Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Those stupid tears were playing at the corners of her eyes again. “She’s his grandmother. She should know he’s alive. I never…”
“Shh, I know you never tried to keep him from me, but I’m stepping light here. You’ve had all the responsibility for two months, and I can’t come in and ride roughshod over you. I should have asked, but I wanted to talk to her. I didn’t know what to do with the tube of white stuff and then Tucker opened it and it got all over him and it wouldn’t come off.”
She laughed at the thought. “It’s diaper rash ointment. It’s not easy to get off. He’s like a large puppy, you know.”
“You’re telling me,” he replied. “Mum cried. Said he looks just like me. Said you deserve a medal for pushing out that…well, she’s got a mouth on her.”
“For pushing a giant baby through my hoo haw? I got a mouth on me, too, and it was horrible. I have no idea how I managed that. Could you make smaller babies?”
“I’ll try,” he promised.
She started to pull back, realizing what she’d said. “Brody, I didn’t mean that.”
He held her close. “I know. I’m not taking anything seriously. You need time and I’m going to give it to you, but Stephanie, we’re stuck together for a while. We’re going to be living in the same house, spending a lot of time together until this gets sorted out. There’s no reason for us to not sleep together and play together and be kind to each other. Can we do that? No expectations of what happens when the case is done and you’re safe.”
She wanted to believe him. “None?”
“None except that I want to be in his life. I want to be his dad. God, Steph, I didn’t think I wanted kids until I picked him up and held him. Now there’s nothing I want more than to be around him.”
“Of course, but I have to go back and you’ll be in London.” Did she have to go back? That part of her that had held things together for the last decade screamed yes. She’d promised Avery that she would do good.
Avery thought she could do good here.
“We’ll talk about that when the time comes,” he promised. “For now, we’re not going to look past tonight and having a good time while we wait to see what happens next. Can you do that with me?”
She should say no. She needed to listen to what Alfi had said. Maybe he was right and she was the one who wasn’t good enough for Brody. Distance. She needed some, but she still found herself lifting her head and nodding. “Only while we’re stuck here.”
“Only while we’re stuck here,” he agreed.
So why did being stuck here suddenly seem like something she could do for a very long time?
Chapter Ten
A few hours later he stood outside the locker room, waiting for that moment when she would walk out and he would get a glimpse of her.
Alfi, the fucker, had at least one brilliant idea.
“Nice tux.” Big Tag strode out wearing a long blond wig, red bandana, and leather pants. “You a maître d?”
“You a heroin addict?” He could give as well as he got.
“Definitely at some point.” And Big Tag could take what he shoveled out. “Dude, I’m Axl Rose. Do you know who that is? Do they have music in Australia? I know they have that diggery doo thing, but I’m talking about rock ’n’ roll.”
“It’s a didgeridoo and I might have heard of Guns N’ Roses somewhere.” He wasn’t giving Tag anything. He was too happy tonight. Steph was here and he got to play with her all night long. Or at least until the party was over and they had to pick up their kiddo and head home.
Yeah, he liked that thought, too.
“Got to love a costume party.” Tag patted him on the shoulder. “You sure about that other guy?”
There was only one person he could be talking about. Alfi. Well, he might be talking about Tucker, but Brody doubted it. “Am I sure about him? I’m sure he’s an arsehole. Do I think he’ll hurt someone? No. I’ve known Alfi all my life. He’ll do a lot of stupid things but he’s never cruel. He can be mercenary, but if he truly understands how he’s hurting someone, he’ll stop. He’s angry with me.”
“Because you walked away after your brother died?”
Naturally Tag knew about that, but then he would have done a thorough investigation before he brought Brody on the team. “Alfi thinks I abandoned him. I had a shot at getting out of the Army. He reupped because he thought I would. Spent another year in while I kind of roamed the world until I met Walt.”
And Walt had led him to a ship called the Royale and the Taggarts. And they had led him to his home in London and the job that brought him to Steph.