Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Evan shook his head. “I was cut out of the will, my brother drank himself to an early death in a DUI, and she’s the only beneficiary now. I heard my father died and my mother isn’t well. I’m sure Kelsey is waiting for that payout.”
“How sad to live that way,” Amy murmured.
I picked up her hand and kissed it. “Something you’d know nothing about, Chippy. That’s why I love you so much.”
She smiled and cupped my cheek. “Has this ruined the day?”
“No, I refuse to let it. Mia isn’t affected, and I will not let that woman ruin this weekend. I’m going to put it out of my mind and enjoy the rest of the day with my family.”
Evan nodded. “Good plan.”
Angela came over, holding Brandon’s hand. “Mommy, Brandon fell.”
Holly bent, scooping him up. He showed her his scraped knee and she kissed it, fussing over him. He snuggled into her arms, content to stay while Angela ran back and joined Mia and Hannah. Evan leaned close, running his hand over Brandon’s head, chuckling as his son began to nod off.
“He always wants to do whatever the girls are doing. Another year and he can keep up, but he’s still a baby.”
“Big boy, Daddy,” Brandon protested sleepily.
“Not too big yet,” Evan responded. “Not yet.”
Holly shifted, and Evan held out his arms. “I’ll take him. I know your back is a little sore today.”
“You okay?” I asked her.
Holly smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just getting to the point where my regular clothes don’t fit, my shape is changing, and my back aches a bit. Holding him isn’t as easy as it was with the way he grows.”
She stood. “I think I’ll go have a nap before dinner.”
Evan glanced my way, and I grinned. “Go with your wife. We’ll watch the kids.”
He grinned back. “Thanks. I’ll put my boy down and tuck my wife in. Maybe grab a little nap myself.”
I chuckled as I watched them walk away. “No nap is happening right away,” I murmured, meeting Amy’s gaze and winking.
She grinned. “Well, they watched the kids while we ‘grabbed a shower’ this morning. Only fair.”
I laughed and stood. “Let’s go play in the pool with the girls.”
She sprang to her feet. “Race you!”
I chased after her, hoping for a reward if I caught her.
Another game I liked.
“Oh my God, the view is spectacular,” Amy breathed out, her gaze filled with wonder. “Look at all the lights. So…magical.”
“I know,” Holly agreed. “It is.”
I loved seeing the wonder on their faces. Especially Amy’s. She loved new things and adventures. I enjoyed watching her reactions.
She was beautiful tonight. Her hair was caught up in a cascade of curls over one shoulder. Her lacy blouse was a pale green, and the skirt she wore had a jagged hem and swirled around her knees. She wore leather ankle boots and had laughed when I’d kissed her in the elevator, telling her she looked like a pirate wench and I planned on ravishing her later with the sexy boots on. Her eyes lit up at my suggestion, and it thrilled me to know she was as crazy about me as I was about her. And we synched physically as well. She was sexy and unique, and I loved that about her.
I caught her eye and leaned close, brushing a kiss to her cheek. “You’re the magical one, Chippy. In case I forgot to tell you, you’re stunning tonight.”
She blushed softly, the pink highlighting her cheeks.
“You look pretty damn stunning yourself.”
I picked up my scotch with a wry smirk. “I feel pretty waterlogged, to be honest.”
Everyone laughed. I had spent over two hours with the girls in the pool. Amy played for a while, sat in the hot tub, relaxed on the edge of the water, acting as judge for the races the girls kept having. I was the referee, the one to be dunked, the shoulders they wanted to ride on. It was fun but exhausting, and I swore I had swallowed half the water in the pool between the splashes and the dunking. I deserved the expensive scotch I had ordered.
But it had been a good time and took my mind off Kelsey. I refused to allow her appearance to ruin this weekend, and I purposefully pushed her out of my mind. She didn’t deserve to be part of this family time.
I perused the menu. “What looks good?”
“Everything,” Holly replied. “I’m starving. The appetizers sound so delicious, I don’t know which one to pick.”
“Then let’s order a bunch and share.”
She grinned widely. “Perfect.”
We strolled along the sidewalk, the streets still busy with the crisp late fall air around us. I tucked Amy into my side as we stood, looking over the Falls. They were lit up, the colors changing constantly. The roar of the water and the power of the movement was mesmerizing.