Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 51122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
I frowned. “I only got one package of toilet paper.”
She glanced at the Little Debbie’s. “But you got what looks like ten boxes of those.”
“Those aren’t essential items,” I lied. “They’re snack cakes.”
She frowned. “I’ll have to call my manager.”
• • •
MEMPHIS
I looked at Downy who was backing his cruiser into our drive, getting as close as he could to the garage door so we wouldn’t have to walk too far to get the groceries inside.
When he was done, he put the car into park and got out.
Without a single word to me, he walked into the garage and stripped himself to his underwear.
Everything that he was wearing was left on the floor in a large heap.
He picked up a can of Lysol and said, “Hit me!”
I ignored him and opened the back hatch of the cruiser and dozens of boxes of snack cakes fell out at my feet.
“Downy, what in the absolute hell?”
I looked up to where he was still spraying himself with Lysol as if it was freakin’ sunscreen.
“They were on sale.”
He was such a big, fat liar.
Book: Bang Switch
CHAPTER 5
Why is summer so clingy? Like dude, it’s over. Fall and I have stuff to do. Spooky season is here.
-Text from Elliott to Sam
ELLIOTT
“Swear to Christ,” Justin grumbled as he looked down at the tiny baby in his arms. “Why did you have to go and have another girl? That’s just bullshit.”
As he said it, though, Justin’s face was soft. He was smiling down at the little girl in his arms.
“It’s not like I had much choice, Justin,” I drawled, getting up to walk over to my wife who was sitting at the kitchen table with our granddaughter, Rorie, in her lap.
She was feeding her Christmas cookie icing from her finger.
“Mother,” Tawny said. “How does one make a tur-duck-en on their own?”
“I would assume,” Blaine said as she looked up from the cookie making to our now middle girl, “that you would just stuff them all inside of each other.”
Tawny rolled her lip in disgust. “I swear, I can’t believe I told Joaquin that I would make one. I just saw the price tag and nearly shit myself.”
Blaine snickered. “He shouldn’t have asked for that. He knows you’re a lowly college student who’s barely making it.”
“I think he thought that I would ask for the money from Dad.” Tawny rolled her eyes.
“Why the fuck are you still with him?” both Justin and I said at the same time.
Tawny rolled her eyes. “Because…”
“Because…” I urged.
“Because I don’t want to be alone.” She shrugged. “I know it’s weird. But I just don’t want to be alone during the holidays. I’ll end it after all that shit is over.”
All that shit being the holidays.
I rolled my eyes and started to walk toward my new girl when I heard the doorbell ring.
I diverted my path and headed straight for the door instead.
When I opened it, it wasn’t a surprise to see the man standing on the doorstep.
“Paige, Justin,” I called with a smile on my face. “Your fairy godfather is here!”
Gabe flipped me off and shouldered past me, heading straight for the two people he had a hand in bringing to life.
He walked right to Justin and pulled my newest girl out of his arms.
“I can’t believe that you made me deliver you,” he held her up to his face and stared at her.
She was a whole eighteen hours old, but she fit so perfectly into our lives, that it felt like she’d always been there.
I wouldn’t say the next couple of years were going to be easy on us, but I knew for a fact that they would be beautiful.
“That face, though,” Blaine whispered from my side.
I looked away from one of my best friends holding the baby to my wife, who was holding our granddaughter.
My granddaughter who immediately threw herself at me.
I picked her up and cuddled her close into my arms, icing and all.
“I fuckin’ love my life,” I told Blaine.
She buried her face into my shoulder. “I fuckin’ love my life, too.”
Book: I Don’t Dance
CHAPTER 6
My mouth can finish this argument in two different ways. You decide which one.
-Lenore to Griffin
GRIFFIN
I walked through the front door of my house, cursing because I was already running late, and I’d forgotten my freakin’ service revolver. Who the hell did that when they were a Texas Ranger, for God’s sake?
Me, that’s who.
I’d been in such a tizzy to get out of the house today thanks to the kids being home from school, changing my daily routine, that I didn’t even think. I just got up, got dressed, and left. Only, I was about halfway to the station when I realized that I’d left my gun behind.
Mimi, my little mini-me, saw me coming and her eyes widened comically.
“Daddy!” she cried.
I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you looking at me like you just got caught doing something bad?”