Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
I study my oldest friend, Brad, noticing how he looks around at our place and things. Not in a bad way, though. The place sure could use tidying up, but as soon as it’s clean, it’s only a few minutes away from being back to chaos again.
“You all right?” I ask Brad, meaning, is he really all right? Does he need anything?
He smiles and assures me he’s fine and that Lucy is, too, but I know Brad’s practice is fading. Since Beth moved out, he focused on the work, but there isn’t a high demand for his field in town. Brad declined my invitation to be on the board at the foundation. Proud and pig-headed, I’d call it. It would help pay his bills, but he wants to do things his way, and I can respect that.
“As long as you know we’re here if you do need anything,” I remind him, watching him tolerate my genuine offer. It’s an offer I hope he’ll accept one day instead of scraping by because he’s too headstrong to accept help.
“I was just thinking what a great job you’re doing here, Bo,” he says, flipping the top off a beer and lifting one from the cooler for me. I let him pop it, clink the glass, and set it down as soon as a two-foot-high blur of curls and laughter scuffs across my feet.
I scoop Nicholas up, cradling him and smothering him with noisy kisses before he shrieks and howls with laughter. Setting him down, he’s off again, tearing after his sister or brother. They all fill the house with so much life that it’s hard to feel tired or down.
“You and Beth should be proud,” Brad observes.
I grunt in agreement. “I am!” I let him know. “I’m proud of Beth for every second she gives the kids and me,” I tell him, noticing her moving into the kitchen just far enough to hear me talking her up. She pokes her tongue out at me before I mouth to her that I love her.
Her hand over her heart lets me know she’s just as proud of me as I am of her. The kinda cutesy romance stuff that I thought lasted a few days with most couples has lasted us years so far, and it isn’t showing any signs of letting up. I’m madly in love with my wife as much as the day I first came back from London, seeing her all grown up and just needing to be taken care of.
“I guess I’ll get these ribs in the oven,” Brad smiles.
“And I’ll get the board games out!” Lucy calls out, making me smile with a slight grimace.
“It’s okay, Bowdie,” Brad quips. “We don’t have any games with twenty questions or anything to do with secrets or romance,” he assures me.
We all laugh, and I agree that’s a good idea.
“No secrets here,” I admit, pulling Beth closer as soon as she’s in range, nibbling her neck, and murmuring just one secret: What I’m gonna do to her when we’re alone, which always makes her blush still to this day.
She loves it, and I love her. Being family now, what I love most is not having to hide the fact. It’s always on show.
My perfect life. My perfect family. My perfect wife.
Our forbidden crush bloomed into the most perfect series of miracles, the biggest one being us.
Beth and me, forever.
THE END