Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
I stomped through the kitchen and went straight through to the back hallway, not even stopping to say hi to anyone, let alone Kitt.
That was incredibly rude of me, but I thought if I stopped before I changed, I might very well collapse due to sensory overload.
Finding the door to the spare room I’d been allowed to use occasionally when I first started prospecting, I froze solid when I saw what was on the bed.
“Surprise,” Kitt said quietly from directly behind me.
I didn’t turn around.
I couldn’t.
Not with the Uncertain Saints cut that was laying on my bed like some priceless artifact.
I rubbed my fingers along the name on the breast.
CORE.
It was stitched in blood red with the word ‘member’ directly beneath it.
“Holy fucking shit,” I breathed softly.
“This is a double party,” Kitt said at my back. “You patching in, and a shower for our baby all rolled into one.”
I closed my eyes and fisted the smooth leather, bringing it up to my face and inhaling the strong scent.
“I’m proud of you,” she continued, sewing my ripped up heart back together, one word at a time. “And why are your pants wet?”
I laughed and turned, surveying her.
My head which, might I add, was still pounding like a bitch, kicked once at the sight of her before me.
“You look beautiful,” I whispered roughly.
She grinned and turned around.
“I’m just glad I was able to wear it. I bought it at the end of summer when they put all the winter stuff out. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to wear it before the baby came,” she twirled.
I admired the black and white chevron maxi dress that trailed all the way down to her bare feet, and grinned.
“You’re not wearing your boots,” I noticed.
She lifted up her foot to rest on the chair beside her and I winced.
“That’s not normal,” I told her.
She looked down at her swollen foot.
“According to my doctor, it’s completely normal. I was told to put my feet up, but I haven’t gotten the chance yet. I wanted this day to be perfect for you, too,” she admitted.
I leaned forward and captured her hand, pulling her to me gently.
She moved her foot back to the floor and came willingly, right into my open arms.
A soft, hesitant knock sounded at the door, and both of us turned in time to see Mary peek through.
Completely nude.
“What. The. Fuck,” I barked, startling her.
She looked freaked as her gaze bounced from me to Kitt and back.
“I’m sorry!” She squeaked, backing out of the door just as fast as she came.
“Who was that?” Kitt asked quizzically.
She didn’t sound jealous. Just curious.
And that made me even more happy that she was trusting me.
Had the positions been reversed, I definitely wouldn’t have handled it was well as she had.
“That’s Mary,” I said.
“Ahhh,” she pursed her lips. “That’s the girl that keeps trying to get Ridley to let her come home with him.”
I nodded.
“She has no loyalty. Anyone that’ll look at her and tell her she’s pretty is good enough for her,” I remembered the first and only time I’d slept with her.
And the thoughts must’ve shown on my face, because Kitt’s eyes narrowed dangerously at me.
“What was that?” She stiffened, poking me in the chest just like she’d done the night before.
I caught her hand before that damn fingernail could poke me again, and I pulled her into me.
“Ewww,” she winced, pushing away from me. “You smell like a wet fish.”
I chuckled against her hair.
“Kiss me,” I ordered.
She shook her head quickly, pressing at my chest and pushing away so there would be a gap between her dry clothes and my wet ones.
I tossed my new cut onto the bed where it’d been earlier, and put two hands into the fight she wasn’t going to be winning.
Something she realized not twenty seconds later when she wasn’t able to push more than an inch away from me.
Sighing in annoyance, she offered her lips up to me.
“You slept with her, didn’t you?” She waited.
I nodded.
“Once,” I informed her. “And I was drunk.”
She sighed.
“It’s nice to know that, at least, your sober self has a little bit of common sense,” she teased.
I started unbuttoning my uniform shirt, a task which she promptly took over when she realized how slow I was at it.
“You don’t have anything clean you could’ve changed into?” She wondered, her belly brushing my hand as she made quick work of my shirt.
I moved to allow the wet fabric to fall stiffly to the ground, and then started in on my pants.
“Where’s your gun?” She asked when she saw my empty holster.
“It’s at the bottom of Caddo Lake.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“How did that happen?” She gasped.
“Fucking boneheaded teenager thought it’d be fun to do donuts in the stumps right outside of the state park,” I muttered. “And when I went to get him into my boat, the dumbass pulled me in with him,” I growled.