Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Make enough for Zella. She’ll be here soon,” I say with a grin.
The front door pushes open and Garrett strides in in serious doctor mode. He walks into the kitchen to kiss his daughter before squatting down in front of Tierra.
“Let me look,” he says.
Tierra bites down on her bottom lip, a smile tugging at her lips. “Okay.”
I leave them to it as I check to see if Zella is here yet. The moment the sedan pulls up, I fly out the front door, eager to see my little girl. This time when she sees me, she runs right into my arms, squealing with delight.
This.
This right here.
I will fucking fight to the death for this.
“This is surreal,” I mutter, glancing over at Hollis, who’s sitting on the bench beside me.
He flashes me a cheesy grin. “Right?”
Sebban and Zella both giggle as they chase each other around the park. There are other kids, but ours are the loudest.
“I can’t wait until they let me keep her all the time.” I can’t wipe the smile off my face. “She’s so damn adorable and sweet.”
“Sebban will like having a kid who’s close to his age to play with.” He checks his phone for the twentieth time since we sat down.
“Waiting on a call?”
He sighs heavily. “Yeah. Roan.”
I don’t probe him and just enjoy watching our kids play.
“Roan thinks you’re fucking my sister,” Hollis blurts out, his tone cooling.
Snapping my head his way, I frown. “I’m not fucking Penny.”
“Hmph.”
“But if I was, it’d be her choice, not yours.”
His jaw clenches. “She’s still a kid.”
“Penny is more mature than both of us combined,” I grumble. “And I haven’t had sex with her.”
“You admit, though, to seeing her?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, man. She’s my girl.”
“Penny’s not some girl you can fuck around with. She’s not wired like everyone else.” He frowns, rubbing at the back of his neck. “When she was little, my parents thought she was autistic.”
I perk up, eager for any peek into her past. “How so?”
“She just had certain quirks. Sounds bothered her. New people bothered her. Changes in routine bothered her. She was socially behind Char and me, along with everyone her own age.”
“Now?”
“Penny’s intelligent. She adapts well. I think it’s a self-preservation thing. The girl still says inappropriate things all the time, but I think that’s just part of her personality. When she thinks she’s being cornered, it’s like she does and says exactly what she thinks is required of her, not necessarily what comes natural.” He smiles and waves at Sebban, who’s trying to get his attention as he goes down the slide. “My point is, Penny is different. She doesn’t need someone to fuck around with her and then leave. I don’t think she’s wired for a casual relationship. My sister is loyal to a fault. Doesn’t see things in gray. Just black or white. So if she thinks you’re together, then you are. If you’re in it for a piece of ass and will drop her when you get bored…”
“I won’t,” I tell him with a fierce growl. “I know Penny is special. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. I’m drawn to her. I want to hold and protect her—to uncover the parts of her she keeps hidden from everyone. I’d never hurt her. I’ll admit, I’m out of my depth with her. She clams up and withdraws, which can be maddening at times, but I know for a girl like her, I have to put in the hard work because the rewards will be that much sweeter.” I chuckle. “Like her smile or her laugh. Do you know how fucking hard that is to earn?”
“It’s my duty to whip your ass if you hurt her,” he says, barely containing his grin, “but we both know Penny can hold her own.”
“Penny doesn’t need a hero,” I agree. “She’s armed with a sharp tongue and more sass than I’ll ever know what to do with.”
He lets out a heavy sigh. “Keep her safe.”
“I will,” I vow.
After our talk, the air isn’t so tense. Hollis’s phone buzzes. As soon as he reads the text, he leaps from the bench, hollering in excitement.
“What is it?” I arch a brow at him.
He plops back down, flashing me the cheesiest grin filled with hope and excitement. “We didn’t want to tell anyone until we knew for sure because we didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up.” He laughs, shaking his head as though he can’t believe it. “We’re going to have a baby.”
My eyes bug out of my head. “What?”
He sobers up some, his blue eyes seeming distant, reminding me so much of his sister. “You remember Wes?”
“You can’t exactly forget a pervert like that.” I grit my teeth. “I hope he enjoys prison. They don’t take well to pedos like him.”