Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35498 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35498 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
“Hell.”
“Yeah.” Kate scowled at her plate. “So, I’m the bitch that didn’t invite her to chaos central, where every Wayne and Finn in a five-mile radius could talk about how happy Bronte looks, and ask us when we would be making things official. If the situation were reversed, I’d have been so relieved to miss that I’d have kissed her damn feet.”
But her girlfriend hadn’t been. “You can see how she might take it, though. Especially if she was hoping for something official in the future.”
“I never lied.” Her arms crossed defensively. “And I was always clear about not rushing things. People get so hung up on what they’re supposed to do next they can’t enjoy what’s happening in the moment. We’re in love, we should get married. We’re happy, we should have kids and buy a house. We’re in debt and we never sleep together anymore. We should have an affair or a nervous breakdown or get a divorce. Maybe all three.”
“Now I wonder why we didn’t name you Sunshine.”
She shook her head at his gentle teasing. “I’m not like you and William, Matty. I’m not an insta-love girl. Zo actually mentioned you in the argument. Your brother knew as soon as he saw Oliver,” she said in a high-pitched whine. “Well, I’m sorry I can’t just ignore common sense for some good-smelling pheromones and leap off a damn cliff like— Fuck, you know what I mean.”
Matthew rubbed his neck and shrugged. “I know. Believe me. And before I met Oliver, I thought exactly the same way. A year ago, I would have laughed if someone told me I’d be this focused on another person’s happiness. That I’d be this impatient to get a damn ring on his finger and start using words like forever.”
She reached out and squeezed his forearm affectionately. “You know I’m happy for you, don’t you? None of my ranting is about you two. Or William and Bronte. But you’re anomalies.”
“Thank you. And I’ll be happy for you when you’re ready to leap. Whenever that happens. Until then, you’re absolutely right. You shouldn’t let anybody push you into something that doesn’t feel good to you. And screw any man or woman that doesn’t think you’re worth waiting for. Worth earning.”
Kate wrinkled her nose, her eyes welling up again before she leaned her head on his shoulder. “This sucks.”
“There it is now,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “There’s the last of it.”
She’d mope around the house for a few days. Then she’d deck herself out and start going out with her single friends again. Nothing held Kate Finn down for long. She was the most resilient of them all.
“William wants me to help out this summer,” she said into the wet spot she’d created on his shoulder.
“Do you think you can do that without killing him? Or me?”
She snorted. “That depends. Are the regular members all as pretty as Oliver?”
Matthew smiled into her hair. “No one is as pretty as Oliver.”
“That’s sweet,” Oliver said from the kitchen doorway. “But wrong in this case. I can make a list right now of the ten hottest members you can… Matthew?”
Matthew heard himself muttering and growling as he got up from his chair, but he couldn’t help it. “You have a list?”
“For Kate,” he swore, but his eyes were sparkling as he backed up a step. “A list for your sister.”
“See you later, Ollie,” Kate called, sounding a lot better than she had an hour ago.
“Are you going somewhere?” Oliver asked, right before Matthew reached him, hoisted him over his shoulder and carried him back upstairs to his room.
“But I wanted toast and coffee,” Oliver managed through his laughter.
He tossed him on the bed, watching him bounce as he dragged his shirt off. “You’ve missed that window. Now you have to give me all the names on your list so I can accidentally delete their memberships.”
“You’re being ridiculous. I was trying to make her feel better. There is no list.” He hesitated. “But if I were going to make one—for Kate—it would have a few of the women in your self-defense classes on it, too. Especially Gina.”
He almost told him that Gina had a crush on Robert, but he held his tongue, crawling onto the bed until he was straddling Oliver. “Is Tony on that list? Maybe that burly Bobby guy William’s been training for competition. The fireman who’s always asking about you?”
Oliver’s smile faded. “I wouldn’t call him burly. And Tony isn’t— Do you think Tony is hot?”
Matthew reached for Oliver’s wrists and held them over his head. “You know better, Legs. I only have one name on my list, and that’s not changing anytime soon. No matter how high and firm Tony’s ass is.”
Oliver bucked beneath him and Matthew tightened his grip. “Let me up so I can give you a high, firm kick in the ass.”