Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Jules nods in understanding. “Noted.”
“What is she interested in doing?” I ask curiously.
“It’s a pretty amazing idea,” she says with bright, excited eyes. “She said when she lived back in California, some of the nursing homes and rehab centers actually had preschools inside of them where the kids and elderly would interact together. She said it made a huge difference to the people there who didn’t have family, and also helped the kids to empathize with a sort of lost generation of people.”
“Hilda,” I say softly.
“Who?”
“Hilda,” I repeat. “She was Stephanie’s nanny…Stephanie became Hilda’s caregiver later in life as she got older. Stephanie told me she had broken her hip and had to go to a nursing home. She died there.”
“I’m betting they had that program there,” Jules says.
“So she wants to open a school inside of a nursing home?” I ask with my brows furrowed.
Jules shakes her head. “Not quite. She actually wants to create a nonprofit that would pair preschools with care facilities and make the arrangements and transportation to bring the kids for field trips to do activities with the residents.”
My head actually jerks backward in surprise. A good kind of surprise. “That’s freaking brilliant.”
“Right?” Jules says with enthusiasm. “And I’d like to help her if she does this. I’m not doing my painting full time, and only working a few hours each week at Sweetbrier. I know when Annabelle starts school in the fall, I’m going to go crazy with boredom.”
My mind spins, wondering how serious Stephanie is about doing this and if she’s going to ask for my advice. I have to admit, I’m slightly perturbed she reached out to Jules before me about this. Say what you want about Jules having some inside expertise and education in geriatric care, I’m the one bringing her amazing orgasms.
I’m the one she talks to about her shitty family life.
Almost as if she can read my mind, Jules lays her hand on my forearm. “I’m sure she’s going to talk to you about it.”
I shake my head. “She doesn’t owe me anything.”
Except I want her to want my advice. I did knock her up after all, so one would say I’m at least the most important man in her life at the moment.
Jules opens her mouth to say something I’m sure is sweet but unhelpful to the way I’m feeling, when our attention is caught by a car pulling into her circular driveway. It stops right in front of the sidewalk that leads to the porch, and my jaw drops open as I recognize my sister, Simone, in the backseat.
I trot down the stairs as she steps out and the Uber driver pops his trunk.
“What are you doing here?” I ask in stunned surprise as I pull her into a big bear hug.
Simone laughs and squeezes me tight. “What? I’m not allowed to visit my brothers?”
“You’re welcome anytime,” I assure as I pull back and hold her by her shoulders. “You look great, sis.”
And she does. My sister is the spitting image of Max and me, as well as our other brother, Malik. Dark brown hair with streaks of a lighter brown throughout that just occur naturally in our family starting with my mom. She has the same hazel eyes too, and she’s tall like her brothers, although at five nine, she’s still several inches shorter than me.
“Get out of the way, Lucas,” I hear Jules say from behind me. I step back from my sister, and she and Jules hug like long-lost friends. They haven’t met in person yet, but they are tight through phone calls and social media. They chatter constantly back and forth with Facebook texts and tweets.
When they pull apart, she turns to thank the Uber driver as he sets two large bags down in the grass that borders the driveway. He gets into his car and leaves and I pick up Simone’s bags to carry them into to the house.
“Did you tell Max you were coming?” I ask her as we hit the front porch and Jules leads us into the house.
“Nope,” she says, and even though her back is to me as I bring up the rear, I can hear the mischief in her voice. “Thought I’d just come and crash here and rattle your cages. Besides, Jules said I could visit anytime I wanted. It was an open door.”
“True,” Jules says with a laugh as I set the bags down in the foyer, figuring I’ll take them to whatever room they put her in. She definitely has to stay here, as there’s no room at my house since it only has two bedrooms.
Max sees us all through the glass back deck doors, eyes landing on Simone then going back to the grill. He quickly does a double take, his mouth falling open like mine.