Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“If I’m ever out that way, I certainly will,” Lang said gently. “Now if you’ll excuse us, I have to check in with Mom, and it looks like Mr. Blanchard is on his way back.”
Lang tipped his head at me, and the two of us passed Mr. Blanchard on our way to Etta, who was talking to Viola, Talia, and Sharpe.
“I need to have a quick word with Lang,” Talia told our colleague, then stepped in front of us. “You didn’t do something stupid and give Duke,” she said snidely, drawing out his name, “your phone number, did you?”
“No. Of course not. But why are you making fun of the man’s name?”
She huffed out a breath. “Fine. You’re right, and for no other reason than you shouldn’t make fun of anyone’s name.”
“That’s right.”
“Because you weren’t going to say, I shouldn’t make fun of his name because he’s your father, were you?”
He made a face as though that was a ridiculous notion.
“I didn’t think so.”
They were quiet a moment.
“I bet you wouldn’t have made fun of his name if his last name was Ellington,” he said, grinning at her.
“No, sir, I would not.”
“Just so we’re clear.”
She shrugged.
“You seem angry.”
“It’s the whole him having a daughter a year younger than me and the implications of that. I was a bit thrown. I’m working through it.”
“Or, conversely,” I offered, “you could go ahead and forget it.”
“How can I forget?”
“He doesn’t mean forget. He means let go,” Lang clarified. He was good at that, translating what I said to others.
“How?”
“What’s the point of holding on to it?” Lang asked. “When will you see him again?”
She crossed her arms.
“He left us. And as good with everything as Mom is, as great as Duke’s life turned out with Selah, the facts don’t change with time. He abandoned his first family, and we had to sink or swim without him.”
“We’re both excellent swimmers,” she said hoarsely, her voice cracking a bit. She was trying to be so strong but it was a lot for a Saturday afternoon.
“Because our mother made certain we were.”
“Yes.” She sighed, cupping his cheek for a moment.
“So really, since you’re not going to visit there, what are the chances of you seeing him ever again?”
“True.”
“That was my point about lettin’ it go,” I told her. “What’s the purpose of bein’ mad? It’s a lot of energy that you can use for somethin’ else.”
She tipped her head sideways, studying me. “You’re smarter than you look.”
“That’s rude,” I told her, then looked at Lang. “Your sister is rude.”
“Yes,” he concurred, smiling at me, then looking back at her. “And why would I give him my number?”
“Sentiment? New beginnings? Forgiveness? Epiphanies? Closure? I don’t know. I have no idea. What I do know is that I don’t need a father. I have you. And in fantastic news, from all that Ethan’s said, his father is glorious, so if we get married, I’ll assimilate him like the Borg.”
It took me a moment to process that because first, I was very hungry and my blood sugar was dipping. Second, she used a Star Trek reference, and third and finally, what the hell? “What the hell?” I repeated what was in my brain.
She was chuckling.
“That was painfully nerdy,” I lamented, “and again, are you kiddin’? Do you think maybe we could know the man a full twenty-four hours before we start pickin’ out china patterns?”
“I just…really like him.”
Reminding her that everyone liked him was not going to get me anywhere. “Great. All I’m sayin’ is let’s tap the brakes and revisit this topic again next Saturday,” I said, then suddenly jolted as my memory kicked in. “Saturday,” I repeated, realizing something.
“Fine,” she muttered. “You don’t have to beat it into the ground.”
“He’s not,” Lang said, squinting at me. “He remembered something.”
I nodded.
“So you’re not giving me crap?” she baited me.
I put my arm around her. “No. I was rememberin’ that we have a date tonight,” I said, looking at Lang.
“Who has a date?” Her voice went low. “Not Ethan.”
“Technically, yes, but I’m sure he’s gonna bail to spend time with you.”
“Aww.” She sighed happily.
“What date do we have together?” Lang asked me.
“Think now of somethin’ you’ve wanted to do for three weeks.”
“That I’ve wanted to do?”
I nodded.
“Give me a hint?”
“We’re playin’ poker,” I said flatly because I didn’t give hints.
“Oh,” he whispered happily, his whole face lighting up. “Doyle’s poker game.”
“It’s gonna be terrible,” I muttered.
“What is?” Sharpe asked as he joined us.
“I love playing poker,” Talia reminded me under her breath.
“You do?” Ethan asked excitedly because she hadn’t said it softly enough. “I was actually invited to a game tonight. Would you like to go with me?”
“No,” Lang and I said at the same time.
“Stop,” she warned us, swatting me in the abdomen even harder than she had earlier. “You’ll scare him.”