Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
He mustered a tired smile and dipped down to kiss her cheek. “Always good to see you too, sweetheart. Where are my grandkids?”
Emilia beamed back and looked like she’d just walked out of the cover shoot for Housewife Magazine, all wavy brown hair, dimpled smile, flawless makeup, and a polka-dotted apron over her dress. It was mildly disturbing, to be honest.
“They’re in the kitchen with Finnegan,” she replied.
Shan nodded and headed inside.
I was next, and I had my eyes glued to the foyer as I absentmindedly kissed her cheek and ruffled her hair. “Mrs. Cleaver. Sweet baby Jesus, you have an actual foyer.” It wasn’t as gaudy and ostentatious as it could have been, for which I was thankful. Instead, they’d decorated their castle in rich, warm colors. No marble or gold. The wide staircase looked to be made of oak or something like that. Hardwood floors, thick rugs… I noticed the photos along the wall leading up the stairs. All black-and-white, all from their wedding.
“Jerk.” Emilia smoothed down her hair and shook her head at me. “I thought you’d be nicer right after your vacation. Nice tan, by the way.”
“Thanks. No tan lines either.” I grinned and locked the door after me.
“Not even from your suspenders?”
I snorted. “Very funny.”
She liked to give me shit for my obsession with suspenders. The girl obviously had poor taste. I looked fantastic, and suspenders were classy.
I followed her down the hall next to the stairs, and I had to admit I was impressed. One of the reasons I didn’t wanna live in a giant place like this was because they often came off as impersonal and museum-esque. But I should’ve known better. Emilia came from nothing, and it’d been clear from the moment I’d become friends with her that family meant the world to her. Building a home for those she loved—yeah, she must’ve adored playing decorator.
After a quick turn to the right, we stepped directly into a big kitchen that faced the backyard. One of the patio doors was open, and I spotted Shan and Autumn right outside. A table toward the end of the kitchen easily seated ten people, but breakfast was set up around the kitchen island. That one was huge too. Everything was huge. Yet they’d managed to make it all homey and cozy. Natural light, lots of surfaces and details in wood, mismatched colors, antique shops met yard sales.
Potted herbs and shit hung from a grid above the island.
It was a far cry from the one-bedroom condo they’d shared in the city.
“I’m impressed, guys,” I said.
Finn looked up from where he was sitting at the island, bottle-feeding his son. “Well, hey. Welcome home. Did’ju get to whore around properly?”
“Finnegan!” Emilia chastised.
I laughed and sat down next to him. “I definitely did. And I see you’ve gotten comfortable in your new couch potato Daddy role.”
I hadn’t seen the man outside of a suit in ages, but now he was sporting PJ pants and a tee.
“It’s morning,” he bitched.
“You need a shave too,” I pointed out.
Finn looked over at Emilia. “You see what I gotta live with at work?” Then he slid his gaze back to me. “I’ve been up all fuckin’ night. This little monster is a handful.”
He got no disagreement from the wife. She filled in, “Yeah, we’ve figured out that he hates us.”
That was hilarious.
Finn nodded at Emilia. “He legit bites her, so she has to rest her tits every other day.”
All right, maybe that was too much information.
“He pees every time we change his diaper,” Emilia added with a tired laugh.
“Gross.” I felt my forehead wrinkle as I eyed the little squirt in Finn’s arms. He looked so harmless right now. “Does he have teeth already?”
“Oh no,” Emilia answered. “But he can chomp down just fine anyway.”
“Wonderful.” The only thing I wanted to chomp down on was breakfast. The island was packed with goodies. Waffles, pancakes, muffins, eggs, bacon, sliced fruit, the toaster stood ready. They even had a hot plate at the center. I loved that. “Are we gonna eat or what?”
“Yes, of course. Dig in!” Emilia hurried over to the patio doors. “Shan, Autumn, time to come in for breakfast.”
“Fill me a plate, will you?” Finn handed me his. “So aside from the screwing around, how was vacation?”
“It was great.” I loaded both our plates with eggs and bacon—shite, there was something in gravy too. Gotta get me some of that. “I got you and the missus a bottle of wine from Bordeaux. Cost me five euros.”
He let out a whistle. “The fancy stuff. Nice.”
I chuckled.
Shannon took a seat on the other side of Finn, and he appeared to be in a slightly better mood. I’d had a feeling spending some time with Autumn and baby Ryan would be a decent distraction. Unlike me, Shan loved kids. Actually, that was wrong. I loved kids. I didn’t go near babies. Autumn was a cool fourth grader and a sassafras like her new mother.