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)
Which was why, five minutes later, all five of us were pressed to the side of an old El Camino, watching as Janie pleaded with Max to sing to her.
“Janie,” he whined.
“Please, Uncle Max. Come on, please?” She said, giving the pouty lip for extra incentive.
Sighing, he turned towards the motorcycle he was replacing the exhaust on, and started singing, tightening bolts as he did.
We were all dying by the time he’d finished the last verse. Cowboys and Angels definitely would be a must buy song for me in the very near future. Max could’ve easily made a career out of singing. It just showed the type of man he was that he’d decided to protect our country instead.
“That good, pumpkin head?” Max asked Janie.
“Will you sing Frozen?” Janie tried the lip pout again.
“I draw the line at country. I’ll sing anytime you want, but it’s gotta be country. Give me some George Strait, or Garth Brooks anytime over that Disney crap.”
Janie contemplated what Max had just said, absently leaned over and grabbed the next bolt to hand it over to Max, and finally arrived at what she’d been thinking. “Daddy says that Johnny Cash and George Jones are the best. I’m inclined to agree with him.”
“Well, not that your daddy is wrong, but there are other people that sing country that are worth listening to.” Max laughed.
“Daddy says that country music is about life. That no other music can even compete.” Janie continued.
“That’s true.” Max agreed.
“Daddy told me I couldn’t sing ‘I’m in Love With a Stripper’ anymore. That’s how I know. He said that country was the way of life, and I had to live in the North before I could sing anything else.” Janie told him solemnly.
The girl could talk a mile a minute, but the things that came out of her mouth were just amazing.
“That’s not a good song for a girl like you to sing.” Max nodded, his hands deep inside the belly of the bike.
Then, out of the deep blue seas of Janie’s head, she rocked our worlds. “My mommy makes me sad.”
Max froze and turned to Janie. His hands were covered in grease, but he gathered Janie up to him and gave her a hug. She didn’t care about the grease in the slightest.
“Why does she make you sad, pumpkin?”
“She makes me talk to some man when Shiloh has to go to the bathroom. She measures me for dresses and never gives them to me. She told me last week that she had a surprise for me in a couple more weeks, but she won’t give that to me either.”
Time seemed to freeze.
Although we’d thought we were being inconspicuous, we were proven wrong when Max called to Payton.
“Payton, baby. Will you bring me a beer?” He called, concern etched tightly over his handsome face.
Payton stayed frozen, just as I had. We both, as well as Blaine, Ember, and Cheyenne, knew something more was going on. We just didn’t know what.
“What’re y’all doing?” James asked from behind me.
I jumped six and a half feet in the air, and spun around, hand clutching at my heart. “Jesus, did you have to do that?” I gasped.
“What are y’all doing with my kid?” He asked suspiciously.
Max, having heard James’ question, stood up to his full height, Janie in hand, and came straight towards us. Reaching my hands out, I took Janie from him, and left Max and James to talk in private.
Hours passed.
Sebastian arrived to take us back to James’ house, sans James. Janie and I spent a few hours coloring, making dinner, and getting ready for bed. Not once in those few hours did she mention to me what she’d said to Max. Which made me aware of the bond those two had, and how I’d need to work harder to get in there.
Sebastian hadn’t stayed, which didn’t surprise me. The two of them stayed over every night, but were gone until after I went to bed most nights and before I woke most mornings.
Daina was with Todd, according to the note on the table, and I stifled a laugh at the reaction that would raise out of James. Although they weren’t officially moved in together, they still stayed together most nights. Daina only returning to grab even more clean clothes. It wouldn’t take long until everything was at Todd’s place if she kept it up.
As I tucked Janie into bed, and kissed her lightly on the forehead, she looked me straight into the eyes and rocked my world for a second time that day. “I love you, Shiloh.”
Tears blurred my vision. “I love you too, sweetheart.” I said as I brushed her hair away from her eyes.
“Will you tell daddy to come give me a kiss when he gets home?” She asked as her eyes closed.
“You know I don’t have to tell him. He comes to see you every time he gets home, no matter what time it is.” I laughed.
“Yeah, but there may be a time when he forgets, and that’s your job. To remind him.” She said sleepily.
Kissing her cheeks one last time, I stood, and backed out of the room, my eyes staying locked on her, closing the door quietly.
My sleep that night was fitful at best. I’d woken twice to find no James, no dad, and no Sebastian. It was going on four in the morning, and I was starting to really worry.
Which is how I found myself in the basement, watching Top Gun, wishing that I knew how to fly like Goose and Maverick. The movie ended, and I decided that James definitely chose the wrong branch of the military. Navy dress whites were way cuter than the Army’s dress uniform.
Getting up to go check to see if anyone had arrived home, I came to a sudden halt with one foot on the first step when James’ voice halted me.
“I love you. You know?” James’ deep voice said from above me, making me jump yet again.
James was sitting at the very top. Back against the door.