Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“You don’t have to own skis,” I tell him. “You can rent them.”
“Nah, I should get some. It’ll give me a reason to go more often around here.”
“I thought you were too busy for extra shit,” Liam says.
Hudson shrugs. “Skis aren’t nearly as demanding as women.”
“How many days are you going to be gone?”
I’m hanging out with Caleb while his mom finishes packing her things. We have to be at the airport in two hours, and we have to drop off Caleb at my parents’ house on the way. At least with the private jet, they won’t leave without us.
“I’m pretty sure your mom already talked to you about this, but we’re going to be gone for four days. We come back Sunday night. Do you want us to pick you up that night, no matter how late it is, or would it be okay if we get you Monday morning?”
Caleb looks surprised that he’s being given a choice, and then he purses his lips as he thinks it over.
“I think I want you to get me Sunday night so I can hear all about it.”
“Okay. I’ll call you that night to make sure you haven’t changed your mind.”
He nods thoughtfully.
“Caleb, I need to tell you, it’s so important that you don’t try to pull something on my parents like you did on Quinn. On anyone, actually. I’m trusting you to be respectful and to remember that you’re a guest in their home. Your mom and I can’t just hop in the car and get back super-fast if something were to happen like it did the other night. Of course, if there’s a true emergency, we’ll move heaven and earth to get to you, but you can’t cry wolf again.”
“Cry wolf?”
“Haven’t you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?”
He shakes his head, his eyes wide and on mine, as I relay the story to him. “So, in the end, he lost his sheep and his own life because he’d lied so much in the past.”
“So, if I do it again, and if I lie and you come home, you won’t trust that if something bad really did happen, that it was real and I could be in danger.”
“Exactly, kiddo. That’s exactly my point. So, we need to be able to trust that it won’t happen again. It’s really important.”
“I won’t.” He shakes his head slowly, finally understanding the gravity of the situation. “I won’t do it again. Honest. Even though I can’t go, I really do hope you have fun and like it a lot so you want to go back and take me with you.”
“That’s a good attitude. We’ll call it a scouting mission.”
“Yeah.” He sighs, rubbing his nose. “I guess it’s okay that you’re with my mom.”
“I’m glad you think so. Is it okay that I’m with you, too?”
That makes his lips tip up in a grin. “Yeah. You’re pretty okay.”
“I think you’re pretty okay, too.” I kiss the top of his head just as London hurries down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Okay, we’re both packed, and I have your PlayStation and the Nintendo packed up, as well. Snacks. I’ll pack you some snacks.”
“Trust me,” I interrupt and snag her arm as she tries to whiz past me. “They have lots of snacks, and there’s a grocery store down the street in case Caleb wants different snacks. I’m sure you’ve already packed everything but the kitchen sink. We’re good to go.”
“Yeah, we’re good to go,” Caleb echoes and hops off his stool. “Let’s do this!”
London grins at me. “He wasn’t this excited a few hours ago.”
“We came to an understanding.”
She nods and boosts herself up onto her toes to kiss me lightly. “Uh-huh, an understanding. And what do we understand?”
“That we’re coming back for him, and he’s not being left out.” I shrug into my jacket and pick up both suitcases. “Will you grab the game bag?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes look all soft and dewy as she grabs the bag. “Have I mentioned that you’re handy to have around?”
“Nope, and it was starting to hurt my feelings.”
“I can’t wait to go skiing,” Stella announces when we’re just a few minutes from landing in Montana. She’s bouncing in her seat, watching the mountains pass us by.
London’s hand is in mine. She gets along so well with my cousins, and that’s a big relief. These people are my circle, and if the woman I love didn’t fit in, things just wouldn’t work out.
But she does. She and Stella have been comparing luggage and shoes since we got on the plane. Olivia joined in, and the three of them have decided to take a trip to New York to visit the boutique that London owns.
This plane is big, and all the cousins are spread out in groups, chatting, laughing, and being silly. Even the youngest two, Finn and Emma, came along since they’re officially adults now.