Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Thirty minutes later, with each of the kids carrying bags that are stuffed full of more candy than they will probably be able to eat in a year, we arrive back at my house. The porch light is off, signaling there is no more candy to be had.
The moment we get inside, the kids all drop to their knees on the floor in the living room and start dumping out their bags to see what they got and to trade with each other for their favorites. After making sure the kids are good, the guys and I all congregate in the kitchen while the girls, including Olivia, settle outside with Willow, who has her feet up on the coffee table and a plate of food resting on her belly.
“So what’s going on with the house, you guys are building on Hickson? Is it already under contract?” Clay asks, and Talon and I focus on him.
“It’s not under contract. We’re waiting until it’s finished to put it on the market. Our goal is to have it complete around April or May, depending on how intense this winter is. And we’ll debut it in the summer when school is out and the market is hot,” Talon says, then asks, “Are you thinking about moving out of Nashville?”
“I’m thinking about it. Willow likes where we are now and loves being close to my brothers, but with the baby coming, I’m not sure how long our space will work for us.”
“You’ll have to bring her over and do a walkthrough. It’s sitting on almost two acres, so there is plenty of space for a pool. And the location is great, which I’m sure you noticed, since it’s close to everything, including that new shopping plaza they’re building down the road,” I tell him, then glance at my dad. “How far is it from you guys? Ten minutes, maybe fifteen?”
“I think I clocked it at twelve,” he confirms, and I look at Clay.
“She’d be happy being closer to Mom, especially with a new baby.”
“If we did like it, would there be time to make changes?”
“We’ve got everything picked out, but if you did decide you wanted it, some things can still be changed,” I reply.
“I’ll talk to her about it and see if she wants to take a look.”
“Just let me know.” I glance out the back door to check on Olivia and find her settled in close to my mom on the couch, with her feet also up on the coffee table and a smile on her face. I’m not surprised in the least that she fits in with my family like she’s always belonged. She knew them for years when she was younger, so she’s just fallen right back into place.
“When are you going to talk to Liam about that?” my dad asks, nodding toward the back door, and everyone focuses on me.
“When there’s something to tell him.”
“Don’t wait too long.” He holds my stare, letting me see his concern, and I nod.
I should have guessed he’d pick up on things between Olivia and me, even if there is nothing going on at this point. And I know that if he talks to my mom about it, she’ll be as concerned as he is and will want to make sure I know what I’m doing. Liam isn’t just important to me; he’s part of my family, even if we aren't blood, and my parents both love him like he’s one of their kids.
That niggle of doubt that has been plaguing me since I first saw her and realized who she is doesn’t creep back up on me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not worried about the repercussions or how long the dust might take to settle.
“It will all work out,” Sage says quietly, then continues when my eyes lock on his. “Don’t be an idiot like I was and let other shit get in the way of you finding happiness. You’ll just end up regretting the time you lost.”
“He’s right,” Dad agrees, then adds, “Even if it takes some time, Liam will get over it eventually.”
“I hope you’re right,” I mutter, then look toward the back door when it opens and watch Willow step inside with the rest of the girls right behind her.
“You ready to head home?” Clay asks her gently.
“Yeah.” She gives him a tired smile as she walks to him and falls into his arms.
“We should take off too since the kids have school in the morning, and it’s going to take a while to get them settled after giving them free rein with the amount of candy they ate tonight,” Harlen says as Harmony curls into his side.
“You’re on duty tonight, sir,” she says, patting his stomach.
“That’s fine.” He kisses the top of her head before moving her toward the living room, where I hear him, Sage, and Talon tell the kids it’s time to clean up and head home, with lots of disappointed groans in response.