us Mama was safely ensconced in the antique shop with her paramour. Well, one of her paramours anyway.
“And I’ve noticed she looks a little… pregnant,” Augie said. “It’s not possible Milo…”
I leaned over and mumbled to Charlie. “Isn’t Milo a cat?”
Charlie’s smile was devious. “Should I pull a Stevie and screech to the heavens about someone deflowering my special girl?” he asked.
“Not fair.” Stevie pouted from down by our feet. “I was beside myself with guilt. I’m going to be the father of a passel of ugly-ass bastards. Me. I’m too young and pretty to be a baby daddy.”
Chief Paige’s head snapped up at the sound of Stevie’s voice. “Is that Stevie? Sweetheart, get out here, we need to talk.”
Life in Hobie was never boring.
38
Charlie
Charlie’s Luck:
When I finally get a chance to show off my trialing skills, Mama can’t work.
That week was heaven. During the day we flirted quietly when no one was looking, and at night we took turns fucking each other until we were too spent to stay awake a minute longer. I could tell something was on Hudson’s mind, but I was fairly sure it wasn’t anything to do with me. I thought maybe he was still worried about Darci, who hadn’t yet moved out of his cabin.
“Do you need to… I don’t know, go stay with her or something?” I asked one night when we were taking a shower together after work. “I feel bad. I’m monopolizing your…” I couldn’t take my eyes off his flaccid cock. We’d gotten off on a mutual handie when we’d first gotten in the shower, but now I wanted to make him hard again. “Time.”
“Nah. She’s actually staying with Sassy tonight. They’re going to a painting thing.”
“What kind of painting thing?” I asked, not really giving a shit. I soaped up his crotch, paying special attention to every single twig and berry.
“The kind where you drink wine more than ah-ha-haaa. What are you doing down there?”
“None of your business. What are we doing for dinner?”
Hudson’s groan was deep and long, and he turned around to face the molded plastic wall before sticking his bum out at me. I dropped to my knees and tasted his clean skin. When I was done with him and our second helpings of ejaculate had splattered the cramped shower stall, I asked again.
“Dinner?”
“Oh, right. Doc and Grandpa went out, but Grandpa said there’s stuff to make pizza if we want. Or there’s still leftovers from the other night. What do you want to do?”
“Pizza’s good as long as you know how to make it. I’ll burn the place down, and we need another visit from the fire chief like a hole in the head.”
Hudson handed me a soft blue towel from the rack behind the toilet. “Yeah, what was that about? Did you see Stevie cringe the other day when Chief Paige walked in?”
“Cringe? The man leapt the bar in a single hop.”
“Evan called him sweetheart,” he pointed out. “Are they together? He’s twice Stevie’s age.”
We speculated about the two of them while we dressed in comfortable clothes and made our way over to the farmhouse. Mama showed as much enthusiasm for Grump in the evenings as she did for Milo during the day. I was beginning to wonder if my girl was a two-timer.
After we fixed the pizzas and slid them into the oven, Hudson grabbed us both a beer and gestured to the big sofa on the far side of the kitchen table.
“Sit. I need to talk to you about something,” he said. There was a tone in his voice that worried me.
“What is it?” I wondered if he was going to tell me he couldn’t come to the dog trial that weekend after all.
“There’s something going on at work you need to know,” he began. “I didn’t want to tell you this because I don’t want you to worry, but I was wrong to keep it from you. I trust you. And… well, it affects you too in a roundabout way.”