Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56560 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56560 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
With the way he sleepwalked, it wouldn’t have surprised me.
“Take a deep breath for me, baby. Why are you so worked up?” Nervous? Excited?
He was something all right, but whatever it was couldn’t be good for him.
“What if they didn’t like me?” The words rushed out in one desperate breath. “Carlo and Sergio might be warning you that you have to run because they’re coming for us.”
Was he actually awake?
“Did you have scary dreams last night?” His wide-eyed nod said I was going to have to start listening for him better. “Take another deep breath, baby.”
Before I could tell him that he had to explain his dream, it all came rambling out. “You were the beast and then I was the beast and the townspeople were coming to get you…me…us before we’d had sex, Daddy. It was terrible.”
His imagination was entirely too vivid.
“Those were the townspeople. My family is like that stupid father of Belle’s. He’s got a crush on the beast too and he just didn’t know what to do about it. He likes the beast. So there’s nothing to worry about.” My explanation was stupid but it had Terrence deflating again.
“I forgot. That’s right.” Taking another deep breath and letting it out, Terrence seemed like he’d started to tune back into reality. “They had pitchforks and fire. It was scary.”
Next time my family wanted to terrorize us, I was going to tell them no.
“I bet.” I tried to set the phone down to give him a hug, but Terrence glared at me. “Never mind. Let’s see what’s going on.”
Before he went rabid from being chased by pitchforks.
Caffeine seemed like it would be bad to add to the mix of emotions running through him, so as I finally pulled up my messages, I made a mental note that he got milk for breakfast.
“For fuck’s sake.”
My family was ridiculous.
Chapter 21
Terrence
Daddy rolled his eyes.
Was that like me being ridiculous or his family being insane?
What had they done?
Why had they been texting over and over and over?
“God.” Sighing, Daddy threw the phone on the bed and rubbed his hands over his face. “They’re so insane.”
“What did they do, Daddy?” My heart stopped trying to jump out of my chest, but my tummy was still wobbly.
“Everything stupid.” Groaning, Daddy opened his eyes and reached for his phone again. “Okay, we’ll take this one dramatic text at a time. These idiots just don’t sleep.”
Daddy made more sounds like he was frustrated as he poked at his phone, but he didn’t make me wait. “First of all, my Aunt Sara, she’s married to that guy with the big beer belly? Well, she said it was nice to meet you and that you were very sweet. She’s some kind of more direct relative to Uncle Alonzo but I forget how, and she’s happy that you made him have such a good time.”
She liked me.
But?
Daddy sighed.
There was a big but.
Ha, a butt.
No. Had to stay thinking and serious.
“What else did she say?” Daddy was right. With his family there was always something else. “But she liked me?”
“Yes.” Daddy sounded sure of that but he kept shaking his head. “She is, however, concerned because Uncle Alonzo went back to the facility that he usually stays at talking about his new beau and how he was going to seduce him.”
Oh.
“I’m seducible? That’s very nice of him.” He liked giving compliments.
Daddy snickered. “That’s what you’re taking away from that? Give me a kiss. I shouldn’t be woken up with chaos. I need kisses.”
He was just as dramatic as his family…he just hid it better.
“Kisses.” I made Daddy happy before wiggling back in my spot. “Now messages.”
There were more.
Lots more.
“Well, the home is concerned about what’s going on, so she would like us to go down later today and explain that Uncle Alonzo didn’t do anything wrong and had nothing wrong done to him.” Daddy sighed again. “I can understand how that got lost in translation.”
Me too.
“We can go say hi but we have to tell him not to grab my butt where the doctors can see.” They’d never believe he hadn’t been naughty if they kept seeing him pat my bottom. “We can bring him a treat. My beau would like that.”
Daddy couldn’t decide if he wanted to groan or giggle. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”
“Me?” I looked very cute and innocent but Daddy laughed. “I’m your good boy, Daddy.”
But I’d look boring and grown-up for the doctors so we didn’t get Alonzo in trouble.
“I’ll let her know when it’s a more reasonable hour. She texted ridiculously late.” Shaking his head, Daddy mumbled something about everything they did being ridiculous. “Okay.”
Daddy tried to look calm and like a good grown-up. “My mother would like to know if you work for the CIA but she knows I can’t tell her that. So no matter what I say, she’s going to think you’re a spy.”