Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 37828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
She shot the Fox a look, worried he might take offense. Or think they didn’t want him here. It wasn’t that . . . she knew this was what Dimitri had hoped for but didn’t think would ever happen.
The Fox shrugged. “Figured I’d take pity on you. All that begging . . . ”
“Fox,” Brody said in a low voice.
Both Brody and Autumn were shooting the Fox chiding looks. Whoa, they were brave.
“Perhaps I am here because the idea of family isn’t completely repugnant to me.”
Whoa. That wasn’t what she was expecting him to say.
“But don’t get any ideas. We’re not doing family dinners. There’s to be no hugging. Or calling me when you break down on the side of the road to tow your car. Or to help when you move houses. I don’t do any of that.” The Fox pointed his fork at Markovich, then Emme.
She saw Reyes bristle. Shoot.
“We don’t expect that, right, Dimitri?” she said.
The Fox grunted. “I suppose you could get the family and friends discount for my services.”
“So if we need someone killed, you’ll discount your fee?” Emme asked.
“Emme,” Reyes said, staring down at her. “We won’t need his services.”
“With the lives you and your friends’ lead, I wouldn’t be so quick to say that,” the Fox warned.
That was actually a fair call. Although, with Mr. X, Pavel, and Galina out of the way, hopefully things would be unexciting from now on. So far, so good.
“I was just wanting to know,” Emme explained.
“For you, niece, it’s a fifty percent discount. Any of your friends and Markovich, twenty percent off. For Reyes, I’ll add ten percent.”
“What? Why?” Emme asked.
“I don’t like his face.”
“Fox,” Brody warned.
The Fox sighed long and loud. “Really? I can’t say that?”
“It’s kind of rude,” Autumn said.
“Fine. All this social nicety stuff is trying, though. There’s so much I can’t say without offending delicate sensibilities.”
She wasn’t sure she was buying it. He had to know he was being rude. Was it on purpose? Maybe because he was more uncomfortable than he was letting on?
“Fine, Reyes, ten percent discount for you,” the Fox told him.
“Thanks,” Reyes said dryly.
“You’re welcome.”
He forked up some food from Autumn’s plate and held it to her lips. The other woman blushed but let him feed it to her.
“We could have a playdate sometime,” Dahlia blurted out. Then she felt herself growing red. “Sorry, sometimes I have no filter. Stuff just comes out.”
“That’s okay,” Brody said kindly. “Maybe we could. I’ll get my Daddy to talk to yours.” He winked at her.
She blushed even harder, but was grateful to him.
“Perhaps,” the Fox allowed. “If we come back.”
She hoped they did. The Fox spooned up some sweet potato casserole. After putting it in his mouth, he made a weird face.
“Holy crap. What’s in this?” He grabbed a napkin and spat it out.
“Oh no! Is it no good?” she asked. She quickly ate some, and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “Not good. Not good.”
“What is it?” Markovich asked. He walked around and crouched beside her, holding her glass of water to her lips.
“It tastes awful!” she said. “I think I put too much vanilla extract in. I like vanilla so I thought I’d add more. I’m so sorry!”
“Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry for. It doesn’t matter,” Markovich told her.
“I wish I hadn’t fucked everything up. Idiot!”
There was a stunned silence.
“You going to let her talk about herself like that?” the Fox asked curiously.
“This is between Dahlia and me,” Dimitri snapped back.
Oh no, she didn’t want them fighting.
But the Fox seemed to approve of his words as he nodded slowly. “Probably hard on her. I imagine she’s thinking of all the ways she’s different from Galina. I mean, there’s the obvious . . . she’s not a scheming, conniving, murderous bitch. But was Galina a good cook? Maybe she wasn’t. I don’t know.”
Emme sucked in a breath, and Dimitri looked at her in concern.
“It’s okay . . . she was those things,” Emme said quietly. “I didn’t know her, so it doesn’t hurt as much for me.”
“Dahlia?” Markovich asked.
“I . . . um . . .what would you have done?” she asked. “If she’d come back, and she wasn’t like . . . like what she was . . . who would you have chosen?”
The words were out before she could take them back. His mouth dropped open in shock.
Whoops.
Maybe she shouldn’t have just come out with that question like that.
“Baby,” he whispered.
“I think it’s time we left,” Brody said.
“Yes, I think it is,” Reyes agreed.
She turned to see them all getting up. “Oh no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to send you all away.”
Emme rushed around and hugged her hard. “You haven’t. Honestly, this is the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.”
She knew the other woman was lying. This had been so bad.