Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“You’re telling me,” Beck scoffed. “I’m ready for him to come too, but he needs a little more time.”
“But your belly is sooo big.”
I couldn’t help but laugh from across the room, earning myself a glare from Beck. “I’m very aware.”
Ava ignored her and turned to me with one of her looks. “Sorry, kiddo. You’re just gonna have to be patient, okay?”
Ava groaned dramatically, flopping back against the couch. “So stupid.”
Beck grinned, her eyes twinkling as she looked at me. “She’s got your patience.”
“Yeah, well, she's got your flair for the dramatic.”
Beck cocked her brow, then turned to Ava with a mischievous smile on her face. “You know, when we were kids, I used to have the biggest crush on your dad.”
It had been months since I adopted Ava, but it still got to me when either of them called me Dad. So much so that I almost missed it when Beck said, “But he didn’t even like me.”
“He didn’t?”
“Nope.” Beck’s eyes skirted over to me, and I could tell she was biting back her smile as she told our daughter, “He completely ignored me and acted like I didn’t even exist.”
“What?” Ava gasped. “Why would he do that?”
“Oh, here we go…”
“Oh, it was awful,” Beck whined. “I followed him around like a lost puppy, and he wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“That’s so mean!”
“Yeah, it was.” She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. “He broke my heart.”
“Do not listen to your mother.” I carried the plate of food into the living room, and my chest tightened at the sight of my beautiful wife. I couldn’t imagine loving her more, but she was pulling a fast one, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. “She’s not giving you the full story.”
“What’s the full story?”
“Your beautiful mother is much younger than me, like six years younger, and back then, it would’ve been weird for me to go after her. It would be like Dalton and you.” Ava’s cheeks immediately blushed, and I had a suspicion that there was a story there. I considered calling her on it but left it alone and said, “And I wasn’t ignoring her. I was being smart.”
Beck raised an eyebrow. “Smart, huh?”
“Oh, yeah.” I plopped down next to Beck and snatched a slice of apple from her plate. “The last thing I needed was the brothers thinking I was some kind of pedo.”
“A pedo?” Ava’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What’s that?”
“Uh… it’s… someone who doesn’t follow the rules,” I said quickly, tugging on Ava’s pigtail to distract her. “And I always follow the rules, which is why I waited until your mom was all grown up and absolutely gorgeous before I made my move.”
“Nice save,” Beck scoffed.
“You know, it’s a good thing I love you like I do.” I cocked my brow. “Or I’d have to take you over my knee.”
A spark of mischief flashed through her eyes as she whispered, “Oh, yeah?”
“You’re a mess.”
“But you love me.”
My chest tightened at the sight of the big smile on her gorgeous face. I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead as I whispered, “More than you could possibly know.”
“Hey,” Ava protested. “What about me?”
“Love you, too, kiddo.” I placed my hand on her mother’s belly. “Love him, too.”
Beck looked up at me with love in her eyes and whispered, “We got it good, don’t we?”
“Better than I could’ve ever imagined.”
~The End