Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“I look forward to meeting him as well.”
“I don’t wanna go waterskiing anymore,” Stella announced.
“That’s good thinking,” I said, and all the kids agreed, even Thomas.
I was finally getting some lunch, having an enormous roast-beef sandwich and a beer with an ibuprofen chaser.
“You can’t have that,” was the first thing Bodhi said when he took a seat beside me on the patio, his own plate all vegan, and I was guessing, from the looks of the salt on the rim, having a margarita to wash it all down.
“Just let it go,” I told him. “How many times have you watched me have a drink with a painkiller chaser?”
He grunted because yes, there were far too many to count.
“Just roll with it,” I suggested and then saw him smile. “What?”
“As usual, everybody loves you.”
“Well,” I said with a shrug, “that’s just gonna happen this time.”
“Every time,” he assured me.
“That’s the Redeker charm at work,” I teased him, waggling my eyebrows, and watched as he had a sip of the margarita, made a face like he’d drunk poison, and put it down. “No?”
“I have no idea what that’s supposed to be, but it’s certainly not a margarita.”
I lifted my bottle of Barrel-Aged Abraxas that I loved but could never get at home. “Take advantage of your soon-to-be father-in-law’s refrigerator in his wine room,” I suggested. “Seriously. He’s got some good stuff down there.”
“We’re all supposed to be going to a party tonight,” he informed me.
I scoffed. “Not me, buddy. I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
“I figured,” he said, reaching out to put a hand on my knee before taking another sip of the margarita. “Oh God.”
“What, did you forget it was bad?” I chuckled. “Push it way over there.”
The sound of him laughing with me, I never got tired of.
We were outside, under the shade, on a double chaise big enough for both of us, just drinking beer and talking about stupid things like we used to before he got engaged and I worried I’d ruined my life by not saying something. It was so comfortable, I dozed off. When I woke up, Bodhi was asleep beside me with his head on my good shoulder, and I turned and pressed my face into his hair for just a second before yawning. I was about to stretch when I realized that Stella had crashed on my other side, turned away, her back pressed to the length of my right leg.
“You’re both really lucky I don’t have to pee,” I told them.
After a few minutes, I realized the sky was cloudy and dark and some of the lights had come on. I always enjoyed the feel of the air and the smell of it right before rain.
Moments later, Hayden, his father, and Keith came and carried chairs over to sit near us. They all had drinks, but I still felt like I was in the middle of an intervention.
“Jed,” Hank greeted me with a smile. “I wanted to see if you might change your mind about this evening’s festivities.”
“Sorry?”
Hayden cleared his throat. “I’d really like it if you would come out with us tonight.”
“Why’s that?”
He took a breath. “Because if you don’t, then Bodhi won’t, and this is our last time with the whole family before the wedding.”
I was quiet.
“I mean, tomorrow we’re all playing golf and—”
“Who’s playing golf?”
“Me, my father, Davis, Bodhi, you, all of us.”
I nodded. “I can’t play golf, right?”
“Oh no, I know. But you can sit in the golf cart and drink with the rest of us.”
“I won’t be doing that,” I informed him, “because I’m supposed to be resting, since I was shot and all.”
They were all silent, staring, like perhaps I’d just reminded them.
“Of course,” Hank said after a moment. “The house is yours, Jed. You just relax.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“And I’m sure we can talk Bodhi into coming along with—”
But he shifted then, curling into me, arm sliding around my waist, face pressed into the side of my neck, leg over both of mine. He was so comfortable in my space, as I was in his, but still, it had to have looked odd from Hayden’s perspective.
It felt tense until Stella mewled beside me, jerking in her sleep. Gently, I put a hand in her short black curls, scratching her scalp until she quieted.
“Bodhi hasn’t slept in days, and I think Stella’s still spooked.”
“Yes,” Hank agreed, glancing at his son. “Perhaps we’ll just have tonight’s meal catered and have a game night. We can go out tomorrow. I’m sure Zach will be tired from his flight out anyway, so that will be good.”
“He’s Angie’s husband?”
“He is, yes,” Hank said with a smile. “He normally can’t take time off to see us, but Angie insisted once everything happened.”
I looked at him. “I really like her.”
His smile lit his face. “She’s quite fond of you as well.”