Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
All the siblings are finally gathered by the time Miranda serves a home-cooked meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and a triple-layer chocolate cake. Now we’re all relaxing in the formal room, not because we’re a formal family but because it has the most space and seating.
On the long antique sofa, Abby sits between my mother and father, holding both their hands. They’ll be monopolizing their youngest twin until she heads back to Pittsburgh. Kellen, Kat, Trey and Wade are at the round poker table that seats four, a marble cover hiding the game beneath. Mom keeps it covered and a small vase of fresh flowers on it instead.
Marcie and Sylvie are on the love seat, their heads bent together as Marcie shows Sylvie something on her phone. No clue what it is but Sylvie’s laughing. Renault is curled up on the floor beside them, snoozing hard.
My eyes linger on the redheaded bombshell and the mighty little raven-haired girl, both new to my life and yet somehow incredibly important to me. I could’ve never imagined having a daughter and now that I have her, I can’t imagine life without her.
And Marcie? I can’t stop thinking about last night and how unbelievably fantastic the sex was. Yes, it was hot and explosive and the best I’ve ever had, but I’ve never felt intimate with a woman before.
Close.
In fact, after we’d gone at it a third time and had finally spooned to get some sleep, I had a very short moment where I wasn’t sure if this was right. And because the feeling was so at odds with how I’d been just moments before, I voiced it to Marcie.
“I’m not used to this,” I said into the darkness. Her back was flush against my chest, her naked bottom settled against my groin and she wiggled a little. I slid my palm down her thigh to hold her still or we’d never get to sleep.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Cuddling. Talking. Connection.” Three simple words, but Marcie was smart enough to understand me. “I’m not sure I’m built for this in the long run.”
There are many ways she could’ve reacted and I think most women would’ve gotten angry after allowing me to have my way. But not Marcie.
She was so matter-of-fact when she said, “Doesn’t matter if you’re not built for it. I am and I’ll teach you.”
Marcie will teach me? I’m all in.
“What are you two laughing about?” I ask, moving toward the love seat.
Sylvie takes Marcie’s phone and turns it so I can see. “Pictures of Renault that Marcie took the other day.” I owe that dog a lot as he was the catalyst that helped to erase the gap between me and my kid, but I’m not laughing as I see the damn dog has one of my socks in its mouth. Sylvie rushes to assure me. “I told him to drop it and he did.”
“Good thing he’s well behaved,” I mutter, motioning for them to scoot over so I can sit too. “Or else I’d have to shoot him.”
Sylvie rolls her eyes, but she and Marcie move to the left and I plop down. That puts Sylvie in between us and with this being only a love seat, we are crammed in tight. I drape my arm over the back, my fingers coming to rest on Marcie’s shoulder. Her eyes are warm as she glances at me and I’m ashamed, but there’s a part of me that wishes everyone would disappear right now just so I could have time alone with her.
But that’s not possible with a family reunion of sorts and I have to be content in knowing that she’ll be back in my bed this upcoming Saturday when Sylvie goes to visit the Mardraggons.
Assuming she wants to.
Sylvie didn’t have a lot to say about her first visit other than she played Scrabble with Uncle Gabe. But as of now, plans are on that she’ll go back late Saturday afternoon and Marcie will be staying the night with me.
“Want to see my dogs?” Abby asks Sylvie. The love seat and sofa face each other and Sylvie scrambles away from me and Marcie to go wedge herself in between Abby and my dad. They all shift to make room and then Sylvie is leaning over Abby’s phone.
“This is Princess and her puppy, Roscoe. And here’s Bubba.”
“Oh, he looks fierce,” Sylvie croons.
“He’s a Belgian Malinois and was Kellen’s police dog when he was in the Marine Corps. And this here is Spud.” Then Sylvie takes the phone and shows my dad. “Look, Papi. Aren’t they cute?”
My dad’s expression goes absolutely gooey at her French name for him. “I don’t know that I’d call Bubba cute. He looks like he could rip your throat out.”
“He’s the sweetest boy ever,” Abby coos as she takes her phone back. “Totally harmless.”