Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“That’s fun,” Josie says and then glances at her phone when it signals. “Sorry, that’s my uncle Luke. He’s planning a trip for the whole family at Christmas, and he sends periodic texts to fill us in on stuff.”
“Speaking of fun,” Mom says, “where are you going?”
“Yeah, where are you going?”
Josie’s head turns to me, and she frowns. “I didn’t mention it before?”
“Nope.”
“Oh. Well, we’re all going to Iceland.”
I sit back, and Mom immediately gets excited for Josie, talking about how much she’d love to see Iceland.
Hell, who wouldn’t?
But I hadn’t planned to be away from Josie for Christmas.
“It’s been in the works for a couple of months,” Josie says and bites her lip. “Sorry, Brax. I should have mentioned it.”
“You shouldn’t apologize for going on a trip for the holidays,” Mom says.
“No, you shouldn’t. I’ll miss you, but it does sound like fun.”
“Maybe you could go with them,” Mom suggests, and I shake my head.
“I’m not leaving you alone during the holidays, Mom. No way.”
My dad died when I was a kid, and I’m an only child. There’s no way I’d leave my mother alone.
“Oh, please, I’m not alone. I have lots of friends. And your aunt, Anita.”
“It’s not the same.”
“You’re a grown-ass man,” Mom says, surprising me again with the curse word. “I can’t expect you to be here every single year. I’m fine. If you decide to go to Iceland for Christmas, I won’t be upset at all.”
“We’ll talk about it,” Josie suggests and squeezes my hand. “We’re still a ways out from it.”
This just reminds me that although we’ve picked up our relationship again, a lot happened over the two years we were apart that neither of us knows about. There’s a lot to catch up on, and all I’ve been thinking about is fucking Josie every chance I get.
But who wouldn’t? I mean, look at her. She’s absolutely gorgeous.
I’m obsessed with her in every way.
Though not in a creepy way.
“How did your gardens do this year?” Josie asks, changing the subject.
“Oh, you should have seen the tulips,” Mom gushes and goes into detail about the colors, the placement, and how happy she was with it all.
Josie bites into her cookie and winks at me as if to say, “It’s all good. We’ll talk later.”
With that, I decide to enjoy the two women I love more than anything.
“Holy shit, you guys, Josie’s back!”
My drummer, Lex, hurries over to snatch Josie up off her feet and twirl her around.
Lex is a laid-back guy who rarely gets upset. He always says he takes his aggression out on the drums.
It seems to work for him.
“Hey, Lex,” Josie says with a grin. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“I’m better-looking than him,” Lex says and points his thumb at me. “You should dump his sorry ass for me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. You guys remember my sister?”
“Hey, you two. Good to have you,” our bassist, Steve, says.
“Maddie,” Willy says with a wink. “Good to see you.”
“It’s been a while,” Maddie says in way of greeting, and if I’m not mistaken, a little wave of awareness moves between them.
Josie and I look at each other.
I raise a brow.
Josie shrugs a shoulder.
Interesting.
The girls are beautiful. Josie’s in black leather pants with a white shirt that falls off one shoulder, and Maddie’s in a red dress that seems to be missing the skirt.
Willy can’t keep his eyes off her, and I can’t blame him. They look like they’re here to see a rock concert.
Because they are.
And it’s hot as fuck.
We’re at a bar in downtown Seattle that’s well known in the music scene and has been for at least fifty years. Bands like Nirvana, Nash, and Pearl Jam have all played here. Pearl Jam still does once in a while.
It’s awesome.
This is our third time back this year, and it never gets old. The audience is always fun.
“I got you a table up front,” I inform Josie and kiss her cheek.
“Oh, good. I won’t have to throw my panties very far.”
“I sure missed her,” Lex says with a laugh.
“Just your panties?”
“I could throw my bra, too, but you’ll have to earn that. It’s a matching set.”
I narrow my eyes and grin, and she just laughs and sips beer from a can that someone gave her.
“Okay, guys, you’re on in five,” the producer says. “Let’s do this. Have a good show, everyone.”
“We’ll be out front,” Josie says and boosts herself up onto her toes to kiss me. “Break a leg, handsome.”
“See you all later,” Maddie says with a wave, and they’re off.
“Okay, guys,” Lex says as we huddle up the way we always do before a show. “We got this. We’re going with the standard set, but we’re mixing it up a bit with My Girl going last. It’s a hit right now, and we want them to wait for it.”