Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
No kid should ever have to think about that.
“What are we going to watch?” I ask my niece. She just smiles as she places her hands on my cheeks and gives me a sloppy kiss. “I love you too.” I laugh, wiping my lips.
“It’s warm out today. How about we go for a walk?” I move to the front hallway and open the closet door where I know Brooks and Palmer keep the stroller. I put Remi’s jacket on her. It’s warm out, but still, the wind adds a little chill to the air. I wheel her back to the living room to grab the diaper bag I remember was sitting next to the couch. I do a quick check. Toys, blanket, diapers, wipes, and a bottle. It should be good for a short little stroll around the neighborhood.
Pulling my phone out of my jeans pocket, I shoot Brooks a text. Being the nice brother that I am, I keep it out of the group thread we have with our brothers.
Me: Taking Remi for a stroll around the block.
I follow it with a winking emoji. I laugh when I read his reply.
Brooks: You’re my favorite.
“Your daddy just told me I was his favorite. That’s twice in one day. Make sure you tell the others, okay, Rem?” I tap her on the nose with my index finger. “You ready to stroll?”
Remi claps her hands. This kid, she’s always so happy. I knew coming over early was a good idea. Not only because I knew Brooks and Palmer wanted time together but because I was driving myself crazy sitting in my house thinking about Scarlett. It’s been five weeks since I’ve laid eyes on her. Since I’ve felt and tasted her skin. Five weeks of looking for her every time I drove through town and trying to think of a way to ask Palmer for her number without tipping everyone in my family off that we slept together. When Palmer called last night to tell me about today, she casually mentioned that Scarlett would be coming as well.
I’ve barely slept.
I feel like teenage Archer, excited to go to school to see the girl I was crushing on. Finally, I decided that some one-on-one time with my niece was exactly what I needed. I work long hours this time of year, too, and I don’t get to spend as much time with my family as I’d like. However, I always try my best to make it when something like this comes up. My brothers, all eight of them, are my best friends. Their wives too. And their kids, well, let’s just say being an uncle kicks ass.
Maneuvering the stroller out onto the front porch, I lock the front door behind me. It’s a keyless entry, and I have the code. Hell, we all have the codes or copies of keys to each other’s houses. That’s just what we do.
“All right, Rem, let’s do this.” I carry the stroller down the steps, and once it’s back on the sidewalk, we head off down the street. Remi laughs and points using her baby jabbers, and it makes me smile.
My mind drifts to Scarlett, but I’m too busy replying to Remi, even though I have no idea what she’s saying to get lost in my thoughts. This is exactly what I needed. My guess is that Brooks would be in agreement about now.
Remi is having such a great time, and it’s a nice day, I decide to go another block before turning around. I take my time, taking smaller steps and stopping to let Remi grab a flower from a nearby flowerpot. Thankfully, she doesn’t shove it into her mouth, and I don’t have to take it from her. She’s the only baby I know that doesn’t shove every item they pick up into their mouths. Blakely, Declan’s daughter, was terrible about it as a baby. Anytime I watched her for him, I felt like I needed to hold her to keep her from grabbing something random and putting it in her mouth.
By the time we make it back to the house, an hour has passed, and Remi is passed out in her stroller. I carry it up the steps and quietly type in the code. The house is quiet when I walk inside, so I carefully take Remi from her stroller and make my way to the couch. I know that I could put her down in her room or even in the Pack ’N Play in the corner, but I’d rather snuggle with her. Once my brothers get here, I’ll have to share. That’s okay, though. I’ll be able to steal hugs from Blakely, Declan’s oldest, who is almost six, which is hard to believe. His son, Beckham, is just a few months old, and then there’s Orion. He’s Orrin’s son, and he’s just a couple of months old. I’m not sure if Palmer and Deacon’s sister Piper will be here, but if she is, her little girl, Penelope, is close in age to Orion and Beckham. There will be lots of babies, but there are a lot of us too.