Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“Dear God, Emmy Lou, it’s like you haven’t seen me out of my work or house clothes before. Did you have a good time, peanut butter?” You’d almost feel like a third wheel if you weren’t used to the James girls having their own conversations. I’ve been around enough years to know it’s how they interact.
“It was fun. We watched scary movies and ate our weight in pizza. You would be surprised, I laid off the ice cream! You think Ya-Ya and Baboosh will have dessert today?” Emmy may sometimes act older than her ten years around the sun, but give the girl an ounce of sugar, and she’ll ask for a cup.
“It’s your funeral if you ask her,” I interject.
“Hey, Nix, and no thanks. That’s why I’m asking you two. I’m not ready for her to chase me out of the kitchen with whatever she can find to pretend to use as a weapon.”
“Hiya, girlie. If Ya-Ya doesn’t have dessert, I’m pretty sure we can convince your mom to stop for some ice cream. You buckled?” I ask, putting the truck in reverse and heading to our next destination before heading to my folks’ house.
“I am now.” She kisses her mom’s cheek, then mine, plopping down in the middle of the backseat since Rory isn’t in the truck to complain that Emmy is crowding her space. That’s why she’s taking advantage of the situation to be able to sit in her favorite spot if she’s not riding shot gun.
“And how many times have you taken the girls for coffee, donuts, ice cream, and who knows what this week?” I’m not touching that subject. Rosaleigh would not like the answer, and after hearing the reason why she’s been cutting back, well, I’d do a shit ton more if it meant she’s no longer attached to Douchebag David.
“I plead the fifth,” I reply under my breath. Leigh huffs out a laugh, dropping the subject. That doesn’t mean Emmy stops talking for the next five minutes about what movies they watched, how one of the horror films looked fake, the second one was better, and then how they watched a Disney princess movie to fall asleep to.
“What did you two get up to last night?” I’m at the curb of where Rory spent the night, both girls preferring to hang with their friend they’ve known since kindergarten. Small town life; you gotta love it. That’s not was has me and Leigh looking at one another, wondering how the hell Emmy could figure anything out. “Obliviously, Mom stayed home last night. Lame, dude, lame.” I turn in my seat to get a look at her. Keeping a straight face is damn near impossible. “Tracked you, Momsies. Nix, we need to get you on our circle. Then we’ll all know where everyone is at any given time.”
“You and your sister track me entirely too much. Sometimes I wonder who’s the mom and who’s the child when it comes to that app.” Rosaleigh has a look of relief on her face, probably having the same worry I did. If someone told the girls we spent the night together before we had a chance to sit down, figure out how we were going to make this work, I’d have been pissed as fuck and someone would have felt my wrath.
“Hey, hey, hey. Thanks for picking Emmy up first. We were still being couch potatoes. What did I miss?” Rory hops into the truck, looking at all three of us, then telling Emmy, “Move over, sister. I love you, but not enough for you to sit on top of me on a car ride.”
“The sass level is at a hundred today. Get it out now and don’t annoy Nix too much before we arrive at Ya-Ya’s and Baboosh’s. Emmy, leave the poor man alone. I’m sure the last thing he needs is you two stalking his location,” Leigh replies, picking up her travel mug filled with coffee that I made for her after ruining her first cup.
“Oh, I love that idea. Honestly, it would help in times when Mom has to stay at work late and we don’t know if you’re at the shop or at home.” I hear the distinct click of Rory’s seatbelt, allowing me to get this show on the road. By the time we finally make it to my parents’ house, Leigh is going to be hopped up on caffeine without food and the girls are going to be ready for their second if not third meal of the day.
“You two, let the man have a moment without you harassing him, okay?” My eyes are on the road, a smirk on my face, enjoying the way the James women have no problem talking every situation out.
“Add me to the circle, Em.” I grab my phone out of the cup holder and hand it to her. She knows the code, and I’ve got nothing to hide. The girls might not clue in yet, but they’re doing me a favor more than they know. It won’t be long until Rory is out with a group of friends, going to movies, and more boys are sniffing around as it is. Next up, it’ll be Emmy, and fuck if that doesn’t do something inside my chest. I’m not prepared to watch my girls grow up to be young women, that’s for damn sure.