Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“The house looks great,” I replied. I wasn’t lying. She’d swept and mopped and dusted and who the fuck knew what else, and the house smelled like lemon cleaner and whatever the candle was that I could see burning on the kitchen island. “Aoife’s bringin’ the food, right?”
“That’s what she said,” Noel confirmed with a nod. “I told her we’d get drinks. You picked them up last night, right?”
“They’re in a cooler in the garage. I’ll have Bas or Titus help me carry the cooler to the front porch when they get home.”
“I can help you.”
“It’s full of soda, beer, and ice.”
“No problem.”
“Not happenin’.”
“Why are you home from work so early?” Noel asked as she walked with me to the kitchen.
“Finished the truck I was workin’ on yesterday, and they didn’t have anythin’ for me. I spent all day cleanin’ the garage and takin’ inventory.”
“Poor Cian,” she teased.
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered.
“Well, you can help me put up the decorations if you want?”
“You bought decorations?”
“Just streamers and balloons,” she replied offhandedly. “And a banner. No big deal.”
“You realize Saoirse is an adult, right?” I asked slowly.
“Yes, I’ve met your sister.” She huffed. “Everyone likes it when you make their birthday special. It doesn’t matter how old you are.”
“If you say so.”
“You don’t have to help me,” she said, walking over to the back door to pick up a paper grocery bag. “I don’t mind hanging this stuff myself. It’s actually kind of relaxing to get things done without the girls trying to help.”
“Where are my girls?” I asked, giving in to the inevitable.
“They were all up at six o’clock this morning,” Noel complained. “So they all fell asleep at nap time.”
“Nice.”
“It would’ve been a lot nicer if they weren’t up at six,” she said dryly as she handed me a package of streamers. “But, yeah. They rarely take naps at the same time anymore.”
“I don’t remember the last time Ariel took a nap.”
“Me either.”
I followed her around the kitchen with a step stool, using thumbtacks to connect the crepe paper streamers to the ceiling so she could twist and drape them across the room. It took longer than I expected because she had to keep walking around to look at them from different angles to make sure it was how she wanted it.
“Thanks for helping me,” Noel said happily while we blew up balloons. “We haven’t seen you much lately.”
“Yeah, we figured it was probably a good idea to sleep at Myla’s.”
She smiled. “I think Titus appreciates that.”
“I bet.” I wouldn’t want to be just down the hall from one of my little sisters and her man. The thought of it made me want to smash something or vomit.
“Things are good with Myla?” Noel asked. “You two seem happy.”
“Yeah, they’re fine.”
“Uh-oh,” Noel murmured.
“We’re good.”
“Your words say good,” she joked. “Your tone says not-so-good.”
“They’re great, you busybody.”
Noel giggled.
“She’s just pissed at me because she wants to go out with Lou and Frankie tonight, and I said she needed to take someone with her.” I lifted my hand when Noel opened her mouth. “Doesn’t have to be me. They could bring Bas or one of the other boys.”
“The fact that you think that you can win that fight is adorable,” she said easily.
“Those three nutcases aren’t goin’ out and getting’ hammered without someone watchin’ their backs.”
“Yes, you know that,” Noel said. “And I know that. Even Myla knows that. But you knew before you said anything about it that she was going to argue. Why didn’t you just send someone with them without trying to order her around about it? Now, it’s a fight. She’s not going to give an inch.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Neither does you fighting with her over something you both know will happen anyway,” she said smugly. “I think you like it.”
“Like what?”
“Arguing with Myla. You’re into it.”
“It’s irritatin’ as hell.”
“You’re still into it.”
“I’m not.”
Noel just shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“If you could irritate Titus once in a while, I’d feel a whole lot better,” I said, lifting a balloon to my mouth.
“I irritate him plenty,” she replied, raising her eyebrows.
I looked at her skeptically over the top of the rapidly growing balloon.
“All relationships are different,” Noel said with a smile as she pulled the banner out of the bag. “We usually just argue in private.”
“That’s fair,” I replied, tying off the balloon.
“I like you and Myla together,” Noel said with a hum. “You’re a good fit.”
“Can’t argue with you there.”
“But you need to learn to pick your battles,” she scolded gently.
“That might work if she wasn’t such a lunatic,” I replied.
Noel laughed.
We spent another twenty minutes hanging the balloons where the little girls couldn’t reach them and the Happy Birthday banner across the opening between the kitchen and the living room. As we finished, Titus let himself in the back door.