Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Hale nodded. “She looks at me like that every time she sees me since I tried to save you from my bio bro.”
If anything that baby’s eyes narrowed more.
“I think she heard you,” Max said. “You need to appease that baby. I think she might have witch powers.”
“Faery powers.” Nell could tell some fun stories of her own. Elisa had been introduced to Nell and Henry’s sweet baby, who Nell swore came about from faery magic and a whole lot of love. Honestly, between the aliens and the sasquatches, she would take the faeries every time.
Hale turned to Elisa, his voice rising. “Elisa, I would like to sincerely apologize for being a dumbass who allowed societal norms to squash your far more impressive knowledge of security matters. From now on any time a brother of mine tries to kill me so he doesn’t have to share the inheritance, I will allow you to handle it fully and will be waiting for you to come home with flowers and some kind of food treat.”
Every eye was suddenly on them.
“That baby is not trying to kill you,” Van called out.
“She’s not now because he properly apologized,” Nell corrected and looked down at her baby. “See, they can change.”
“Well, at least he only tried to kill you. One of the sisters I didn’t even know I had erased my mind and tortured me for a year and a half,” a big guy with blondish hair said. Jax Lee had an arm around his wife, River’s shoulders.
“True story,” River said.
“Show off. See, you had it easy, Hale,” Max added with a nod of his head. “Hey, Poppy’s happy now.”
Sure enough, the baby was suddenly fascinated with Long-Haired Roger’s baby, who happened to be a dog named Princess Two.
Hale breathed a sigh of obvious relief. “Excellent. Maybe now I can get some of that cake Henry made. It looks good. Well, if I can get through the hellions.”
The kids were wreaking havoc. Rachel Harper stood up from her table as one of her kids started hanging tinsel on Marie, who was snoring in her chair. The fact that her wife was holding the tinsel didn’t help.
“Kids, come on,” Rachel ordered.
They ignored her completely.
Laura Kincaid-Briggs had her hands on her hips, trying to explain to her daughter that the floor was not in fact lava.
It was chaos.
And then a loud whistle split the air, the sound so commanding even the music stopped playing.
Her sister stood in the center of the hall, her best teacher face on. “Children, we’re going to sit down and do crafts now. Let’s move it. Paige, no more cookies until after. Cookies are for crafters. We have to make decorations or the holiday season is over. Let’s go.”
She watched as all the children stopped what they were doing and made their way to the craft table.
Sabrina gave the crowd around her a bright smile. “Don’t worry, folks. I’ve been teaching elementary for years. Carry on. The kids and I will be over here for a bit.”
Rachel watched as Sabrina walked by. She watched Elisa’s sister with the longing look of a woman who was truly in love.
Laura had the same look in her eyes.
Serena Dean-Miles had watched the whole thing happen. Her kids had happily followed Sabrina as well. “Well, that’s the mark of a good teacher. Hey, didn’t someone say y’all were starting a school?”
Rachel turned and yelled across the hall. “Stefan! Stefan, I’m going to need your checkbook. Who has Stef’s checkbook?”
It looked like her sister would do just fine.
“Want to find some mistletoe and heat this party up? I’ve made up with all the judgmental babies and now the kids are under control,” Hale whispered.
Van was suddenly at her other side. “Damn, baby. I think Stef’s about to buy your sister. Not in a bad way though. Oh, hey. Are we getting sexy? Because there’s a certain broom closet I’ve heard is fully stocked.”
She laughed and let them lead her away.