Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 157175 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157175 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Her scowl is barely contained. ‘Hi, Clarita. Jacob is on the tennis court. Do you want something to drink before you head out?’
‘I’m fine, thank you. It was very nice of you to invite me.’
Is it me, or is Ava swooning? Yes, she’s definitely swooning. What happened to the lioness? ‘You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. Help yourself today, okay? Drinks, food, you name it.’
‘Why don’t you just ask her if she wants to stay the night, too?’ I grumble under my breath as I shut the door, plodding back to the garden. ‘Dada!’ John-Boy spots me and breaks away from the group, clearly fed up with yoga.
‘Hey!’ I scoop him into my arms and let him pull at my cheeks.
‘Maddie!’ Ava calls from behind. ‘Your guest is here!’
I swing around so fast, John-Boy starts giggling uncontrollably, obviously thinking Daddy’s playing. I’m not. Damn it, why did I leave the front door? Ava’s knowing look tells me she knows I’m mentally kicking myself. I needed a few moments alone with this little twerp my daughter’s apparently crushing on. And as I think that, the little twerp comes into view, standing next to Ava. My eyes pop out of my head. Fuck me, how old is he? Panicked, I look to Ava, searching for some back-up. I get nothing but a shake of her head. What the fuck? He must be knocking on six foot.
As Maddie passes me, she throws me a look to suggest I should keep my mouth the hell shut. She can think again. I watch as she reaches up and kisses his cheek. Good Lord, someone hold me back. ‘She’s nearly fourteen, Jesse,’ Ava says to me quietly when she’s made it over. ‘Don’t be all over the top about it.’
‘She’s thirteen. Why does everyone insist on saying nearly fourteen? That doesn’t make her fourteen, and even if it does, she’s still illegal.’
‘Illegal to date?’ Ava laughs.
‘To do everything,’ I confirm.
‘She’s growing up, Jesse. Get over it. She and I have had the talk. She’s a sensible girl.’
My body starts twitching uncontrollably as I stare at my wife in horror. ‘The talk?’ Please, God, tell me Ava’s not going to say what I think she’s going to say.
‘Of course. We had that conversation at least a year ago.’
John-Boy’s vibrating in my arms now, so much so, Ava must think I’m going to drop him because she takes him from me.
‘You need to calm down,’ she warns.
Fuck that! ‘If you and Maddie have had the talk, it’s only right me and . . . what’s his name?’
‘Lonny.’
‘Lonny?’ I question. ‘What the fucking hell kind of name is that? His parents must be morons, too.’ I sink the rest of my beer, eyeing up the little fucker. ‘How old is he?’
‘Fourteen.’
‘Give me a break.’ I laugh. ‘He must be lying. He’s at least twenty.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake.’ Ava smacks my arm. ‘Stop being dramatic.’
I see Ava in the corner of my eye wandering off across the grass. Dramatic? I don’t think I am. Me and Lonny need to have a chat.
My shoulders back, I wander over to Maddie and Lonny, seeing with perfect clarity the warning in my baby girl’s eyes. And also the worry, because she knows I’m not interested in heeding her warning. ‘Hi.’ My voice is low and rough, just as I intended. Manly.
Lonny smiles at me. ‘Mr Ward, nice to meet you.’
I recoil. I can’t help it. Has he got a vice on his balls? His squeaky voice doesn’t match his height. Maybe the shit really is fourteen. I look down at his offered hand, my eyebrows rising. Let’s see if his handshake is any manlier. I clasp it hard, immediately disappointed when he flinches in pain. I smile on the inside. ‘Let’s take a walk, Lonny.’
‘No, Dad.’ Maddie dives in front of me, like her little girlie figure might stop me. A fucking bulldozer wouldn’t stop me.
‘I just want to chat with him,’ I appease her, knowing I’m wasting my time. ‘You want to chat, don’t you, Lonny?’
‘Y-yes, sir.’ He looks afraid. He should. Be very afraid, Lonny.
‘See?’ I sweep my arm out in a gesture for him to lead on, blinding him with the smile I usually only reserve for my babies. It falls the moment Ava shoves John-Boy in my arms. Oh, she’s cunning. I can’t very well trample when I’m holding the baby. John-Boy doesn’t help my cause of trying to appear threatening when he grabs my stubbly cheeks and squeezes them. Lonny laughs. I do not.
‘Let’s walk,’ I tell him, nodding down the path to the swing bench, the most secluded place in the garden.
Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he walks on and I follow, eyeballing him the entire way. ‘You have a lovely home, Jesse.’ He smiles at me, and I raise my brows. ‘Mr Ward,’ he corrects himself, very wisely. The little suck-up. So, it’s compliments all the way, is it? My eyes narrow on him as we stroll, and he quickly darts his gaze to his feet, taking one hand to his hair and running it through nervously. I won’t ever admit it out loud, but he’s a good-looking little fucker. I can see why my girl is crushing on him.