Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I nod, mouthing back that I love her. I do so completely that I don’t even know who I was before she came into my life. As I watch my brother place his hand over his unborn child and lean in to kiss his wife for the first time, I know that is what I want. The wife, the kids, and Aurora. I want it all with her, and the crux of it all is that I’m not going to tell her. Not yet.
I don’t know what happened last weekend when the girls were here all alone, but whatever we walked in on, it changed my girl. She’s more open and affectionate, and even though the worry is still there lingering in the back of her mind, it doesn’t stop her from pushing forward.
Today is Saturday, which means she’s off tomorrow. That also means that I get her with me tonight, in my bed. I get to hold her all night long and wake up next to her in the morning. I tried like hell to get her to stay with me over the past two weeks, but she insists that it’s just easier, and she gets to sleep a little longer staying above the bakery. I let it go, but we’re going to have to do something about that. About her hours. The bakery is doing well. Aurora claims business is better each month, and I love that for her. Maybe I can drop a hint that she needs to maybe hire someone. I need more time with her. I need her next to me at night. I could stay there, but then Aspen is around, and I love her little sister, but I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear her sister calling out my name in the middle of the night.
“Grant.” I jerk out of my thoughts to find Aurora watching me. “You okay?”
I look around and see that we’re the only two left still sitting. “Yeah, baby. I’m good. Just thinking.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.” I stand, pulling her with me. “I was just thinking about how I get you all to myself tonight and how I need to find a way to convince you to do it more than one night a week.”
Her eyes soften. “I’ll see what I can do. You can stay with me, you know.”
“Aspen doesn’t want to hear that.”
“No, but you can hold me,” she counters. Her face is still flushed, but she’s speaking without hesitation. She’s telling me what she wants, and that’s a huge leap in the right direction.
“Done.”
She throws her head back in laughter. “Come on. We need to congratulate the happy couple.”
Hand in hand, we make our way to Owen and Layla, passing out hugs and congratulations. We devote the next few hours to spending time with our family. Marshall and Conrad take turns spinning Aspen around the dance floor while the rest of us have our own women, not that Aspen seems to mind. She’s lapping up the attention my brothers are throwing at her. I know because I keep checking on her. She’s my girl’s little sister, and I don’t want her to feel left out or unwelcome.
“We’re going to start putting everything back,” Royce says as he and Sawyer step up next to where I’m spinning Aurora around the makeshift dance floor.
“I’ll help.” I kiss Aurora on the forehead and release my hold on her.
“What can I do?” she asks Sawyer.
“I think we should start in the kitchen.”
“I don’t know why she didn’t let us hire this done,” Owen grumbles as Royce and I join him and our younger two brothers to take down the decorations and put the furniture back.
“Stop bitching. She’s yours now,” Royce tells him, and that’s all it takes to shut him up. It doesn’t take us long to take down the decorations, setting the vases of flowers throughout the room, once we have the furniture moved back into place.
“Looks like home,” Layla says as she waddles toward us.
“I thought you were putting your feet up?” Owen asks her.
“I was in the kitchen, but then I decided to help. The girls kicked me out.”
“Good. Sit.” Owen guides her to the couch.
“Nice to have it all back in order. Silly man changing it around so early.” She smiles up at him.
“Any excuse to keep you from changing your mind, Mrs. Riggins.”
“You’re stuck with me.”
“Fucking finally,” Owen says, and the rest of us roar with laughter, including his new wife.
“I’m going to go check and see what else needs to be done so we can get out of your hair.”
“You don’t have to rush off,” Layla announces.
“It’s your wedding night,” Royce counters.
“And we all know this one is eager to get you alone.” Marshall wags his eyebrows, bending to give Layla a hug.
“Welcome to the family, sis,” Conrad says, swooping in for a hug as well.