Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Naomi laughed when I told her that. “Coward,” she said, but in a teasing tone. “But I don’t blame you. I can handle babysitting my two little nephews, but any more than that, and I run for the hills.”
There was a burst of laughter behind me, and I didn’t even turn my head. If I made eye contact, they might come in here. “Wow, they’re loud.”
“They are,” Naomi said, looking past me to the entrance of the restaurant. “Especially the big one.”
“The big one?” I twisted in my chair, expecting to perhaps see some preteens from Matthew’s side of the family. Instead, I saw Jackson tossing a ball to a group of clamoring children. I wasn’t expecting him for at least another half hour. “When did he get here?”
“A few minutes ago. He’s good with them,” Naomi said.
We watched in silence for a few minutes, and I saw she was right. Jackson seemed to be the ringleader of whatever game they were playing out there. All I knew was that it involved a lot of running and shrieking. Plus, the ball that was being tossed around. I didn’t know where that came from.
The ball bounced past Jenny, and she whirled around to get it. However, her foot slid out from under her, and she fell flat on the tile floor.
I half rose out of my seat to go comfort her, but Jackson already was. He picked her up and then crouched down to speak with her. I didn’t know what he said, but she nodded and wiped her eyes. And when he handed her Bun-Bun, she actually smiled.
“That’s adorable,” Naomi said. “And it kind of makes your ovaries melt, doesn’t it?”
I nodded. I’d never thought about if any of the triplets wanted kids, but Jackson, at least, was awesome with them. Maybe that was why he was so interested in my idea for making the loft into the perfect kid’s room.
“Do you want kids?” Naomi asked. It was a very personal question, but somehow it seemed normal in this setting as we both watched Jackson and the kids resume their playing.
“Absolutely. What about you?”
“Someday. Not now.”
Unlike Naomi, I wanted children as soon as possible, but it didn’t seem very likely. I didn’t have a job, or a reliable car. Hell, I wasn’t even dating anyone—not for real. So having kids seemed like a long way off. I sighed. “I’d better go rescue Reid before he’s the one who falls down and gets hurt.”
Naomi laughed. “I think he’ll be okay—especially if you kiss it and make it better.”
I stood up. “It was nice talking to you.”
“You, too.”
The kids were disappointed when I pulled their friend away. They were already referring to him as Uncle Reid.
“I thought you weren’t going to be here for another half hour?” I said when we’d escaped the tiny mob and were heading toward my hotel room.
“I came early,” he said. “Some idiot got the wrong kind of hinges, so I stopped at the hardware store first.”
“Was the idiot one of your brothers?”
He grinned. “Probably.”
There was a door—a heavy one—that marked the start of the rooms and suites. I stopped just in front of it, and Jackson looked over with an eyebrow raised.
“Is there a problem?”
I smiled. “I thought you said that Reid always opens doors for women?”
Comprehension crossed his face as he reached for the door. “Right. And I’m Reid, so I should open the door and walk like I have a stick up my butt.”
I laughed and went through the door as Jackson held it open.
He shook his head once we were in the hallway. “I know Reid fancies himself a gentleman, but I’ve always assumed that the average woman knows how to operate a door.” He glanced sideways at me, his gaze sweeping over my body. “Not that you’re average.”
“Wait a second. You were the one who told me about Reid always opening doors, right?”
His forehead wrinkled. “I don’t think so.”
A sinking feeling filled my stomach. “Hunter?”
“Yes?”
If I had been a person who used swear words, this would’ve been a good time for it. “Jackson was supposed to be here today.”
“He’s working on the loft. What’s the big deal? We’re identical, as you may have noticed.”
“You should have told me!”
“Why?” He looked honestly puzzled at my reaction. “Whether it’s me or him, we’re both supposed to be pretending to be Reid, anyway. So what’s the big deal?”
I turned and continued down the hallway, pulling my keycard out of my purse.
Hunter caught up with me in two bounds. “Penny?”
“I wish you would have told me.”
His trademark smirk was nowhere to be seen. “Okay, I will next time.”
Angrily, I jammed the keycard into the receptacle on the door, but the light flashed red. After two more tries, I turned to Hunter. “It’s just… a lot. Every time I’m here, I’m afraid my family will figure out that I don’t really have a boyfriend. You three barely know me. It would be nice if I at least knew which one of you I’m with.”