Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
That had to be it.
“Why don’t you go take a nap and I’ll keep working.”
“I can’t do that. You need my help.”
How she managed to say that with a straight face, she wasn’t sure, considering that she wasn’t really any help at all.
“Come on. We’ll go eat some lunch before you take a nap. Then later we can watch a movie."
That sounded like utter bliss.
A few hours later, Loki held his girl in his arms as the movie played.
She’d had a two-hour nap while he’d continued building the treehouse and now she’d fallen asleep halfway through the movie.
Her boss was working her too hard. He’d let it slide during the merger, knowing that everyone was working long hours. But he wasn’t going to put up with this for much longer.
He slid out from under her and then carefully picked her up, making sure that Razzie didn’t slip from her hold.
“Ki-Ki?” she murmured as he laid her down on the bed. It hadn’t been made yet, so he didn’t have to worry about pulling down the covers.
And she was already in a nightie and dressing gown.
“Just putting you to bed,” he said as he slid off her dressing gown and slippers, then pulled the covers up.
“You the best, Ki-Ki. Loves you so much.”
Pain filled his chest and he had to breathe through it. “Love you too, Tinkerbelle.”
“We’re gonna be together forever, right?” She opened her eyes, looking up at him.
“Of course we are.” He grabbed her pacifier and she took hold of it, sucking.
Then she drew it out to smile up at him. “Best. Day. Ever.”
It really was.
23
He was watching her again.
Loki glared at Remy from across the bar. It was quiz night at the Wishing Well and the place was packed as usual. It was a week and a half since he’d come home to find Remy on his fucking couch.
Five days since he’d taken Loki’s girl for dinner.
Yesterday, they’d played hooky together. And she’d looked so much happier after learning he’d called in sick for her.
Today, he’d taken her to work, then picked her up. Her boss had nearly made them late for quiz night. That shit was fucking sacrilege.
Isa hadn’t eaten dinner, so he’d ordered some food for their whole table. He glanced over, unhappy when he saw she was too busy talking to eat.
He needed to go over and sort that out. Isa liked being with her friends. She was social. However, she often forgot to eat or drink when she was busy.
He had to watch her more closely.
Ever since that car accident, he’d been trying to be a better best friend. It wasn’t hard to look after Isa.
It was hard thinking that someone else might take that job from him.
And be better at it.
Loki studied Remy for a moment. Did he have it in him to be what Isa needed? Someone with a firm hand but a soft heart.
You’re looking for reasons for her to reject him, push him away.
Don’t be a selfish bastard.
Grant, Isa’s father, had been a bastard to her for her entire life. She’d lost her mom when she was young, shortly before he’d met her.
If anyone deserved a happy ever after, it was his girl.
A normal life. With a good man who won’t have to leave her in order to get his head screwed on properly.
Who wasn’t afraid to have her in his bed at night. The only reason he’d slept with her the other night was because he never had nightmares after he’d gone out into the mountains.
His mind would be calm. Plus, he was always really fucking exhausted.
“Yo, Loki. You all right?”
He glanced over at his friends. He was lucky to have them. They’d never once acted like he was a burden. When he’d reached rock bottom, they’d helped him find ways to regulate his emotions, to pull himself out of his dark thoughts.
The four of them were wearing their Loki’s Warriors T-shirts. Isa had them made for them a few years ago. He knew she hadn’t thought they would wear them.
They’d worn them every week. In fact, they were now on their second set.
“Loki? Brother, you good?” That was Sage. He looked like he spent his life at the beach. He was tanned with long, blond hair. He was the most easygoing of all of them. He was also a freaking genius with computer shit. Loki didn’t understand it. But Sage helped manage his money, and now instead of having a sandhill, Loki had a fucking mountain of cash.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“You’re glaring at the cowboy, he do something? Do we need to teach him a lesson?” Rohan asked. His dark-haired, dark-eyed friend was always quick to see the worst in people. But once he was your friend, it was for life.
He was a lot like Isa in that way. Loyal to a fault. Loki could call and say he’d killed someone, and Rohan would just ask if he needed him to bring a shovel or acid.