Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Even a small fender bender can damage a car seat,” I mutter.
“It wasn’t bad,” Jace whispers in that way kids do where it really isn’t a whisper. “And my shoulders only hurt for a few days.”
“Jesus,” I mutter, my eyes starting to burn with tears.
“That is great news,” Em says, her attention fully on Jace who still has his palm locked against mine. “I slipped on some water near the pool a few years back and I think I hurt for a month.”
Jace’s grip loosens in mine, telling me his nervousness is subsiding.
“There’s a pool?” Luca asks, a thrill in his voice that makes me happy.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to Em who just waves it off.
“We’re probably being overly cautious, but we figure better safe than sorry.”
She’s using we, and she was introduced as the president’s wife, but I have no doubt this woman runs this entire organization.
“We have two pools,” Em clarifies. “Let’s get you guys settled inside and we can beg Aunt Mila to let us go for a swim.”
“Momma!”
I turn back to Vincent, finding Sutton in his arms but reaching out in my direction.
He doesn’t hesitate to hand her to me the second I’m close enough, leaning in close like he has a secret to tell.
“I’ll grab the diaper bag. I think she needs to be changed.”
I want to cringe when he points down to the wet spot on the side of his shirt.
“Sorry,” I tell him.
“Don’t worry about it.” He doesn’t seem grossed out, which to his credit is better than I would’ve thought. As a new parent, I gagged the first time I got peed on.
“We were able to do some rearranging in order to get all three rooms together,” Em says as she climbs the stairs to the front door. “We have one for the boys and one for the girls.”
It goes unsaid that the third room she mentioned is Vincent’s. I feel a lot better knowing he’ll be close by, if not a little disappointed they weren’t going to ask us to share a room.
The first room Em shows us to has a crib in it along with a queen-sized bed. It’s spotless and smells of fresh linens. “The bathroom is through there,” she says before pointing to another door. “And the closet. The boys’ room is much the same, minus the crib.”
I take a quick minute to use the changing table next to the crib to clean Sutton up and then I follow her back into the hallway, the boys eager to get to their room. I’m sure they have nothing but that promised pool on their minds.
“We’ve put the boys’ room in between yours and Stormy’s,” Em says as she opens that door.
There are two full-sized beds, and this room looks completely different despite what she said. One bed has a Spiderman blanket on it and the other has a Batman blanket, each with matching pillowcases.
“Oh, wow!” Jace says as he picks the Spiderman bed.
“This is mine?” Luca asks, running toward the Batman bed.
“How did you know?” I ask Em, watching the delight in the boys’ eyes to have their favorite cartoon characters on their beds.
“Stormy mentioned it to Kincaid.”
I look over my shoulder at Vincent, attempting to swallow the emotion that’s clogging my throat.
I mouth a thank you, knowing I have to be tired if a couple of blankets are making me weepy. Deep down I know it’s more than that. I know the boys have had a hard time even before their parents died. They’ve been sharing the bed in my apartment for more than a week while I sleep on the couch. Having something of their own means so much to them.
“I haven’t been able to pin down what Sutton wants though,” he says, bopping her nose with the tip of his finger.
The little girl in my arms grins up at him.
“You’ve all done too much already,” I say.
“No such thing,” Em assures me. “I’ll leave you guys to it.”
“Wait!” Luca yells from his bed, waving his arms as if he’s afraid he won’t be seen. “Thank you, lady!”
I huff a laugh. “Her name is Mrs…”
She shakes her head. “Em is fine.”
“Thanks, Em. I just love Batman!”
“You two young men are very welcome. I’ll see you at the pool.”
As much as I want to cool off in the pool, the thought of getting three kids ready makes me want to sink to the floor.
Vincent, always one to read my mood, steps forward.
“I’ve sorted what I could of the luggage, so this,” he says, holding up the handle to a suitcase, “should be the boys’. The others have been put in your and Sutton’s room. I’ll get the boys ready while you and Sutton get ready.”
“I don’t think they have swimsuits,” I say.
“Damn it!” Jace says, making me snap my head in his direction.