Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
This morning, with Vince’s credit card in hand, I’d decided to spoil them not only with a hot breakfast from McDonald’s, but with Publix subs to save for later, and brand-new packages of socks and underwear, too. And the entire time, Vince had been quiet, wearing a smug little smile that I thought meant he was just amused and confused about what was happening.
But when we pulled up to the park and walked over, all of its residents greeted Vince before they did me.
And I’d been standing there confused ever since, watching as they interacted the way family would.
“Well, to be fair, you probably won’t see quite as much of me,” Vince admitted, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “But this one dragged me out this morning. And I’m glad she did.”
“Ah, Maven is an angel on Earth,” Nonna said. I didn’t know if that was her real name or just what she had everyone call her, but she was one of the only women who stayed at the park with all these rascals. She had olive skin, and an accent I couldn’t quite place, along with a smile that felt like a warm hug any time she geared it toward you. The guys here respected her like she was their grandmother even though she couldn’t be more than sixty years old, so maybe that was why they called her Nonna. “You picked a good girl to date, son.”
“Oh, she’s not my girl,” Vince said, his eyes twinkling a little bit when they met mine. “Not yet, anyway.”
Lonnie and Mr. Pruitt exchanged glances on a snicker at that, but I was still too shocked to even roll my eyes. Here was this man who lived in a multi-million-dollar condo not even five blocks from this park, who wore designer suits and drove a car that cost more than my parents’ home — and somehow, everyone here knew him.
How?
I watched them all chatter for a bit as Vince handed out the underwear and socks before digging out breakfast from the multiple paper bags. Everyone chowed down and laughed beneath the large oak trees covered in Spanish moss that shaded the park. I joined in, but still couldn’t hide my what the fuck face, apparently, because after a while, Vince nudged my arm.
“What’s wrong, Maven? You look a little perplexed there.”
I glared at him. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on or just sit there all cocksure?”
“I like the sound of that second option,” he said, biting into a McGriddle even though we’d already eaten a massive waffle. He was so lean, I found it hard to believe he ate as much as I’d seen him eat in the past couple of days. Then again, when you skate nonstop for hours at a time, I guess you need to pack it on so you have the energy to do so.
“How do you know everyone here?”
“Oh, we met Vince during rookie camp,” Lonnie answered for me. “He was walking back to his place after practice one day and we called him over, started chatting.”
“Yep. I told him how I set up outside of every home game with my bamboo roses for sale,” Mr. Pruitt said.
“And I told him how I play my bucket drums,” Lonnie added. “Before you knew it, Vince was inviting us up to his place.”
My jaw nearly hit the grass. “To… his place?”
“Oh, that was such a lovely day,” Nonna said all dreamy-eyed. “He let us all take showers, made us a hot meal, and even let us sleep in the air conditioning for a while. We made a big camp there in his living room.”
I blinked, sure I wasn’t hearing this right.
When I looked at Vince, he was chewing, silent, staring down at his sneakers with his cheeks a bit pink.
“I tried to convince him to give us a key, but…” Nonna said wistfully, a rascally grin on her face.
“Now, Nonna — if I would have done that, I would have woken up with you in my bed by now,” Vince said.
“And it would have been the best morning of your life,” she combatted.
He winked at her, and she pinched off a piece of her hashbrown and tossed it at him.
“Since then, we been friends, haven’t we, Vince?” Mr. Pruitt declared with a grin. “He comes by and says hello when he can, and Lonnie beats the drums extra loud when we win here at home.”
“I even painted his number on the side,” Lonnie said proudly. “Forty-one, baby.”
Vince looked at me then, lifting a brow.
He knew without me saying it.
He’d surprised me yet again.
“Excuse me?”
We all turned to look toward where the soft voice had come from, finding a woman with a young boy tucked into her side. She smiled shyly.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but my son is your biggest fan. He’d really love to take a picture with you, if that would be okay.”