Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Her expression morphs to worry. I know she’s concerned she’s possibly offended me. I nod reassuringly. “I’ll take care of him. I promise. And I’ll always be at the ready to give him whatever he needs, even if it’s space.”
“You’re a good woman,” she concludes.
“He’s a great man,” I assert.
“Together, you two might just be something amazing,” she hypothesizes.
“I sure hope so.”
CHAPTER 21
Malik
The waitress returns with new beers for the Fournier siblings, then distributes them. Mom and Dad called it an early night after the hockey game, deciding to return to their hotel. Max and Lucas chose not to fly back to North Carolina on the team plane tonight, wanting to spend some time with me. Simone and her husband Van were clearly up for a night of hanging out and chilling with a few beers, too.
Although a member of our crew by marriage and not blood, Van picks his bottle up and demands a toast.
“Here’s to the best family a man could be lucky enough to a part of,” he says. A quick glance around the table shows me that his words have touched everyone.
We all tap bottle necks before tilting them back. The beer tastes good, but I know it would have tasted better if Anna were here tonight. I really wanted Max and Lucas to meet her, but it will have to be another time. She’s not feeling well, so she couldn’t make the game tonight.
“Fill an uncle in,” I say to my brothers. “What’s Christmas going to look like in a few weeks?”
Both of my brothers are married with kids. Max’s wife Jules brought three children to the marriage—Annabelle, Levy, and Rocco, ages six, eight, and nine respectively. They’re actually Jules’ sister Melody’s kids, but she died and Jules had been raising them when she met Max.
The next fifteen minutes are spent listening to Max talk about Barbie dolls and bicycles, but in much more detail than I think any of us really wanted to hear. Regardless, I’m anxious to see the kids when I can arrange a quick trip down to North Carolina. Between my time in the Marines and then captivity, they don’t know Uncle Malik very well. If my near-death experience has taught me anything, it’s that I want to strengthen my family ties even more than they already are. The Fourniers have always been really tight, but that has to be expanded to the new ones being brought in by marriage.
“Imagine it’s a little easier for you,” I say to Lucas with a nod. He and his wife Stephanie had a little girl, Marianna, roughly fifteen months ago.
Lucas laughs. “She’s a little too young to be writing Santa just yet. But it doesn’t mean we’re not buying stuff and putting it under the tree from Santa all the same.”
“Would expect no different.” I laugh.
“Speaking of Christmas,” Simone interjects. “Are you coming home?”
She looks at me with such yearning I feel awful for letting her down. “Probably not.”
To my surprise, her expression softens and she smiles. It confuses me, so I feel the need to explain. “I’ve been gone from work for so long I don’t really want to take any more time away.”
Simone twists, spearing Van with a smirk. He returns it, looking back at me. “If you say so.”
Max and Lucas seem intrigued, but it’s Max who asks Simone, “What are we missing?”
Shrugging, Simone gives our brother a coy look. “I’m guessing him not coming home for Christmas doesn’t have a damn thing to do with work, but has everything to do with a gorgeous blonde who goes by the name of Anna and—”
“Fine,” I cut her off with a loud chuckle. I don’t keep anything from my siblings. “If you must know, I kind of want to spend Christmas with her.”
“This got serious, fast,” Lucas points out, his tone a bit too serious, but I can understand where he’s coming from. He only knows what I’ve told him, and perhaps what Simone and Mom may have shared with him. He didn’t get the chance to meet her tonight as I’d hoped. He’s being protective.
I don’t deny his assertion. “It’s serious. I guess it’s relative as to what you’d consider fast.”
I was rescued six weeks ago. I’d been back at Jameson for three weeks when I’d reconnected with Anna.
We shared our first kiss just ten days ago.
Sure… some would say it’s fast.
“I can’t explain it, Luc,” I murmur, gazing down at my beer before lifting my gaze to his. “But her husband was killed in the same mission where I was taken prisoner. She and I have shared loss stemming from the same set of circumstances. She understands the current me better than anyone. Sadly, that actually includes all of you sitting with me at this table. And I’m sure you know that says a lot seeing as how I love y’all more than everybody in the world, along with Mom and Dad.”