Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“C’mon, Uncle Dame, have a little fun,” Jesse quipped on their second round on the smallest slide.
I glanced upward at how small the space was at the top of the plastic enclosure. I was taller and had at least forty pounds on Jesse. “With my luck, I’d probably get stuck.”
“You’re no fun,” he said, and I scoffed. There was the burr in my side that’d been missing.
“Unca Dame is fun,” Hailey said, defending me. “He weads the wabbit book, and we make bunnies outta Play-Doh.”
When Jesse grinned and his eyes softened, I needed to look away. What the hell was going on here? I didn’t want this dude to know my business. Like, at all.
Too late.
After he followed her down one more time, he dusted off his jeans at the bottom of the slide. “Well, thanks for letting me hang out. I better get going.”
“Do you have to walk far?” I asked, looking toward the street. Why the hell did I ask? I didn’t want to know stuff about him. I really didn’t.
“Nah, not that far. I normally take the bus, but today was nice enough to walk.”
He didn’t drive? Or didn’t have a car? None of my business.
I wavered a moment, wondering if I should offer him a ride. I didn’t want to look like an asshole, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to be overly friendly or for him to think I actually liked him. Because I absolutely didn’t. So what if he was good with kids and made my niece laugh?
“Just so you know…I auditioned for a job in the Underground,” he said with a wince as if the news would upset me.
“Huh?” Then I caught on. “You mean Tommy’s job?”
When he nodded, I blurted, “You know how to sing?”
My skepticism must’ve showed because he narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. “I do, and I’m pretty good. Even Chet thought so.”
I held up my hands. “I believe you. Just didn’t think the Underground was your style.”
“Then I guess you don’t know me at all,” he said through clenched teeth.
Christ. Well, that lasted a hot minute. “I never said I—”
“It was great meeting you, Hailey,” he shouted to her—she was up on the slide again—then jutted out his chin. Under his breath but loud enough for me to hear, he added, “Too bad you have an asshat for an uncle.”
And then he turned and walked away.
9
Jesse
I couldn’t make sense of Dane. The guy drove me fucking crazy. One minute we seemed okay, and the next he was all bristly to me again, like a brush against my skin, and not even the smooth, back part with a tender smack to my ass—I’d been known to have a little fun like that in the past. Nope, he was rough and sharp, all pokey edges and— “Desse!”
I turned around to see Hailey jogging toward me as fast as her tiny legs would take her. Dane was walking behind her, his hand running through his dark hair like he wasn’t sure what to do. Ugh. And it was kind of cute. Why did he have to be cute?
I headed toward Hailey. When we reached each other, I knelt down. “What’s up, little one?”
“Unca Dame says we can have ice cream!”
“Oh my God. I love ice cream. I have it for breakfast sometimes.”
Her eyes went wide.
“But we don’t eat ice cream for breakfast. It’s not good for you,” Dane added, and I really wanted to make a sarcastic remark or tell him he was no fun, but first, I didn’t want to piss him off, and second, I didn’t want to be a bad influence on the little one. I’d find a way to tell him he was a spoilsport later.
“He’s right. My mom used to tell me I shouldn’t eat ice cream for breakfast, and you should always listen to your mom.” Unless they thought you were a sinner who was going to hell, but I obviously couldn’t say that to Hailey. “So…ice cream?” My eyes traveled up to Dane, and I cocked a brow at him.
“I’m sure you’re busy. Hailey just wanted to ask.”
“Nope!” I shoved to my feet. “Not busy at all! What’s your favorite?” I asked Hailey.
“Birthday cake with sprinkles!”
“Dude! My favorite is birthday cake with sprinkles!”
“Unca Dame likes ’nilla.”
And why wasn’t I surprised he was a vanilla guy? “Well, we’ll have to work on that, won’t we, Uncle Dame?” I said, and he rolled his eyes, but I was pretty sure I saw a smile tease the corner of his mouth.
“Why would I work on something I like?” Dane asked.
“Because it’s boring? You don’t even add sprinkles or chocolate sauce or strawberries or…oooh, gummy bears? They get sort of frozen, and then you can suck on them and it’s like little drops of sugar melting in your mouth.” Great. Now I wanted gummy bears.