Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
They both helped guide me through the throng of people.
“Why is it so busy right now?” I asked.
“The holidays are around the corner, I would assume,” he grumbled. “It’s two weeks from Thanksgiving.”
“And it feels like it’s still August,” I grumbled too. “I thought for sure I’d get to put on a pair of Uggs by now.”
He chuckled as he caught my shoulder on the opposite side and steered me out of the way of something.
“Fuckin’ inconsiderate assholes,” he grumped.
“I’m sure they can’t tell that I’m blind,” I pointed out.
“You have a dog with a bright neon yellow vest that says ‘seeing-eye dog’ on it. You also are wearing glasses indoors. I’m sorry to tell you this, but they can tell that you’re blind.” He chuckled.
“I guess when you put it that way…” I giggled.
We arrived at the cookie place right as the woman was boxing up our order—at least that was what she said.
“Sorry it took a bit longer than we promised,” she said to Germaine who was paying now. “I had a huge group come in and clean me out entirely. Had you not called, they would’ve taken this one, too.”
“Oh, good.” I clapped. “Is there anything left at all? I’m a bit hungry and it smells delicious here.”
“Looks like they have a small piece of cookie cake shaped like some sort of mammal. There’s also mint chocolate chip cookies, one gingerbread, and a bag of what looks like discards,” Germaine answered.
“Ohh.” I tapped my lips with my thumb. “I’d say gingerbread if I had coffee to go with it, so maybe just the cookie cake mammal.”
“It’s an elephant,” the worker said. “And if you’re into good coffee, if you drive around to the south entrance, there’s a hella good coffee truck that sits out there. They’re not very well known about, either, because they usually cater to all the mall employees, so they’re a bit tucked into the loading area. Go check them out.”
I smiled and was about to say “no thank you,” but Germaine answered for me and said, “Let’s go with the mammal and the gingerbread.”
I grinned, feeling my heart melt.
The Carters were fantastic people.
I’d met them all but Auden now, and I really enjoyed being around them.
Though, none of them held a candle to my dark, broody Gee.
As we were walking back out to the car, I said, “Do you ever get terrified to have your kids in the same field of work as you?”
“In the beginning, yes,” he answered as he helped guide me to the passenger side of his truck. “It’s a tight squeeze, some asshole parked really close. I’ll take Rooster to the other side.” He helped me in, and got Rooster in next, before joining me in the truck. “Now, I worry about them a whole lot less. Though, just sayin’, every last one of them has gotten hurt now in some way. Whether physically or emotionally. I could do with a whole lot less of the freakin’ crazies coming after my family.”
“Atlas came by and had Pepper with him,” I said. “Pepper was hurt in the police station parking lot?”
“She was,” he growled, sounding pissed. “Never seen anything more horrible in my life, watching her fly across the parking lot after that car hit her.”
“And then after that, Gable was shot,” I said softly. “That’s scary.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “This all started when Garrett was stabbed by that gang member, and every time I get my heart calmed down again, there another one is, getting hurt.” He paused. “If both of you could stay safe while you get this relationship figured out and solidified, I’d be grateful.”
I whipped my head toward him. “Relationship?”
“Relationship,” he confirmed. “I wasn’t born yesterday, honey.”
I snickered. “I wasn’t really trying to hide it from y’all, per se, but y’all have the biggest presence I’ve ever encountered at DPD. I want to pave my own path first before I let anyone know that I’m in love with your son.”
“You’re in love with him, eh?” he asked.
I thought about backtracking on my words but instead said, “I’ve been in love with him since he picked me up and carried me down a mountain. I just didn’t know how in love with him I was until I found him in the same apartment complex as me.”
“Good,” he said. “It feels good to know that all of my kids have found the one.”
“Well, I don’t know if Gee—Garrett—feels the same, but…” I started, but he interrupted me with, “The fact that he lets you call him Gee is indicative of his feelings for you. Him being the baby, he got bullied by his older siblings. He has heard every name in the book and hates having anyone call him anything but Garrett. Trust me when I say he likes you. A lot.”