Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Being a father is fucking hard,” I say as we watch the boys.
“That’s what I hear,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets. It’s a beautiful fall day, blue skies and warm, although I can feel the hint of cooler weather in the air. “You get it figured out?”
“Looks like it. For now, anyway. He expects me to drop him for the next good thing, and when I wanted to pat his shoulder, he flinched, like I’d fucking hit him.”
“Damn,” Chase whispers. “Those assholes did a number on that poor kid.”
“His bio parents did, too,” I say softly, sure that Jake can’t hear. “He hasn’t had much good in his young life.”
“Then, we’ll keep giving him the good,” Chase says, and I’m grateful for my brother and the knowledge that my family has accepted Jake to be one of theirs. “Until that’s what he’s used to.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
POLLY
“Ithink this is what driving like the proverbial granny is like,” I mutter to myself as I pull onto the highway, scared to death that I’m going to do something to hurt Ryan’s gorgeous car.
I’m as bad as old Mrs. Wilburn, the lady who drives twenty-five miles per hour on this highway.
With my lip gripped in my teeth, I press the accelerator and feel my eyes bug out when the sexy little car picks up speed and wants to get me a speeding ticket.
Careful not to go too far over the limit, I make my way into town, loving the way the powerful vehicle handles, and wonder if I could borrow this more often.
Then I shake my head. It’s too much responsibility. If something happened to this thing, I could never replace it.
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning as I coast into Bitterroot Valley. My first instinct is to swing by the shop, but then I shake my head.
“You planned to stay away until Tuesday,” I remind myself. “The least you can do is give it until Monday to jump back in.”
But I do let myself drive by real quick to take a peek of the outside. I like the new display in the window, and everything looks fine from here, so I sigh in relief and continue on to my house.
I notice that the grass has been freshly mowed when I pull into the driveway, and I make a mental note to pay my neighbor boy later today.
I grab my purse and am sure to lock the car when I close the driver’s door and head inside. After unlocking the door, I push inside and stop cold, blinking slowly.
All of my packages from Paris, along with my luggage, are sitting neatly in my living room, waiting for me.
“Who the hell delivered those?” I wonder out loud and make another mental note to ask Ryan exactly that when I talk to him later.
I will admit, though, that it’s nice to have them here already, and I can unpack and sort and stow away everything when I’m ready to. I can’t wait to admire all my new clothes and bags and shoes.
“Was it a dream?” I murmur, and then look over at the bags from Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès and decide that it was very real.
With a happy sigh, I turn to go back to my bedroom and then pause once more when I realize that the living room is now open to the kitchen, and it’s finished.
The entire renovation is done, and my brand-new kitchen, which looks like it came out of a freaking magazine, is decorated and looks like it’s been this way for years.
“What in the actual hell?” I mutter as my feet slowly carry me toward the new space. First of all, I love that it’s now open to the other room. It feels so much bigger, and the tones of cream and sage green, with pops of pink here and there, are just so…pretty.
The lower cabinets are painted that lovely green, with the uppers cream, and the countertop is a gorgeous white marble. The appliances are top-of-the-line stainless steel, and even the light fixture is new.
“How did they manage to do all of this in a week?” I wonder as I stand here, just on the other side of the island, and turn a circle, taking it all in. There’s no sign that any construction took place at all.
How?
I mean, sure, he’s wealthy, but how did Ryan pull this off?
I shake my head in wonder and then step around the amazing new island to open cupboards and explore. My old dishes are there, but there are some new ones mixed in, too. New small appliances, and I realize there’s a door that wasn’t there before.
Upon opening it, I find a freaking pantry.
“Is he a wizard?” I turn again in awe. He managed to have a pantry added on, and my house isn’t that big.