Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Minutes later, they both hurry into the living room. Willa’s face is flushed, with beard burn from my brother’s scruff. Callum wears a smug smirk. They both smell like sex. Yuck.
“What’s up?” Willa asks, sitting beside me. “Everything okay?”
She’s always been one to read people well, especially me.
“Not really.” I shrug like it’s no big deal. “Just Mom trying to ruin my life, is all.”
Callum plops down in the recliner, nosing his way into our conversation. “She’s a master at that shit.”
No matter how much time goes by or how happy Callum is, he’ll never truly let it go that Mom left him for our dad. Truthfully, I’d be pissed too if I were him.
I then proceed to word-vomit everything to Callum, Willa, and little Bane. By the time I finish, Willa’s eyes are wide as saucers. Callum studies me with a pensive look.
“So you have a boyfriend and never told me?” Willa asks, hurt lacing her tone. “I gotta admit. I’m a little stung by that.”
I sigh as I reach over to squeeze her hand. “I know and I’m sorry. It was just a weird thing, you know? I didn’t want anyone to know. Now, apparently, everyone does.”
“Bring him to family dinner tonight,” Callum suggests. “Let’s see if he passes the brotherly test.”
“Oh, he totally won’t,” I say with a silly smile. “Two’s his own weird person. Doesn’t ever say or do the right thing. While I find it endearing, it’s put him on the bad side of every family member he’s met thus far.”
Callum’s smile curls into something a bit wicked. “I like him already.”
Bane grabs hold of some of my hair and hollers as if to throw his two cents in as well. I kiss his fuzzy head and squeeze him tight. I love this little guy.
“Tell us more about this stalker,” Callum says, growing serious. “You said Sloane thinks it’s someone Dad knows. Hell, that could be anyone. He’s friends with everyone in this town.”
“If I know Dad, he’s probably already making a list for Jude,” I say with a frown. “She also thought it could be a girl just trying to scare me.”
“And it’s definitely not that cop?” Willa asks. “He seems like a suspect to me too.”
“Sloane doesn’t think so,” I say with a shake of my head. “It’s creepy to think some old man Dad knows could be doing this.”
“Even if they know Dad,” Callum reasons, “they shouldn’t have access to all your information. They’d know your home address at best. But your phone number? Your boyfriend’s house? The person has connections of some sort.”
“Your dad is cozied up to that new mayor. Phil Draper.” Willa frowns at me. “That guy seriously makes me nervous.”
“Possibly,” Callum says, “but I didn’t get that vibe when I met him. Do you think he just unnerves you because he worked with your ex-stepdad?”
Willa’s ex-stepdad and ex-stepbrother were total assholes. For the most part, they leave her alone now that she’s a part of the Parks, but they still make her wary.
“Maybe,” Willa admits. “Wouldn’t hurt to have Sloane investigate him.”
“She won’t go hunting down people again,” I say with a sigh. “That almost cost her her job last time, especially since she had it all wrong. She’s going to want hard proof that he could be a suspect.”
“I’ll have Jude do a full rundown on him,” Callum assures me. “We’ll uncover any dirt the illegal way and then let Sloane shake down the rest the legal way.”
Despite everything being so messy, I’m once again reminded about how good my family can be. We may have our flaws, but we sure know how to band together in a crisis.
I guess my stalker is officially considered a Park family crisis now.
Family dinners at my house every Sunday are hectic, to say the least. Mom got a new, ostentatious mahogany dining room table to better fit our growing family. If we include our grandfather, his cook, and all the babies, there’s something like seventeen of us. The table seats twenty-two. I don’t know what Mom will do when we max out. Do they make tables any bigger than this monstrous piece?
Rex is in his highchair, already stuffing his face with macaroni and cheese, while Mom rushes around to place last-minute dishes on the table. No one pays me any attention, all of them babbling and catching up, which is good.
Two’s coming to dinner.
Surprise!
Now that the cat’s out of the bag, there’s no reason why he can’t join us. In fact, I want him to join us. Since last night and this morning went so badly, I’m aching to see him to make sure we’re okay—that he’s okay.
Of course he’s late.
Naturally.
Aubrey, with her daughter Rue sitting in her lap, waves me over. As much as I want to cuddle my niece, I’d rather be ready for Two’s arrival. Spencer saves me when he steals the seat beside her and then starts tickling the baby.