Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“She’s teething,” she tells me, “and your brother jut left, so she’s pissed that she has to settle with me.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “She is such a daddy’s girl.”
“She knows how to play him. She may only be one, but the minute her lower lip starts to tremble, it’s game over for your brother.”
“Last time I took her from him, she just looked at him and got the biggest tears in her eyes,” I tell her, “so he snatched her away and told me not to bother her.”
“Yup, sounds like him,” she says, “but I’m calling to invite you over for dinner tonight, if you don’t have any plans.”
“Well, I did have plans to make my bed my bitch,” I tell her, thinking of the king-size bed waiting for me at home.
“How long have you been on?” She asks the dreaded question.
“Long enough,” I respond, and she hums. “I guess if I can take a nap when I get there, we should be good.”
“It’s a deal. If I’m not home, just come in and make yourself at home,” she tells me, and we hang up.
I finally finish doing the charts and am walking out a little past noon when my phone rings, and I see it’s Max.
“Well, well, well,” I say, smiling when I answer the phone. “If it isn’t the big and bad Mad Max,” I tease him, knowing he hates that nickname.
“I swear I will never live that fucking name down,” he says of the nickname that Allison gave him when she was public relations for the team.
“I heard you are coming over for dinner. Need a ride?” he asks as I walk down the street toward the subway entrance. “I can pick you up in five; practice was cut early.”
“That would work,” I tell him. “I just left the hospital. Where do you want me to meet you?” I ask, looking around. Hearing a beep, I see he is right behind me, so I hang up and open the door to his truck, getting in. “Isn’t this a nice surprise?” I lean over and kiss his cheek.
“You look tired,” he says, pulling away from the curb.
“That’s because I am tired,” I tell him. “But I’m off for the next three days. It’s going to be glorious.” Smiling, he drives away from the city to his house in Long Island.
He had a loft in SoHo, but he gave it to me when he and Allison decided that my nephew, Michael, needed a yard to run around in.
Closing my eyes, I put my head back against the rest, and the next thing I know, he is pulling up to his house. “You can sneak upstairs and nap and then come back downstairs,” he says to me, and I just nod. When we walk into the house, I walk up the winding staircase to the spare bedroom. Undressing to my bra and underwear, I pull myself under the thick blankets. I don’t even bother closing the shades because by the time my head hits the pillow, I’m already asleep.
“Auntie Dede.” I hear whispered. “Auntie Dede.” I open one eye and see my blue-eyed nephew smiling at me. “Surprise,” he whispers. “I made you a picture,” he says, holding up the white sheet that he just colored on.
“Come cuddle with me,” I tell him, and he crawls on the bed and sits by my stomach, and then lies down. I kiss his head and bring him close to me. “I missed you.”
“I know,” he says, and I laugh.
“Did anyone tell you that you’re perfect?” I ask him, kissing him on his cheek, and he just nods his head.
“You tell me all the time,” he says, giggling when I kiss him behind his ear. “Daddy said it’s almost time to eat,” he says.
“Okay.” I stretch now, groaning. “Tell him I’m coming.”
He runs out of the room, and I think he’s going to wait till he gets downstairs to tell Max. “Daddy, she said she’s coming!” he yells as he slams the door, and I smile. I pull my comfy blue jeans back on and slip into my light blue button-down shirt and tuck it in, then pin my brown hair on top of my head. As I make my way down the steps, the sound of a strange voice catches me off guard.
I walk into the kitchen and hear, “Thank you so much for having me.” His back is to me, and I’m not sure who he is.
“It is our pleasure,” Allison says as she looks over and sees me. “And here she is, the woman of the hour.” I tilt my head to the side while the man turns around, and I’m stuck in place.
His crystal blue eyes pierce right through me. His light brown hair almost a buzz cut. His days-old stubble matches his tanned face, but I don’t really look much at him. Instead, I look at the little boy standing in front of him; the little boy with the same blue eyes as the man except they don’t light up. “Denise, I’d like you to meet Zack and Jack Morrow.” I hear Allison say, but I never wander from Jack’s eyes and the pull that I have to him, the need to go to him. I finally look up at my brother, who stands there with his daughter on his hip.