Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Not that, like who do I say you are?” she asks me and I laugh. “Like how do I introduce you?” She looks so worried. “Like, we could give you a code name.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Just introduce me as me.”
She nods her head, walking away from me. When I’m close enough to the dock, she yells at someone to grab the ropes.
Wilson steps forward, grabbing one while her cousin Dylan Stone grabs the other. When I’m in place, she gets onto the dock tying the ropes by herself, and when they are all secure, I turn off the boat.
“Where the hell were you?” I hear her father shouting. Beatrice jumps off the boat in front of her and barks at him, making all the girls laugh.
“Okay, well, for one,” Vivienne says, “what the hell are you guys doing here?”
“You said you would check in,” her father barks. “Chase said.”
“I said she was fine. You were the one who went off the deep end yet again,” Chase corrects, stepping forward.
“How would you feel if you went on your child’s location and saw that they were in the middle of the fucking ocean?”
“You done fucked up on this one,” Max Horton adds, and my mouth hangs open when it dawns on me that he’s the Max Horton.
“It’s my fault,” I finally say, coming off the boat. “I took her out yesterday, and we anchored overnight.”
“Dad,” Vivienne says. “This is Xavier.”
“Wait,” Wilson says. “Monty?” He uses the nickname I went by.
“Hey.” I hold up my hand, and now her father looks at me.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” I say, holding out my hand.
“I wouldn’t shake that hand,” one of the girls says, and she walks over to Wilson and puts her arms around his waist. “You don’t know where it’s been or if, you know, they did the dirty.”
“Francis,” a woman hisses out. “Ignore her. I’m Karrie, Vivienne’s mother.”
“Xavier,” I introduce myself.
“You know my brother Cooper,” Vivienne says. “That’s my sister-in-law, Erika.” She points at the woman who sits on her boat. “My brother Chase, who is a snitch.” She points at him, and he glares at her. “And his wife, Julia.” I nod and then look at the woman who sits next to her. “That’s her twin sister, Jillian, who is married to Michael. You might know him and my cousin Dylan and his wife and my cousin, Alex.” I look at her.
“We played against each other a couple of times,” I state.
“I’m Uncle Max,” Max says, coming to me. “We met a couple of times.” I nod at him. “Nice to see you.”
“Okay, now that all that is out of the way,” Vivienne says, “what are you guys doing here?”
“Emergency phone chain,” everyone says at the same time. I don’t even know what to say.
“I’m fine,” she assures them. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“We did,” Matthew scolds, turning his phone to her, “one hundred and fifty-six times.”
“Your father was calling a helicopter to take him out,” Max adds, shaking his head.
“You were the one who gave me the idea,” Matthew defends.
“It took all of you to come out and make sure I was okay?” Vivienne folds her arms. “You flew all the way in from Dallas?”
“Hey, kids-free weekend,” Alex explains. “Now, how do we fire this boat up and take her out?”
“Um,” Vivienne deflects.
“If you guys want to go out on the water, we can take my boat out. It’s bigger and can fit everyone,” I invite.
“Yes,” Michael says, clapping his hands. “Not going to say he has a nicer boat, but damn.” I roll my lips when Vivienne glares at him.
“We just need to get some food,” I finally suggest, and Julia steps up.
“There are fifteen bags here filled with food.” My eyes go over and look at the whole back of her boat, and it’s full.
“We each brought stuff,” Jillian offers.
“Well, then let’s go,” I urge and look over at Vivienne. “If it’s okay with you?”
“It’s fine with her,” Cooper says. “Can I go on your boat?” I just nod my head.
“How big is this boat?” Max asks as he steps on the back deck.
“Four bedrooms, three bathrooms,” Vivienne answers.
“It sleeps twenty,” I finally say, and they all gasp.
“Now, this is what I call a boat,” Franny declares, coming on the boat. It takes thirty minutes before everyone loads back up. I have time to take Beatrice for a walk, and Vivienne changes. When I get back, the girls have made themselves at home upstairs while the guys sit on the back deck.
“This is the boat I want.” Franny looks over at Wilson from the top, and he just shakes his head.
“What can we do to help?” Matthew asks, and I look over at Vivienne, who nods as she goes to untie the ropes.
“We got it,” I say, walking to the captain’s chair. All the men follow me, and I laugh. “You know what? Why don’t we leave from upstairs? It’s a better view.”