Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I clench my jaw, hating to be put in that situation, but I know we’ve waited too long to get Mrs. Taylor to New Mexico. I’ve waited on pushing the issue because I didn’t know if Mila was going to fight me on staying here in case she wanted to return to St. Louis, despite it not being safe.
“Let’s do that then,” I tell him.
By the time I hang up the phone, the kids are heading back inside, their faces pink from the exertion of playing for the last hour.
“Maybe we can swim this evening?” Luca asks as he stops in front of me, his eyes filled with hope.
“Of course, bud. We’ll swim later, before dinner.”
His smile is wide. I haven’t shifted our schedules once. I haven’t told him that we’ll do something and then not do it. These kids have had enough disappointment in their lives. The last thing I want is them having the expectation that I’m going to fail them too. I know there will come a time when something comes up and we’ll have to alter our plans, but I’m working on building that trust with them first.
“Have a great rest of the school day,” I tell Jace when he walks by with his hand up for a high five.
“Everything okay?” Hound asks, his daughter’s tiny hand lost in his giant palm.
“Just another bump in the road,” I tell him, unwilling to go into detail around the kids.
Adult problems shouldn’t ever touch the kids if it can be helped. I need Jace worrying about basic math and getting his reading points, not the fact that his family home was burned down by a psychotic motorcycle gang.
“Too many bumps make for a hell of a ride,” he says in understanding. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” I tell him.
Hound is my team leader, but even if he wasn’t, I think the man would offer to help me. That’s the great thing about Cerberus—the fact that everyone is so willing to lend a helping hand. I’m no different. If someone needed something, then I’d do what I could to make their life easier. There’s a balance to the give and take.
I wait for all the other kids to file inside, bopping Sutton on her messy nose as she toddles by me with a wide grin.
“I think she might’ve tasted one of the pies she made,” I tell Misty with a grin when she walks by holding the hand of one of the younger kids.
“I think you may be right. We’ll get her cleaned up, and we won’t even count her taste testing as lunch this time.”
I chuckle at her teasing, loving just how much everyone cares for these children.
I wasn’t lying when I told Mila that the kids would be well-loved and well-taken care of. I honestly think we’re some of the luckiest people to be blessed to be a part of Cerberus.
I take three deep breaths with my closed eyes pointed toward the sun. I have to go inside and tell Mila about the phone call I just received, and I hate that I’m once again bringing her bad news. It’s been a calm couple of weeks, but I knew it could only last so long. There has been a sort of unspoken agreement that we just don’t talk about all the bad stuff. We both needed a breather from all of it, but I knew we couldn’t ignore the outside world forever.
I make my way inside the clubhouse, across the living room, and into the hallway of the newer section of the clubhouse. Even with the newer ventilation added in her salon, the scent of hair products meets me before I get to the door.
I tap my knuckles on it, waiting for the okay to enter. Mila offers a full-service salon, so the last thing I want is to walk in on someone getting something waxed.
“This is work?” I ask teasingly at the sight of both Gigi and Mila sitting and reading magazines. “Sign me up.”
Gigi rolls her eyes and continues to read. Her head is under the massive blow dryer thing and covered in shiny metal. Foils is what Mila called them. The whole process is rather technical and something I could probably never do.
“Hey,” Mila says, walking up to me and pressing her lips to mine in a quick kiss. “I’m going to have to pull her foils in five minutes.”
It’s a warning that we don’t have much time, and the heat in her eyes is almost enough to distract me like it always does.
Her grin is contagious despite what I have to say.
“What’s up?” she asks when I say nothing.
I could just watch this woman all damn day and not say a word.
“Nothing,” I say, knowing I’ll have to tell her eventually. I look over her shoulder at Gigi. “Mind if I hang out?”