Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
In my mind, he whispers. “Was that okay?” Our eyes meet, and I nod.
“Then maybe you should go.” Mom dares us all with her raised eyebrows. Dares us to listen to her. Dares us to defy her.
She doesn’t know that nobody dares Hunter, Robert, or Evan to do anything.
Hunter stands, and his brothers do the same. I’m the last to get to my feet. Mom’s mouth opens, surprise pulling her features tight. She’s not used to anyone standing up to her, so this is new.
“Goldie.” Her eyes narrow with disapproval.
“You’ve never been happy with who I am,” I say, suddenly needing to unburden myself. “But I’m happy. For the first time in my life, I’m really happy. If you can’t accept that, we have no reason to be here.”
“Well—”
I turn to Hunter. “Let’s go.”
He nods. “Thank you for the coffee.”
Evan picks up a cookie and takes a bite as we all approach the front door. Outside, a bird flutters into a tree, and a car passes on the street outside. As I leave my childhood home, Hunter reaches for my hand. I allow him to lead me away from a life where I was never good enough to the life I was created for and where I’ve found true love and contentment.
And I don’t look back.
39
ROBERT
“You’ve seriously never been to the Shake It Up Diner?” Goldie asks as she sashays down the street in front of us. The wind flutters her blonde curls and whips her dress closer to her body, and I can’t take my eyes off her perfection.
“Nope,” I admit.
“Well, you’ve missed out on the best burger in the world.”
“Is that an official statistic?” Hunter asks, arching a brow.
Goldie rolls her eyes. “Yes, Hunter. Of all the burgers in the world, this one is the best.”
“Does it beat my sausage?” Evan asks.
Goldie barks a laugh that turns into a snort. She covers her mouth. “Your sausage is juicier,” she admits a little too loudly, drawing the attention of a woman in business attire, walking past.
“We can’t take you anywhere, mate.” Hunter smacks her on the ass, but there’s no sting in his action, just affection. Not like last night.
“You guys need to be on your best behavior,” she says, wagging her index finger. “Rosie has been waiting to meet you for months. Make a good impression, or she’ll start talking about the next man who’s my destiny.”
“Not when she sees you.” Evan reaches the door first and pulls it open for Goldie.
The scent of grilling meat that sets my saliva going fills the diner. One burger isn’t going to cut it. This meal is going to be carnage.
Goldie makes a beeline for Rosie, who’s already situated in a red cushioned booth. I remember her from the club and make a mental note to remind her that mushrooms aren’t on tonight’s menu. As she hugs our mate, she observes us over Goldie’s shoulder, her eyes widening. “Jesus, Goldie. They’re huge!”
Goldie grins, letting her heated gaze trail our forms from head to toe. “They are, but I can handle it.” She presses her hand to her belly, and Rosie glances down, taking in the softly rounded shape beneath the dress.
“Oh my god.” Her hand flies to her mouth, and she reaches out tentatively. “Are you seriously pregnant?”
“Yep,” Goldie says happily. The glow surrounding her since she peed on a stick and waited impatiently for the best news in the world is sparkling gold.
“I can’t believe it.” Rosie pulls Goldie into another hug and then turns her attention to Hunter, who she envelopes in grabby arms, much to my amusement. “Who’s the daddy?” she asks.
“We all are,” I confirm. When she frowns, I wave my hands between us. “Identical triplets mean identical DNA.”
“Oh yeah!” she grins as Evan holds his arms out for a congratulatory hug. “Perfect.”
“It really is.” Goldie slides into a booth while I accept the final embrace from Rosie, who can barely contain her excitement.
“Tell me everything.”
We all take our places in the booth, Rosie next to Goldie on one side and Evan flanked by Hunter and me on the other. The girls pass us menus but don’t bother looking because they’re sticking to their regular order.
“No mushrooms this time?” I ask Rosie.
She holds out her two index fingers in a cross shape. “Mushrooms are the devil's candy,” she hisses, making us all laugh.
Goldie spends the next twenty minutes telling Rosie all about her pregnancy so far. She’s four months along, the babies are fine, it’s twins, and she’s just over her morning sickness. Rosie oohs and ahhs about everything.
In between all the excitement, Rosie’s new boyfriend, a server in the diner, takes our orders.
“So, do you have names?”
“We do,” I say. “Two for girls and two for boys. But we’re keeping them to ourselves until the babies are born.” It’s a lie.