Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“The forecast today said it was going to be just as bad as yesterday,” she said grimacing. “The kids go stir crazy being inside all day.”
“So throw the sprinkler on and let them entertain themselves. Actually, I might even have a lead on a slightly used Slip-N-Slide,” I said, wondering if they’d hosed it off after use.
Knowing Brooks, he would have made sure of it. In fact, he’d probably made Sully scrub it with a toothbrush the next morning just for shits and giggles.
“I could get behind that,” she said, nodding. “I mean, who doesn’t have fond memories of getting those awful plastic burns from those things as kids?”
“That’s what I’m saying,” I agreed, nodding. “I’ll put the call out. Someone will swing it by.” And if it was in the trash or something, someone else could go buy one and drop it off.
But I wasn’t going to tell Lana that.
In fact, I might even have them pick up some other water shit for the kids to fuck around with. Water guns, those sponge balls that suck up water and you hurl at each other, maybe a kiddie pool for Clara to splash in.
“That’s really sweet,” she said, refusing to look at me. She’d been actively avoiding my gaze as much as she possibly could, actually. “You’ve done so much already.”
“Well, in this case, I’m not doing shit but turning the hose on, so stop making yourself feel weird about it,” I said, drying the last pan, and tucking it away.
“Well, let me know if your friend can drop one off. I don’t want to mention it to the kids unless it’s a sure thing.”
“It’s a sure thing.”
“But…”
“It’s a sure thing. Hey kids,” I called as Lana’s eyes went wide. “Want to have an outside water day?” I asked when they came running into the room.
A couple hours later, the kids were so sun-blocked they all had a thick white cast on them as they walked out back to screw around in the sprinkler as we waited for one of the guys to drop by.
Lana, much to my disappointment, was not wearing a bathing suit.
But Clara was all squashed into one, her fat rolls on full display, with a big brimmed hat on her head.
“Did somebody call for a Slip-n-Slide?” a voice called. A female voice.
Surprised, my head whipped in that direction, finding Layna standing there with bags from the local box store and a Hawaiian-shirt-clad Sully a foot behind her, carrying more bags.
Thankfully, this time, Sully’s shirt was PG. It was a bright aqua number with pineapples, watermelon, and flamingoes printed on it.
“Layna,” I said, standing. “What are you doing here?”
“I was at the club when you called. I figured I couldn’t let this fool loose in the children’s section unsupervised. You know they have paint balls you toss at each other now?” she asked, shaking her head. “You’re welcome for dodging that bullet for you,” she called to Lana, giving her a smile.
“Right. Lana, this is my cousin Layna. And a club brother of mine, Sully. Guys this is Lana, Clara, Isaac, and Hazel,” I said, waving as I introduced each of them.
“We also got some snacky stuff,” Layna said, waving a bag. “You forgot the watermelon,” she called to Sully, who was quick to go fetch it. “Watermelon, electrolyte drinks, ice pops, fruit cups. Water-based stuff,” she explained further.
“You thought of everything,” Lana said, impressed.
“Loooot of kids in this family,” Layna said. “That one’s fat rolls are epic,” she added, smiling at Clara. “Her arms look like those Hawaiian rolls,” she went on, getting a laugh out of Lana.
Layna and Sully hung around. The latter, taking the task of setting up a waterpark for the kids very seriously. And the former stealing Clara almost immediately.
“She doesn’t have kids?” Lana asked as we both ducked inside to throw the pops in the freezer, the drinks in the fridge, and cut up the watermelon.
“No. She’s been busy doing a lot of traveling. But it’s looking like she’s starting to get that urge to settle down,” I said as she swayed Clara side to side. We were too far to hear, but we could tell by the way Clara’s body was jumping that she was giving Layna the belly laughs.
“Is that her boyfriend?” she asked, nodding her chin at Sully, who was giving the kids very serious water gun instructions.
“Oh, fuck no. He knows she’s off-limits.”
“Off-limits?” Lana asked, brows raised.
“Oh, right, well, in the club… structure, the members’ daughters are called princesses. And princesses are off-limits to any of the other bikers. Like Sully. Besides, he’s a dog.”
“He seems sweet.”
“He probably is,” I agreed. “And I’m not going to fault him for fucking around when he wants to. I think we all had that out in our early twenties, but he’d been in the military when he was young.”