Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Alyssa and the ladies are already back by the time I reach our seats. I stop next to Alyssa and lift my arm that the blanket is shoved under, and it falls on her head, making her laugh until she sees what it is. She looks from me to the blanket, and the smile that lights up her face also lights up my soul.
“Mer!” I call out to my brother, digging the candy bar out of my pocket and tossing it to him.
“The rest of this is ours.” I turn so that Alyssa can grab one bottle of water, then turn again so she can reach the other side. I wait for her to put them in the cupholders in our chairs before handing her the fries. I take my seat and hand her the pulled pork sandwich I got her.
“Sterling.”
Everyone is talking and laughing, standing and stretching before the next movie. Brooks arrives, as do Piper and Heath, but none of that matters. I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Did you want something different?” I ask her.
“No.” She’s quick to shake her head. “This is… the blanket, my favorite food. You spoil me.” There’s emotion in her tone.
I lean over into her space and use my free hand to tuck her hair that’s escaped from her ponytail behind her ear. “It’s my favorite thing to do.”
“Sometimes—” She stops short.
“Tell me.”
Her eyes are intense when she says, “Sometimes you make my heart race.”
Fuck me. I want to kiss her. Instead, I smile and sit back in my seat. I don’t tell her that she makes my heart skip a fucking beat every time I lay eyes on her. I don’t tell her that I’d love the opportunity to make her heart race every day for the rest of our lives.
No, I pretend as if her confession is no big deal and peel back the wrapper of my sandwich. It’s a dick move, but I know myself. If I say a single word. If I touch her, all bets are off. I don’t care where we are or that my family will have front-row seats.
I’m ready to say fuck the other fifty percent and go all in.
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Alyssa
This has been the best week. Tamara was on vacation, so work was quiet and an absolute joy to be there. By Tuesday night, I knew that looking for a new job was crucial to my mental health. I applied for several positions in Harris and a couple in Atlanta. I’m not really looking forward to an hour's drive every day. However, there were only a few listings for Willow River, all of which I applied for.
To top off my great week, Sterling called me late Sunday night, letting me know that Palmer’s water broke and that they were headed to the hospital. I offered to go with him, but he wasn’t going until the baby was born. There are a lot of them, so they decided it was best to wait. Well, Brooks decided it was best if they went to the hospital in shifts so they wouldn’t overwhelm the staff.
I woke up Monday morning to a call from Sterling telling me the baby was here and that everyone was doing wonderfully. I had another message from Ramsey. They got home from their honeymoon late Sunday, and she was already in full aunt mode, reminding us ladies of the meal train and the days we signed up for. We didn’t know the dates, so we just numbered the days, starting with the day they came home from the hospital as day one.
The new family of three was released to come home on Tuesday. Palmer’s mom, Mary, took that day, Carol took Wednesday, Ramsey had Thursday, Piper had Friday, and today, Saturday, is my day.
I got up early this morning to go to the grocery store, and I got a few different options. I decided to make baked spaghetti. It’s something that’s easy to heat up. I’m just putting the pan into the oven when Sterling walks in.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I ask him.
“I came to help.”
“I just put it in the oven.”
“Really?” he asks.
“Too slow, Tank,” I tease. He’s on the other side of the kitchen, which is where I hope that he stays. I don’t need to get all hot and bothered before I get to go meet baby Remi for the first time.
“I have pictures.” He grins at me.
“Gimme.” I hold out my hands, but he shakes his head.
“Come sit with me, and we can look through them.”
“Fine. But let me set the timer. The last thing I need is to burn their food.” I set the timer for fifteen minutes. It really only needs to be in there long enough to melt the cheese. When I reach the couch, I start to walk by him, but he pulls me onto his lap. I don’t bother arguing with him because it’s no use. Besides, I like being close to him. Hopefully, we can keep this moment about his new baby niece, and I can keep my body’s reaction to him under control. While I’d hoped he would keep his distance, there’s a part of me that’s thrilled that he didn’t.