Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I motioned for her to come in. “You go right on ahead, old…I mean, Mrs. Hopkins.”
Everything was going amazingly. Mom and Dad were busy the entire four hours of the open house. More people had signed up than I could have imagined. I was going to have to hire two more instructors before we officially opened in January.
Tripp walked into the lobby with a mom and her daughter. I had noticed he was with them earlier, giving a tour of the facility. I knew I had seen the mother before but couldn’t put my finger on it. When Tripp’s eyes caught mine, he smiled. I waved and watched him walk over to Mom and Dad as she signed her daughter up.
Amelia stood next to me and sighed. “Well, that was a very successful open house. Nearly everyone is gone, except for this mom and her daughter, and some friends of Steed and Paxton’s. Their daughter goes to school with Chloe. They’re in the ballet room talking.”
I nodded. “Do you know who is with Tripp?”
“Yeah, she’s new in town. She owns the boutique store that opened across the square.”
“Oh, right. It opened right before Thanksgiving. We were in there on our girls’ shopping trip. That’s where I’ve seen her.”
“She’s been here for nearly two hours. Let me add that Tripp has been the only one to show her around. They were in the ballet room for the longest time talking while her daughter played with Chloe. She’s a couple years younger than Chloe, from what Paxton told me.”
My interest was piqued. “Huh, is she single?”
With a chuckle, Amelia replied, “Of course she is. Why else do you think our brother has been on her tail since the moment she walked in? I think he’s smitten.”
Turning to Amelia, I said, “Harley stopped by the house on decoration day. That’s who was at the door. She wanted to talk to Tripp, have coffee with him after the holidays.”
My sister’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“I told Tripp not to be stupid and let her walk back into his life. I suggested he go on some dates.”
We turned back to look at Tripp and the mom. “Well, let’s hope he isn’t using this lady as a means to make Harley jealous.”
I shook my head. “Tripp isn’t that way. He wouldn’t do that. Look at how he stares at her. I think he’s actually into this girl, and by into her, I mean more than just a one-night stand.”
Crossing our arms over our chests at the same time, we both said, “This should be interesting.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jonathon
Waylynn rushed into the living room and shoved a fork in my face. “Taste this!”
Pulling back, I looked at the strange food on the end of it. “What is it?”
“It’s lasagna!”
“It is?”
“Well, meatless lasagna.”
My eyes lifted to look at her. “Why would you make meatless lasagna? That’s gross.”
“Because we’re going to Mick and Wanda’s house later today and Angie doesn’t eat meat.”
Mick and Wanda were Wade’s aunt and uncle. Wade and Amelia tried to go often to visit them and the kids.
“A veggie eater, huh?”
She nodded. “Hence the veggie lasagna. Now, taste it and tell me if it’s good.”
Grimacing, I closed my eyes and opened my mouth. After a couple of bites, I lifted my brows and stared at Waylynn.
“Well?”
“It’s actually really good.”
She fist pumped. “Thank goodness. I’ve made two lasagnas since it will be fourteen of us.”
“Fourteen!”
With a chuckle, she headed into the kitchen and I followed. “Remember all the Christmas presents we bought for the kids they foster?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t realize they had that many kids. So, they have eight?”
She nodded. “When Amelia met them, they had twelve kids, but four were adopted. Wade said his aunt was heartbroken, but they went to amazing families.”
“Wow, it’s so amazing that they do that.”
“I know.”
I picked up a tomato that was in a giant salad and popped it into my mouth. “Do they have kids of their own?”
“I think two of them are theirs. A girl and a boy.”
“That’s pretty awesome.”
She looked over her shoulder at me and grinned. “I think so too. To open their home and hearts like that to these kids…it warms my heart.”
The doorbell rang and Waylynn motioned for me to answer it. “It’s Amelia and Wade, I’m sure.”
Opening the door, I smiled. “Hey, y’all. Come on in.”
Wade shook my hand as he walked in. “Thanks so much for coming along with us to drop off all these gifts.”
Waylynn had offered to help Amelia Christmas shop for the kids, and I don’t think I’d ever had so much fun in a damn toy store.
“No problem at all. Waylynn and I had fun shopping for the kids.”
Wade laughed. “Hell, don’t get me started. Amelia spent a small fortune even after Wanda told her not to go crazy. I guess Amelia split the list with Waylynn.”