Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
I sighed. “Okay.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “Let’s get started. I know Gracie is anxious to get in the pool.”
I laughed. My Gracie had been chomping at the bit all morning to go swimming. I promised her once I was done with Colin, I would go in with her. Katy would join us with Heather, who loved it when I swished her in the water. Gracie swam like a little fish thanks to the swimming lessons she started as a baby, and Heather was going to be the same. With summer fading away, the warm sun today made it perfect to hang in the pool and relax with my girls.
“Okay, let’s get started.”
Gracie’s huge blue eyes were filled with excitement as she watched me struggle to blow up the big pink flamingo I had ordered online and that arrived today. I should have thought this through better and ordered a pump too.
Katy smirked as I muttered my thoughts out loud, and she patted my leg.
“It’s all right, my darling. You’re full of hot air.” She winked. “Blow.”
I leaned forward, wrapping my hand around her neck and pulling her in for a kiss. I nipped at her bottom lip. “Cheek.”
She grinned. “You do your version of a blow job, and if you’re lucky, I’ll show you mine later.”
I sat back with a chuckle. “That’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
“I didn’t think so.” She looked around the blanket she was sitting on. “Darn it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I left the sunscreen for the girls in the house.”
“Okay, I can watch them while you go grab it.”
She stood, brushing off her legs. She was curvy and sexy in a halter top and shorts, the material dipping as she bent over to show the dimples at the base of her ass. Dimples I liked to touch as she rode me. I had touched them many times in the past few days.
She caught my leer and laughed as she tickled Heather’s tummy. “Daddy thinks he’s so sly.”
Heather kicked her legs, grabbing at them with her hands as she chortled and gurgled at Katy.
“Be good for Daddy,” Katy admonished.
I watched her walk away, the gentle sway of her hips enticing. The flamingo blew off my lap and skittered away behind me. I rolled the wheelchair back, cursing under my breath as I misjudged the edge and the wheel slid off the concrete, sinking into the grass beside it. The sudden shift in balance almost knocked me out of the chair, yet I managed to hold on.
“Daddy, look at me!” Gracie called.
I glanced behind me, unable to turn the chair around. She was on the swing, pumping fast and high.
Too high.
“Gracie!” I called. “Not so high!”
“It’s fun, Daddy!”
“Slow down!” I commanded, feeling panic. “Stop, Gracie—stop.”
Immediately, her legs stopped moving, the swing losing its momentum.
I exhaled in relief, turning around to look at Heather and make a comment about her daredevil sister.
Except she wasn’t on the blanket.
I jerked my head, my heart stopping when I located her.
Crawling, fast and curious, she was right by the pool.
The next instant, she disappeared from my sight, the splash of water a deafening sound in my head—the one thing I could hear aside from my panicked breathing.
21
Richard
A scream from the house startled me as Katy rushed out the back door. There was no thought, no pain, and no effort in my movements. I was on my feet and headed to the water. In seconds, I was in the pool, grabbing Heather and lifting her to the side. Katy knelt at the edge, taking her from me.
I pulled myself from the water, dripping, panicked, and terrified.
Katy lifted Heather over her knee, patting her back.
“We need an ambulance. Where’s my phone?” I managed to get out. “Where is my fucking phone?” I yelled.
Gracie gasped from beside me. “Daddy, bad word!”
I spied my phone behind Katy and reached for it as Heather began to cough and sputter, spewing water onto the pool decking. Then she started to wail loudly.
It was the sweetest noise I had ever heard.
“Oh fuck,” I muttered. “Thank fuck. I’ll call Mrs. Thomas, and we’ll take her to the doctor.”
“She’s fine. She swallowed some water.” Katy lifted Heather to her shoulder, soothing her. Katy’s eyes were huge in her face. “Richard…” she breathed.
“I’m sorry, Katy. I was distracted, and she moved so fast.” I yanked on my hair and stood, the movement awkward and jerky. “She was beside me one minute and in the pool the next. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Richard…”
“The wheel of that goddamn chair slipped… Gracie called… I looked, and Heather moved,” I babbled. “How did she move so fucking fast?” I bent over my wife. “Is she going to be okay? Please let her be okay. I’ll call the doctor and get her to come here. She can fucking bill me.”
“Richard!” Katy practically screamed in my face.