Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“You’re worrying over nothing. Now come on, we—”
The back door opened and closed, and Fox ground his molars when he heard Dale’s loud mouth hollering Bull’s name.
“See? We’re late.”
Fox walked hesitantly behind him, and Bull fought again not to laugh when they strolled into the kitchen and Amelia was quick to turn away as she started fumbling with the coffeepot.
“Damnit, I told you,” Fox swore against his shoulder.
“You’re overreacting,” Bull said. “They’re probably still nervous about last night. None of us have ever seen you that upset… not even on TV.”
“You watched me on television?” Fox asked in surprise, his expression turning soft and adoring.
“Every chance I got… and usually more than once.”
“Oh. Okay then,” Fox murmured. “I guess that makes sense.”
“What are y’all over there whispering for?” Dale blurted out. “You two decided to sleep in again, huh?”
“Mmhm,” Fox muttered as he went to the counter to pour himself some juice. Dale was eyeing him warily while giving him a little distance, looking unsure if he should go on with their usual shit they gave each other or if Fox was still not acting like himself.
“I’m almost ready, Dale.” Bull grabbed a breakfast burrito out of the freezer, unwrapped it, and popped it into the microwave. He leaned against the counter while he waited for his food, realizing that Amelia was in fact avoiding making eye contact with him, and his father was giving him the same expression he used to give Bull when he’d hit a home run on his varsity baseball team.
“That’s all you’re going to eat?” Dale asked with a smug smile. “I had flapjacks, hash browns, eggs, fresh-squeezed orange juice.”
“Then why didn’t you bring us some, jackass?” Fox grumbled, shoving Dale out of the way of the large fruit bowl Amelia kept on the island.
“Because Rid only made enough for the two of us,” Dale answered, and Fox beamed as if he was going to jump into Dale’s arms.
“He got up and made you breakfast… nice.” Bull grinned.
“Looks like you’ll have to survive on burritos, my friend.” Dale slapped him on his back, his chest sticking out so far it stretched his flannel shirt. “Try not to pass out today.”
“Oh, don’t you go worrying about Bull,” Walker added casually from behind the Senoia Gazette newspaper he was reading. “You won’t find a hitch in his giddyup today.”
Amelia choked on her coffee, trying to laugh more discreetly through her hacking fit, while Fox stood there with his banana frozen halfway to his mouth. If he only knew what he looked like, he’d close his lips and put the elongated piece of fruit into the trash.
“And here I was worried about you, Fox.” Dale knocked him on his elbow after giving him a cheesy wink, like they were both in some new man club now. “Glad Bull straightened you right out.”
“Jesus Christ, Pop.” Bull glared at his father while trying to help Amelia out by patting her lightly on her back. “You just couldn’t stay quiet, could you?”
His dad chuckled. “Nope. Apparently you couldn’t either.”
Amelia hollered as she clutched her chest, trying hard not to laugh in Fox’s horrified face.
“That’s it,” Fox gritted out, his cheeks turning crimson as he stormed past Dale, yanked his coat off the peg, and flew out of the back door.
Bull was sure that Fox heard their rambunctious laughter before he even cleared the mud porch.
By the end of the week, Fox felt reassured that he was safe. He’d spoken to Hart and told him that he was extending his leave… permanently. Turned out God had got IA to release Fox’s suspension only two days after he’d left, but Hart and Free had been running interference so he could have the opportunity to clear his head. But now the entire team felt as if his reflection period had expired, and it was time for him to get back to work.
He wasn’t fucking going. Fox had served his country and then his city all of his adult life, following the path that his father and his father’s father had planned for him. He’d never had a say in who he wanted to be. Fox had simply done what was expected of him, without question, like a good soldier. He’d broken his body and his spirit doing something he never truly wanted to do. The only thing he loved about his job was his brothers, working with them to protect their community. He didn’t give a damn about preserving his father’s legacy. It was time he made his own.
“Adjust your arc. I told you… bring it in,” Dale said loud enough to break Fox from his thoughts.
“I did,” Rid argued, spinning the rope over his head faster.
“If you had, you would’ve hooked your target,” Dale taunted, sitting high and mighty atop of Brandy. He walked wide, slow circles around Rid, repeatedly criticizing him during the lesson. Fox shook his head at the two of them because they were pretty amusing.