Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 49239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
It’s scary shit, knowing some nutjob is messing with them but not knowing who he is or what he might do next. Tess, Cam and the kids have quickly come to feel like family to me.
I don’t find anyone around the property, so I key the code into the security system keypad and go back inside.
“Everybody good?” I call, locking the door behind me.
“We’re in the kitchen!” Hannah answers.
When I get to the kitchen, the boys are sitting on barstools at the kitchen island, their cheeks still rosy from the cold. Hannah is dicing onions and peppers.
“Did you see anyone?” Hannah asks.
“No.”
“Can we play video games?” Tate asks me.
“Sure.”
The boys love my PS5. I pretended like I hadn’t played it in a long time because I didn’t want Tess to think I was an overgrown kid, but I spent lots of time on it before they moved in.
Boni sniffs the air in front of the island, where I am prepping the meat for the grill.
“I’ll make some for you, too,” I tell him, going over to the sink to wash my hands. “You always get some steak, don’t you?”
“Boni!” one of the boys calls. “Come on, Boni!”
He runs to be with them. My dog has never been happier than he is now, having two little boys who want him around all the time. Sam and Tate take turns having him sleep in their beds at night.
“Well, we’re both alive,” Tess says, walking into the kitchen and setting the car keys down on the counter.
“Did Zee crash into anything?” Hannah asks.
“No, he did great.”
“How about you?” I ask, arching my brows. “You need a drink?”
She laughs. “A Diet Coke will do.”
Zane comes into the kitchen. “Dude, that car is so sweet.”
Tess scoffs. “Not as sweet as my ’97 Caravan, though.”
“It’s a classic,” I say as she comes over to kiss me.
“Classic piece of shit,” Zee mutters.
“Hey,” Tess scolds him lightly. “That piece of shit gets us from point A to point B.”
“And the engine only caught on fire once,” Hannah says.
She means it in defense of her mom’s van, but I give Tess a concerned look. “Your engine caught on fire?”
She waves a hand. “I had a fire extinguisher, it was fine.”
We’re going to talk about that later. I know she doesn’t like taking help from me, but she needs a better vehicle. The Caravan is way past its prime.
“Zee, your job today is going to be grilling with me,” I say.
I haven’t made him do any of his work hours in a while, and I don’t really plan to make him do much work. Instead, I’m using the time to teach him things every man should know.
“What do I need to do?” he asks.
“Wash your hands and I’ll show you how to season the meat.”
I have to leave on another road trip in the morning, and I’m not looking forward to it. It’s fun having Tess, Cam and the kids here. Weekdays are a flurry of school, work, dinner and activities, but at least I get my nights with Tess. I’ll be on the road for five days, which feels like forever.
About an hour later, the seven of us sit down in my dining room for dinner.
The interior designer I hired to furnish my house chose the modern, dark wood rectangular table in here, and the chairs are upholstered with light-gray leather. The walls are decorated with black-and-white vintage photos of hockey arenas and a bookcase is filled with white dishes no one ever uses.
I didn’t use this room at all before Tess and her family moved in. It felt like a room from a designer magazine, nice, but not lived in. Now, this is the place where all of us come together when we’re all home for dinner.
“No, you can’t use a fork for salsa,” Cam tells one of the boys.
Tess walks into the room, looking at Zee and smiling. “This steak looks amazing.”
“Where are the hard shells?” Hannah asks. “There are only soft shells.”
“You only use soft shells for fajitas,” I answer.
“Tate!” Sam scowls at his brother. “You’re a cocksucker.”
“Whoa,” Cam cuts in, her eyes wide. “We do not say that word.”
“I heard Zee say it while he was playing video games.”
Tess gives Zane a weary look and he shrugs. “What? I’m fifteen, not eight.”
“You still need to set a good example.”
“What did Tate even do?” Cam asks Sam.
“He took a bite of my steak and then put it back on my plate.” He sits down at the table, looking sulky. “Now his germs are all over my plate.”
“Tate, take that piece back,” Cam says. “And no more touching your brother’s plate.”
I meet Tess’s gaze across the table and she looks apologetic. But I just grin because finally, this room—hell, this entire house—has some life in it.
Chapter Twenty
Tess
* * *