Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“Hello, Erin,” Mom says with a smile. “I’m Joy, Remington’s mom. I’m about to get out of your hair, Rem. I’m off to the salon.”
“Thanks for coming over, Mom,” I reply and kiss her cheek before she bustles off.
“Where do you live?” Holly asks Erin.
“In town, in an apartment above a garage,” Erin replies and leans on the counter, settling in to talk to the kids. “And I work with your aunt Millie at the coffee shop.”
“I want to work at the coffee shop when I grow up,” Holly decides. “I also want to take ballet classes. I have friends at school who do it, and it looks so fun. See, I can even do some of the moves already.”
Holly, ever the performer when new people are around, jumps off of her stool and starts to twirl about, her little arms up and over her head, and I see her heading right for the corner of the countertop.
Erin must sense it, too, because she starts to move forward just as I do to avoid the knock on the head, but we’re both too late. Holly collides with the corner, and her nose starts to bleed.
“It’s okay,” Erin says, completely cool, as she grabs a towel and holds it to Holly’s nose. “Hey now, it’s okay. I know that hurts. I’m sorry. We’re going to stop the bleeding and make it feel better. Johnny, will you please grab me a couple of ice cubes from the freezer?”
I’m still poised to jump in, but I can see that Erin has this under control, so I hang back and watch how she handles it.
“Owie,” Holly cries.
“I know, sweetie.” Erin drags her hand down Holly’s hair as she keeps the pressure on Holly’s nose. Johnny fetches the ice and hurries over with a few cubes in his hands. Erin expertly wraps it in the towel and presses it against Holly’s nose once more. “It’s already stopped bleeding. Now, this ice is going to help it feel better.”
Holly’s not crying anymore and is watching Erin with big, wet brown eyes.
“How’d you know how to do that?” Johnny asks.
“Well, I have a really big family, and someone was always getting smacked in the face and getting a bloody nose when we were growing up. That’s what happens when you toss footballs and baseballs and all kinds of things around when you’re not supposed to. It hurts like crazy, but this helps.”
“I can hold it,” Holly says as she takes the towel in her little hands. “Like this?”
“Yep, just like that. Good job.” Erin nods and steps back, still smiling at the kids.
“She isn’t always a spaz,” Johnny says. “She was just showing off.”
“Huh.” Erin frowns and looks around the room. “I don’t see any spazzes here. I just see a little girl who loves to dance. My aunt is a professional ballerina. She has a dance school in Seattle. I think you’d love to learn to dance, Holly.”
That brings a huge smile to my daughter’s face, and I know without a doubt that Erin would be a great addition to my kids’ lives. I may have a hard time keeping my hands to myself because she’s fucking gorgeous and does things to me that I haven’t felt in a very long time.
Hell, maybe ever.
But for my kids, I can suffer through it.
Even Johnny is grinning as Erin reaches over and ruffles his hair.
“Well, guys, I’d better head out because I have to work this afternoon, but I might see you again soon, okay?”
“Okay,” they reply in unison, and I escort Erin to the door to gather her things and then out to her car, which I eye warily.
“Is this your car?”
Erin sighs. “No, it’s a loaner. My car is in the shop, and I don’t know when I’ll get it back. Brooks is trying to come up with some answers for me. In the meantime, Peter was nice enough to loan me this one.”
“I don’t want my kids riding in that pile of rust.”
Erin frowns. “It runs just fine.”
“That may be, but when you’re driving my kids around, I want them in a vehicle that I know is in perfect shape. You’ll take my Suburban.”
Her eyes fly to my big SUV and then to me. “But that’s your car. I can’t just take your car away from you.”
“I also have the Jeep, so it’s no big deal.”
“This is ridiculous. The car is fine.”
“Not for my kids,” I counter, shaking my head. “I’ll drop the SUV off to you tomorrow. That’s if you’re taking the job.”
“I like your kids a lot,” she admits with a smile. “They’re cute, and they’re not little monsters. Their dad has some alpha vibes going on, but I can deal with that.”
I like her smart mouth. I want to bite it. But for now, I shove my hands into my pockets.