Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“You okay, sweetie?” I cooed as I dropped down next to Janie on the dust.
The bus driver yelled a goodbye, and pulled away, leaving us in silence, minus the soft crying coming from Janie. “Y-yes.”
“What happened, punkin’ head?” I asked, smoothing her blonde wispy flyaway hairs back against her scalp.
Tear tracks ran in straight lines down her cheeks, and she looked absolutely pitiful. The wound itself was fairly basic, scraped knees that everyone dreads, but overall she was in good health.
“I fell off the fucking bus.” She said in one of the sweetest voices I’d ever heard.
“You sure did punkin’ head. You know that’s a bad word. You really shouldn’t say that.” I scolded gently as I helped her to her feet.
“I know. I heard Uncle Max say it yesterday while he was working on the Dyna we have in the shop.” She said with absolutely no apology anywhere in sight.
“Yes, that’s a boy thing. Girls shouldn’t cuss. What kind of Dyna was he working on?” Liar, liar, pants on fire. I was going to hell. My mouth could compete with a Marine’s vocabulary with ease.
“It was a 2002 Dyna Super Glide. It’s really pretty. Uncle Max was replacing the brakes because the dumbass who owns it doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. Says the Dyna was too much bike for a banker douche like him, but at least it wasn’t one of those pocket rockets that guys with small dicks normally like to ride.” She explained.
Do not laugh. Do not laugh.
My eyes raised from Janie’s hazel ones to the identical ones of her father’s and I saw the mirth floating around in his eyes, trying just as hard as me not to laugh his ass off, too.
“Honey, what have I told you? What goes on in the garage stays in the garage. We don’t repeat bad words anywhere else but there. Got it?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye, and then stooped down to kiss her skinned knee.
“Yes, daddy. It feels all better. Can I have a beer now?” She asked with a pouty lip.
“Sure thing baby. I bet there’s a few in the garage fridge. Why don’t you go check?” He asked as he stood to his full height.
Janie didn’t wait another second. One second she was leaning into her father, and the next she was halfway up the drive.
James turned from watching his daughter’s retreat to studying my face. “I really don’t give her beer.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I got that. Root Beer?”
“Yep. They come in those little baby cans that don’t even seem worth it. The guys make sure it’s always stocked with her favorite. Otherwise they have to hear her complain.” He snickered.
“I’m sure she doesn’t complain in the slightest. What I think happens is that y’all spoil the shit out of her.” I said as I walked up to the garage and watched as Elliott opened her baby can of root beer for her.
“Thank you, Lott. I love you.” She said in her little pixie voice.
If it were possible, Elliott would’ve melted into a puddle of goo onto the floor. He reached his hand down and ran his knuckles on her cheek in a loving gesture, then pulled her ponytail.
“Hey!” She said with indignation.
Her shout was followed by a shot to the balls, which, luckily, Elliott had the wherewithal to block. He wasn’t able to block the frog to his thigh, though. Which caused him to start jumping around crying out. It was a good act. That is if he was actually acting.
“You taught her that didn’t you?” I laughed.
“Uhh, no. That would be Ember. She felt that she needed to know how to defend herself. She’s got one hell of a right hook, too.” He agreed, eyes watching his daughter as she walked to the bike that Sam was working on, then taking a seat next to him on her own stool.
“You want to talk to him?” He asked.
My eyes snapped to James’ face and I flushed. Dammit. All it took was one freakin look at my brother and I started to wish I had him as a friend. My head kept saying ‘Caution, Keep Out!’ but my heart kept saying, ‘That’s your brother. He needs you as much as you need him.’
“No.” I choked. “I would like to go home, though. I can walk. Looks like that storm passed us by.”
A car pulled into the parking lot behind us, but I ignored it in favor of watching my feet.
“It didn’t. It just hasn’t reached us yet. Are you sure you don’t want to stay another day? I don’t mind. Janie and I love guests. Every once in a while it’s nice to have someone to talk to that doesn’t tell me how much she loves GI Joe and Iron Man.” He said, placing his palm on the small of my back.
Tiny little shivers sparked from his hand, down to parts lower that hadn’t seen the light of day in well over a year.
The warmth that his touch had caused took a flying leap off the proverbial cliff when an absolutely adorable woman stepped out of a silver Fusion. She was short, reminding me of Payton and Blaine. Short blonde hair that gathered around her shoulders in choppy layers brought attention to her face, which reminded me of those baby dolls that have the blush painted on in the perfect circles on their cherub cheeks.
“Hey, Jamie.” The woman said, blushing even more perfectly.
She was honestly the most adorable woman I’d ever seen, and I hated her.
The loss of James’ touch at my back was like a cool bucket of water being poured over my skin. His arms opened wide, and I had to step out of the way to make sure I wasn’t mowed down by the little sprite.
Stupid Tinkerbelle.
You know, in Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle was a real bitch. She wasn’t nice in the slightest, and I always wonder why Disney portrayed her as this cute little fairy, when in reality she was Satan’s spawn.