Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
She makes me a better man.
And, hopefully, a good father.
Epilogue
HANNAH
August
Sabrina and Tucker stop by about a half hour before Garrett and I are supposed to leave for the doctor’s office. I’m having an ultrasound this morning and not looking forward to it. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to being treated like a sunken ship with lost pirate treasure aboard.
“What are you guys doing here?” Garrett asks in surprise, but he looks happy to see them. Especially when he notices Jamie at Sabrina’s side. “Gumdrop! Ahh! I missed you!”
He scoops up the redheaded toddler, and she flings her arms around his neck. “Hiiiii!” she exclaims happily. “Hiiiii!”
I stifle a laugh. This kid is so damned adorable.
“We’re heading out pretty soon.” I glance at Sabrina, who looks stunning as always in a yellow sundress that sets off her summer tan. She’s got a pair of dark sunglasses atop her head, and an oversized beach bag over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, we only have a minute. We’re on our way to the pool,” Tucker explains. Which explains his striped swim trunks and flip-flops. I notice that his gray T-shirt is stained with something that looks pink and sticky.
Sabrina catches my gaze and snorts. “The princess demanded a strawberry creamsicle on the way here and then decided she didn’t like it and threw it at Daddy. I told him it wasn’t a good idea.”
I also notice Tucker’s holding a very large gift bag. “What’s that?” I ask curiously.
“Jamie picked out a gift for you guys,” he says.
“For your baby!!!” the toddler tells us, beaming.
Garrett narrows his eyes. “Jamie picked it out, huh?”
Sabrina and Tucker nod. Either they’re telling the truth, or they’re the most phenomenal actors on the planet.
“Can we come inside, or should we melt away on your front porch?” Tucker’s Texas drawl kicks in as he flashes his good ol’ boy smile.
“Come in,” I say grudgingly.
We walk inside and go to the kitchen, where Garrett sets Jamie on her feet. Then he and I stare at the gift bag that Tuck sets on the marble island. The only saving grace is there’s no way it can be that horrible doll. First of all, it’s far too large for Alexander. And secondly, Sabrina swore she and Tuck gave him a burial at sea.
“Open it!” Jamie shouts. And keeps shouting. “Open it! Open it! OPEN IT!”
“Sweet Jesus,” Garrett murmurs, “is this what we’re in for?”
“Indoor voices, princess,” chides Tuck.
Sabrina grins. “You should probably open it before she has an aneurysm.”
“All right. Yeah.” I grab a pair of scissors and snip the piece of tape holding the gift bag together. “You guys didn’t have to do this, but thank you.”
“Really nice of you,” Garrett agrees.
“Thank Jamie,” Tuck says easily.
I reach inside, my hand emerging with a box that looks about large enough to house a basketball. An identical one remains in the bag, but Sabrina says I should do one at a time.
Suspicion gnaws at me as I cut through more tape to open the box. I don’t trust them. I’m not sure why, but I just don’t. Something about this entire thing feels very, very off—
“A dolly!!” Jamie shrieks when the contents of the box are revealed. “A dolly for your baby, Auntie ’Annah!”
I withdraw my hand as if I’d just burned it on a hot stove.
My betrayed gaze flies to Tucker and Sabrina, who smile innocently before nodding toward their daughter.
“Jamie saw this adorable little guy in Tuck’s suitcase when we got back from St. Barth’s,” Sabrina chirps.
“Can you believe he floated right back to shore like he couldn’t bear to part with us?” Tuck pipes up.
“It’s like he knew exactly where he belonged.” Sabrina nods. “At first we were going to let Jamie keep him—”
I glare. Because, bullshit. They’d never let their precious child have prolonged contact with a doll housing the spirit of Willie the Gold Rush corpse. Never.
“—but when we told her Auntie Hannah and Uncle Garrett were going to have a baby, she decided she couldn’t possibly be selfish and deprive the new baby of this joyous gift. Right, little one?”
“Right!” Jamie smiles. “Do you like him?”
I stare at Alexander’s smirking red mouth, dread filling my gut.
Then, pasting on a big fake smile, I address the little girl. “I love it,” I tell Jamie. While beside me, Garrett mouths “You’re dead” to Jamie’s parents. He slashes his finger across his neck.
“Oh wait, but there’s more!” Tucker is loving every second of this nightmare.
He lifts the second box out of the bag, and my stomach does a queasy somersault that has nothing to do with my pregnancy and everything to do with whatever new horror we’re about to experience.
Sabrina offers an evil smile. “Last year Tuck and I did some research on Alexander’s history and discovered that he was part of a lot.”