Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Rumi,” my dad roared, his hand slapping against my chest.
“Sorry,” Rumi muttered, his hands held up in surrender as he stared wide-eyed. “I was jokin’.”
“You want me jokin’ about Nova?” I asked through gritted teeth. My dad’s hand was still pressed against my chest like he wasn’t sure if he was going to have to hold me back or not. “I mean, didn’t she start hookin’ up with you because you were both drunk?”
Rumi’s expression darkened, but he stayed in his seat. “Point taken.”
“Is the coast clear?” my brother Micky asked, poking his head in the back door. “We started comin’ in the front but I heard you yellin’ so we came around back to give you a minute.”
“Yeah,” I waved him in as I sat back down. “All clear.”
“Cool,” he replied, opening the door wider so Rhett could come inside.
“Grandpa was yelling,” Rhett announced as he strode toward the table. “Rumi!”
“Grandpa’s always yelling at Rumi,” Myla said wryly as she came in behind him. “Why the heck did Micky pick me up today?”
“Because I asked him to.” Dad looked past her. “Where’s Titus?”
“He said he was goin’ to a friend’s house,” Micky replied warily. “Didn’t he clear it with you first?”
Dad shook his head.
“That little fuck,” Micky muttered, pulling out his phone.
“We’re home,” my mom called from the front of the house. “Come help us carry shit inside!”
I was on my feet and headed toward the living room before anyone else. Rumi had been giving me shit calling me a worrywart, but that was exactly what I’d felt like all day. I knew that Esther was fine with my mom, but I’d still felt anxious while she was out of my sight, especially knowing they’d detonated the cabin. The Sons of Calgary were going to be looking for answers and we were the first place they’d look. Allowing the women to go all over town hadn’t been a good idea, and I should’ve said something, but I’d been too concerned about Esther’s feelings. She deserved a real wedding, with decorations and a dress and all that shit.
She was standing inside the doorway, her hands full of bags, and she reminded me of a wilted flower.
“Hey,” she greeted with a small smile, little wisps of hair tickling her cheeks. “I spent all the money you gave me.”
“Good. That’s why I gave it to you,” I mumbled, taking the bags from her hands and setting them on the couch.
God, she was pretty. The braid in her hair seemed to make her look softer or something more approachable. If I was being honest, so did her little round belly. I’d always found Esther attractive, in a purely aesthetic way, but once I’d seen her naked with her hair pooled beneath her, that attraction had grown into something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was electric.
And now that I knew I’d be seeing her naked again in a few days, the attraction was getting hard to control.
“Did you have a good day?” I asked, ushering her a little away from the door as my family moved in and out carrying bags in from the car.
“Yeah, it was nice,” she replied, smiling softly. “I think we went to every store in Eugene.”
“Did you find everything you needed?” Her hair was soft against my fingers as I cupped her cheeks. Jesus, why the hell did it feel like I hadn’t seen her in months rather than just a few hours? I was clearly fucking losing it.
“I think so?” She frowned. “We got dark blue decorations. Is that okay? Your mom couldn’t remember your favorite color.”
“I like blue,” I assured her.
“Oh, good.” She sighed and crossed her eyes as her shoulders slumped. I let out a startled chuckle. “I’m so tired.”
“I bet.” I kissed her forehead. “You hungry?”
“Really hungry,” she confirmed sheepishly. Her eyes grew glassy. “But my feet hurt so bad I don’t think I can even walk to the kitchen. That’s why I didn’t help unload the car.”
“Christ,” I muttered, dropping down to one knee. “Lift your foot.”
“I’m not used to cowboy boots,” she said apologetically, bracing one hand on my shoulder as she let me pull the boot off. I rubbed the arch of her foot with my thumbs before setting it on the floor and reaching for the other boot. “The heels are higher than I’m used to.”
As soon as the boots were off, she sighed with relief and I smiled to myself, looking down at her feet. She needed to start wearing socks with some cushion, the tights she had on were so thin it must’ve felt like wearing nothing. Maybe I’d stop by the store and get her some. I wondered if she’d think that was weird.
“Oh.” The word was so quiet that I nearly didn’t hear it, but the tone was enough for me to snap my head back to look at her face.