Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
“You didn’t need to get us anything,” Sandy says as she pulls the ribbon free from the small gift bag.
“I was out running errands, and I stumbled across them,” I lie smoothly. No one needs to know I spent seven hours shopping and was almost late as a result.
Willy gives me a sidelong glance, but I just smile and rub her hair between my fingers, so I don’t give in to the urge to stroke the side of her neck.
Sandy opens hers first, carefully unwrapping the small box. She lifts the lid and her eyes flare. “Oh my goodness! Oh wow. This is…” Her fingers go to her lips, and she looks like she’s on the verge of tears. That is the opposite of what I wanted to happen. “How did you know?”
She lifts the earrings from the velvet cushion, and Georgie gasps. “Oh my! The resemblance is uncanny!”
I just sit there smiling, since I have no idea what the hell they’re talking about.
“Hemi must’ve said something.” Sandy passes the earrings to Georgie, who helps her put them on. It’s an incredibly sweet moment between these two women. “This is so sweet. So thoughtful, Dallas.”
“I saw them, and I thought they were perfect.” It’s not untrue. I did see the earrings and think they were pretty awesome. I was also running out of time and figured I should go big or go home.
Sam and Isaac both look confused.
Wills pipes up, probably to help me understand why everyone is so emotional about earrings. “Mom was looking for Ajji’s earrings a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t find them.”
Sandy nods. “I don’t know if I misplaced them or left them somewhere by accident, but I was heartbroken when I realized I couldn’t find them. These look almost exactly the same as my mother’s. They’re beautiful.” She crosses the room, and I untangle Willy’s legs from mine so I can accept the motherly affection. “I can’t thank you enough, Dallas.”
“I’m glad you love them.” I pat her on the back and avoid adding lies to the already huge pile I’m sitting on.
Georgie waits until Sandy is sitting next to her before she unwraps her gift. I worry it’s going to fall flat in the wake of the accidental replacement of the treasured family-heirloom earrings.
“That’ll be a hard one to top.” Isaac smirk. “Ajji would be proud.”
I swallow my anxiety, because the earrings were seriously some dumb luck. Maybe I overheard Willy mention that her mom had misplaced them recently, and that knowledge was sitting in the back of my mind when I bought the gift. It sure as fuck wasn’t conscious, though.
“I’m sure it’ll be lovely and thoughtful.” Georgie gives Isaac a pointed look before carefully peeling the tape away to reveal the contents. “Oh!”
She flips the book over in her hands and runs her palm over the cover.
“It’s signed by the author,” I say.
“Are you kidding?” Georgie opens the book and caresses the page with the author’s signature. “Oh my goodness! How?” Her mouth is agape, her eyes welling. “I can’t even…” She shakes her head. “I was supposed to see her speak at a convention two years ago, but something came up and I couldn’t make it. I thought I’d be able to attend another event and get a book signed. But then she passed and…” Her hand goes to her heart. “She is my favorite author, rest her beautiful, intelligent soul. Her studies on pollinators and saving the bees have inspired me so much.” She sets the book on the couch and rushes across the room.
I untangle myself from Willy again—she automatically slung her legs over mine when I sat back down—and wrap my arms around Georgie, accepting another hug.
“Thank you. You’re just so thoughtful. Hemi is so lucky.”
“I’m the lucky one.” I pat her back.
“I had nothing to do with these gifts. This was one-hundred-percent Dallas,” Willy declares. I can see every single question on her face.
“With or without your help, these gifts are lovely. And they will absolutely be cherished,” Georgie assures me.
My dumb-luck gifts seem to soften up Sam and Isaac a little. Isaac is some sort of CEO, billionaire guy. From what I glean, he basically owns half the world because he started an online business that millions of people use every day. I have no idea what Sam does, but I would not be surprised to find out he disappears people, either for fun or for his job. He’s intense.
The ensuing conversation is loud. Willy’s brothers talk over each other, her moms interrupt them constantly when they think they’re saying something inaccurate, and Willy sits back and listens, occasionally giving her two cents.
In a handful of hours, I understand better why she is the way she is. Here, when she’s surrounded by her family, she’s the quiet one. But when she’s in the Terror office, she’s a different woman. She’s the one people listen to; she gives the orders and tells us how things are. She’s the glue for our team. She grounds us and reminds us to be humble and use our advantages for good.