Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
I felt lighter with every step I took through the prison lobby. The plastic bag containing the few items I’d decided to take with me—photos of Hailee, some books, and a surprisingly nice set of earbuds from the commissary—bounced off my thigh as I walked. I didn’t even mind the cowboy at my side who’d insisted on escorting me all the way to the exit.
“Try not to come back, Mr. Whitehall,” the guard said.
“That’s the plan, pardner.” I tipped my invisible hat, chuckling at the confused look on his face as I headed out into the sunshine.
The air in front of the prison smelled fresher than the air out in the yard. I filled my lungs with it, closed my eyes, and turned my face toward the sun. After six years of being cooped up in this soul-grinding concrete jungle, I was finally free to roam.
To be fair, the last two years had been a hell of a lot easier to stomach than the first four, all thanks to Hailee—and yeah, okay, a little thanks to my brother, too, but I wasn’t about to jerk him off for it. Logan’s ego didn’t need extra stroking.
The purr of a car’s engine approaching kickstarted my heartbeat. A white Mercedes cruised down the long drive at a speed slightly above the posted maximum. The driver’s smile could be spotted from thirty yards away. My whole body vibrated as the vehicle growled to a stop alongside the curb.
Hailee burst out from the driver’s seat without bothering to shut the door. She looked like an angel flying toward me in a light-pink dress with her dark hair flaring out behind her.
“I hope that thing’s got a five-star safety rating—” I barely managed to get the words out before she flung herself into my arms.
I buried my face in the hair at her neck, downright giddy from the scent of her vanilla perfume. Fuck, she felt so right in my arms, with all those perfect curves pressed tight to my body.
“You two sure you want to get out of here?” Logan stood by the car, watching us with an amused grin. “I can go run a few errands and come back.”
“Hell no,” I said, letting go of Hailee, but not before placing a kiss on her cheek. “Get me out of this shithole.”
“Yes, please,” she said. “Uncle Logan, can you drive? I want to sit in the back with Daddy.”
Daddy. The word was like a secret passcode for my cock. Congratulations, you cracked it, now I’m hard as a rock.
Hailee slid into the back with me while Logan adjusted the driver’s seat to fit his legs. Resting her head on my shoulder, she held my hand for the whole ride out of Atwater, chatting about what she’d been up to since our last phone call. She’d just wrapped up her third year of college. I was always proud of her, but especially so now that she was taking more advanced courses.
We talked about her friends and the end-of-term parties she went to. Part of me was always a little anxious about the possibility of her meeting a nice guy her age and deciding she no longer wanted the complication that came with such a taboo relationship. But our girl was steadfast. She knew what she wanted: the three of us as a family, loving, supporting, and satisfying each other in every way.
“I wanted to see if I could stay home for the fall semester, but unfortunately the advanced marine bio classes can’t be taken online,” she said, with a hint of sadness in her voice.
I swept a lock of hair behind her ear. “Well, it’s only June, so we have plenty of time to enjoy the summer together.”
“I know. I’m just really looking forward to living with you guys all year round.”
“Speaking of living together,” Logan said from the front seat. “Hailee and I have been talking. As much as we like my place in Oregan, our girl misses the ocean. So, after she graduates, I’m going to buy a place on the coast. For all of us.”
I caught his gaze in the rearview mirror. He was obviously expecting me to object to this plan. In the past, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable living in a house I hadn’t paid for myself. As a single parent, I felt like I had something to prove, and that chip on my shoulder led me to make things harder on myself and Hailee than they’d probably needed to be. I’d turned down my brother’s offers to help me out financially many times.
But things were different now. Our relationship to Hailee had changed dramatically. Now that she was an adult, it was no longer my place to decide how much support she should accept from her uncle, especially when my actions were the reason he had to step in and care for her in the first place.