Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“I’m really glad you’re here,” Atlas says, and there’s something in his voice, a husky quality that makes my panties damp and puts me a little bit on edge. “I hope it’s okay that my brothers are here too. Orion, my twin, you’ve already met him. And my other brother is here too. Lennox. Along with Cass, his girlfriend. Is that alright?”
“I…uh…yeah. Absolutely. I’d like to meet them.”
Atlas visibly relaxes at my answer before saying, “Granny made a cherry pie. You’re going to love her cherry pie. It has a special meaning for Lennox and Cass because that’s kind of how they met. Um, sort of. Orion is looking forward to seeing you again. And so is Granny. We’re all happy you’re here.”
No pressure or anything.
Actually, as soon as I step into the cooled bungalow, I’m instantly put at ease by the homey feel of it. The walls might be painted in neutral colors, the furniture might be your everyday average pieces, and the artwork on the walls might be nothing special, but somehow, it feels welcoming.
Atlas takes me straight to the table, which is already set with the most heavenly-smelling fare. I breathe in deeply, then catch myself and laugh softly, grinning sheepishly. Atlas pulls out a chair for me, and as soon as I sit down, the room fills up. I already know Atlas’ twin brother, kind of, or at least I know what he looks like, and I know his granny. But his other brother looks nothing like him. His hair is closely cropped to his skull, and he has the most massive beard in the history of the world. The woman tucked into his side only looks tiny because she’s standing next to a guy who could pass as a modern-day giant. She’s gorgeous, with curves all over the place and a mane of blonde hair.
Atlas’ granny trails behind, wearing a black power suit and black pumps, even though I thought this was supposed to be a casual family dinner. I’m not the only one in the room wearing jeans, but I feel slightly underdressed.
“Victoria!” Atlas’ granny rushes forward and pulls out the seat at the head of the table. She’s so freaking nimble for an older woman and so dang classy in all that black. Her hair is also neatly twisted up like she’s going out for a business lunch. “I’m so happy you agreed to have dinner with us.”
“I did the cooking,” Lennox says proudly as he sinks into the chair across from us. He instantly sets his hand on his girlfriend’s lap, and she flushes prettily.
“He did not,” she whispers like we’re sharing a secret even though she’s talking loud enough for the whole table to hear. “He chopped things up, and I did the cooking.”
“That’s also a lie,” Atlas’ granny corrects. “I supervised, so you only did fractional cooking. Plus, I made the pie.”
“That’s only because you said we can’t have pie and eat it too,” Lennox grumbles. “Which makes no sense.”
“And I very wisely stayed out of the kitchen,” Orion chimes in as he grabs the first casserole dish, lifting off the glass lid to reveal perfectly creamy mashed potatoes.
“Is supervising really cooking, though?” Cass asks as she peels the tinfoil off a big oval-shaped plate to reveal a tower of chicken drumsticks. “Asking for a friend.”
“It most certainly is. Giving instruction is important.”
“But not as important as taking it,” Cass argues.
Lennox grins, amused as heck, as he spoons enough green beans to feed a normal person for a month. “Low and slow aren’t exactly good chicken cooking tips.”
Atlas’ granny huffs. She sticks a spoon into a bowl of cooked carrots, which smell lemony and like dill and divine. Then, she stares down at her grandson like she wants to throw a spoonful at him but decides to save them for her plate instead. “Low and slow is the best way to cook chicken. Notice how it’s a lovely golden brown and not burned to a crisp, which it would have been if I had left you in charge?”
“Hey!” Lennox drops a chicken drumstick onto his granny’s plate and wrinkles his nose at her. “Cass would never have burned them black.”
“She wouldn’t have, but since Orion was the one grilling….”
Orion shrugs. “See? Told you I stayed out of the kitchen. I received my instructions, which were low and slow, and then I went online and watched chicken cooking videos the whole time, but if Granny wants to take credit for it, then she can take credit for it.”
“Fucking right,” she says, shocking the heck out of me.
Gah! Are grannies supposed to swear?
“And this is my family,” Atlas grunts, letting out a small sigh.
I can tell he’s proud of them and that he loves them very much, even if he pretends to be embarrassed. They have huge personalities. They’re the kind of family who can literally fill up a room with their sheer size—okay, minus the granny because she’s quite petite and Cass because she’s also not a dude—but they can also flood a room with their huge personalities. I bet they could banter back and forth all day.