Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“Yeah. It’s small.”
“Thank goodness.”
Beth passes me the cloth and gradually dresses Katherine’s wound. When she’s done, she presses a fierce kiss to the top of her daughter’s head. “I’m sorry that happened to you, sweetie. But I hope it’s all fixed up now.”
“I want one, too,” Holt says.
“They always want to be the same,” Beth smiles, holding out a hand so I can pass her a bandage. When Holt is satisfied with his bandage, I stand and hold out a hand to help Beth. She takes it and assists Katerine in turn.
“You know what I have inside that always makes boo-boos feel so much better?” I say with a theatrical voice.
Katherine sniffs, but she glances at the backdoor, intrigued. “What?”
“Chocolate brownies.”
“Can we have one?” Holt asks his mom.
Beth studies me, the uncertainty still there, but in a watered-down form.
“If you’ve finished your soup.”
“We did, Mom,” Katherine says, already trotting towards the house, closely followed by her twin. Inside, Beth lifts the lid and offers the brownies to the kids first before taking one for herself and offering me one. We all bite into them simultaneously, and Beth closes her eyes, making a soft, contented sound.
Katherine smiles with chocolatey teeth. “Good,” she says, with her mouth still full. Closing her eyes momentarily, she relishes the flavor. I know they’re one of my best batches to date, laced with rose water to make them even more intoxicating. I tuck a strand of Katherine’s hair behind her ear, happy to see her coloring returning to normal.
“Can I have some water?” Holt asks, tugging at his mom’s sleeve.
“Of course.” She fixes four glasses and puts them onto a tray. “I think we should take the rest of these treats outside.” Nodding at the box, she smiles tentatively, and I follow her and the twins outside, clutching my peace offering. The power of baked goods should never be underestimated.
When the kids are done drinking, they run off to play again, leaving me with Beth.
She fastens her hair into a loose ponytail, watching her kids play. “Me and Jesse were like them once upon a time. He was older, of course, but we played together like they do.”
“I’ve seen pictures,” I say, fiddling with the hem of my shirt, remembering carefree times with Molly before everything turned ugly.
“I just want what’s best for him,” she says. “I just want him to have what I have: a spouse, kids, and a happy family. When he lost Kai, my heart broke. It was terrible. I kept telling him he’d find happiness again, that he could start over, but he wasn’t ready to hear it.”
“He’s ready now.” The softness in my voice turns Beth’s head. She tips her head to look at me, scrutinizing but not in a way that feels unkind.
“Aren’t you too young for all this, Taylor? For three men, to manage their needs and demands, to give them what they want.”
“I don’t want kids yet,” I admit. “I’ve told Jesse, and he’s prepared to wait until I’m ready.”
“You’ve had that conversion?”
I nod. “It’s important to him, so it’s important to me. I told him I wanted to start my own business. I want to be financially independent. I know they want to take care of me. They’ve even told me they’ll take care of Molly. But I need my own security. I can’t be dependent anymore—not after what happened with my dad.”
Beth nods and sits back in her chair, stretching her legs out in front of her.
“I can’t say that I’d have chosen this for my brother, but if it’s what he wants… I guess I can accept it.”
I close my eyes, momentarily overwhelmed by the relief that rushes through me. “Thank you, Beth. I can’t tell you how important your support is to Jesse.”
“We’re all the family we have left,” she says. “We have to stick together.”
“Exactly,” I say.
The doorbell rings, and Beth glances at me questioningly. “It’s probably Maverick. You can meet Molly.”
I follow her back through the house, pausing as she opens the front door.
Maverick’s expression is pensive, but he quickly applies a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Luckily, I’ve already managed to thaw Beth’s.
“Molly demolished that ice cream sundae in record time. I swear, I’ve never seen such a small person eat so much dessert in one sitting.”
“She’s got a thing for ice cream.” I smile. I wave her over, and she climbs out of the truck. Approaching with uncertainty, she slows every step and curls her shoulders.
“This is Beth,” I say. “Jesse’s sister. This is Molly, my sister.”
“It’s good to meet you, Molly.” Beth holds out a hand formally, which Molly shakes. Her big eyes focus on the older woman, assessing whether she’s good or bad. The hypervigilance is going to take a while for her to lose.