Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
And that’s when I learned that she had some sort of childhood trauma when it came to food.
Something that the rest of my family hadn’t taken the time to learn.
And instead, resented her for her lack of ‘communion’ or whatever the fuck my brother had called it once.
“Thanks,” she whispered. “How’d you know?”
I poked her in the cheek where her dimple sometimes resided when she smiled big enough—which wasn’t very often.
“That look on your face,” I said. “The one where you have all these frowny lines around your mouth and eyes as you stare at something you want really bad.”
Bram frowned, looking between me and Dory, as if he didn’t quite like that I knew something about her that he didn’t.
The little dumbass.
He’d had her for years, and he had no fuckin’ clue what kind of treasure he really had.
I couldn’t wait for him to find out, then feel like shit about it.
“Thanks,” she whispered again, taking the cupcake and taking a rather large bite out of it. “I was trying not to ask for it.”
“Ask away, darlin’,” I urged. “You can come in here and get one anytime.”
She smiled at me appreciatively, then looked at Gracelynn who was staring at the cupcakes with consternation on her face.
“Why are you looking at them like that?” Dory asked curiously.
“I have enough icing to ice three more cupcakes,” she said. “And I have four to go in this batch.”
Dory giggled. “It’s one of those messed up ones from the beginning. Damn back skin.”
I had no clue what the hell that was supposed to mean, but obviously Gracelynn did.
“What’s that mean?” Bram asked.
“It means mind your own damn business,” Dory snapped.
Bram looked at her in surprise, as if he hadn’t quite expected those words to ever leave her mouth.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“That’s for ignoring me all of these years, then getting pissed that I’m pregnant and you get an emergency call out of the blue,” she grumbled. “I have to go wash my hands.”
Then she was gone, leaving us all in stunned silence.
Pregnant.
The little slip of a girl? She didn’t look like she was capable of carrying a bag of groceries around, let alone a baby.
“How do you know about the frowny lines?” Bram asked once she’d left the room.
I didn’t hold back any punches as I said, “Because she once looked like that at you.”
Nobody said anything after that.
I got back to kneading my dough. Gracelynn got back to finishing her last batch of cupcakes.
And Bram brooded in the corner until Dory was back with a hesitant look on her face.
“You ready to get to the doctor?” he asked her.
Dory nodded.
Then, surprising me, she walked right up to me and gave me a fierce hug.
Having flour and dough on my hands, I didn’t hug her back.
But I did whisper something in her ear for only her to hear. “Don’t make him fight too hard, darlin’. We both know he’s what you want.”
She scrunched up her face and walked away, leaving a very curious Gracelynn behind.
I could practically feel the questions pouring out of her silent mouth.
“Ask away,” the moment I heard Bram’s motorcycle start up.
She sighed. “There’s so much there that I have no clue where to start,” she admitted. “What happened there? I got a little bit of the info from Dory, but I feel like there’s a lot she’s not saying. Or didn’t have time to say.”
“There’s definitely a lot there,” I admitted. “I met Dory about ten years ago when Bram showed up with her out of the blue. Previously, he’d been with Mimi since high school. I’m not sure what the hell happened there, but it was definitely a shock. Everyone loved Mimi, including me. But back then, I had a hell of a lot on my mind and dealing with whatever bullshit that the family threw out wasn’t it. When I did finally get to know Dory, I wasn’t prejudiced because of Mimi. I actually got to know her, and she’s a sweet little thing. Misunderstood. We bonded over a love for food. She’s got some sort of phobia, or hang up, when it comes to eating anyone’s food that’s not pre-packaged. Or prepared by a professional. I finally talked her into eating some of my food, and it was a friendship made in heaven from there. She allowed me to be quiet, while I allowed her to be quiet.” I paused. “She’s a lot like you. Loves to read smutty books and gets embarrassed when you ask her about it.”
“Hey!” she said. “I don’t always read smutty books. Just some of the time.”
I winked at her. “She’s good people, Dory. The problem is the Crow family is nothing but loyal. And Mimi was who they all envisioned for Bram. I don’t know what in the hell happened there, but I definitely wish I knew. Dory is loyal herself, though, and hasn’t said a word as to what happened. She was always protecting Bram until one day, she just… stopped. She left. That’s the first time I’ve seen her in over six months.”