Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 61746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Chuckles sounded around the table, and a warm sensation filled my chest at the thought of Chloe with whiskers drawn on her face and a set of ears on top of her head. She was so much like her mother in so many ways, and I felt honored that Madison let us interact with her so much. I knew how protective she could be.
“Well, she’ll obviously be the most talented kid up on that stage,” Ti pointed out as he flashed her a wink.
Madison pressed her teeth into her bottom lip shyly before glancing down and shrugging.
“If any of you wanted to come, I know she’d be so excited. She always asks when you guys are coming back over,” she said.
“We’ll come,” I assured her. Maybe I shouldn’t be inserting myself into their lives so much, but I wanted to be there for both of them. There was nothing I wanted more than that. “We’ll cheer the loudest.”
“Oh, I bet,” Madison laughed before gesturing to the food. “Dig in. I baked an apple pie too.”
“Holy shit, you’re the best,” Bryce told her before grabbing a roll from the large wooden bowl full of them.
“You could be a chef,” Taj pointed out.
Madison waved her hands dismissively with a blushing face.
“I’m just a waitress,” she replied.
“How’s that going? No creepy guys are bothering you, right?” Baker asked as he lifted an eyebrow.
Madison laughed softly and shook her head.
“No creepy guys. I’ve been making some good tips lately, so it’s been going well,” she replied, sounding cheerful.
“Because you’re amazing at what you do,” Bryce told her with a wink.
Ti nodded in agreement.
“Waitresses have to deal with a lot. If they’re tipping well, they really like you,” he said before smirking a little. “I don’t blame them.”
Madison smiled in a bashful manner before gesturing to the food.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold. I know you guys are starving,” she encouraged us. She didn’t have to tell us twice.
Between the eight of us, all of the food was quickly claimed, and she was a hell of a cook. The chicken was tender and moist, the sides complemented the main course well, and even the rolls were perfectly baked. I couldn’t remember the last time I had what felt like a family dinner.
A sudden swell of emotion filled my chest as I looked around at everyone, realizing that almost all of the most important people in my life were in this room. I couldn’t imagine living without them, and I wanted more moments like this. I could live the rest of my life immersed in this warm, comfortable atmosphere.
“We should do this more often,” I spoke up. “But we’ll help you out. This is a lot of work for one person.”
“You guys are always welcome here,” Madison reminded us. “Feels more like home with you here.”
“Well, I can’t think of anywhere I like to be more,” Gus commented before biting into his roll, leaning back in his chair like he lived here.
“Good,” Madison said with a joyful expression on her face. She went back to eating, listening to us chat about our days before talking about what she had been up to. She worked a lot and spent most of her time with Chloe, but we all made time for each other. It helped that we still took shifts to watch over her, but instead of standing on the porch, we crashed at the house to keep a close eye on things.
Madison split her sweet apple pie into eight pieces, and it was so warm and sugary that it melted in my mouth. She had a proud look on her face as she watched us thoroughly enjoy her cooking, and I realized that as the days went on, she seemed to glow more and more.
Maybe me and the guys weren’t the only ones experiencing growing feelings. Maybe there really was something deep and meaningful happening between us, but could that spark survive? Could we keep the darkness of our pasts from overtaking this good thing we had? As much as I wanted to choose my own answer, I very much knew that life just didn’t work that way.
Chapter 14
Madison
With a slow inhale, I reveled in the crisp morning air as Chloe and I roamed down the main street of our neighborhood.
With the sun shining and only a few clouds in the light blue sky, I felt like today was going to be a good day. The last two weeks had been uneventful regarding danger and threats, and I felt safer than ever because of the guys. Only people with a death wish would mess with seven ex-cons.
“I want to paint today,” Chloe told me as she held my hand, her pink sneakers thumping against the sidewalk.
“Oh, yeah? What do you want to paint?” I asked her. I was used to her telling me what activity she wanted to do each day. Sometimes, she did the same activity for a week or two. Other weeks, she did something new each day.