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)
I sat completely still as first he brushed, then he braided my hair.
At first, I thought it was just going to be two braids starting at the base of my skull, but he completely surprised me when he started at the top.
“Garrett learned how to braid hair for Ande and Addison,” Germaine said, sounding amused.
My amazement must’ve shown on my face, because he continued to explain.
“We worked a lot. Having that many kids wasn’t conducive with both of us at home at the same time when they were growing up. And Addison, our daughter that died, had some wild hair,” Germaine continued.
My heart physically ached. “Your daughter died?”
“Yeah,” Germaine said. “She died.”
“Her hair was so crazy wild compared to Ande’s,” Garnett explained. “I’m talking, wash their hair, get out of the shower, brush it, and then bam, ten minutes later it’s so tangly that she might as well look like she didn’t brush it.”
“So I started to learn how to braid hair,” Garrett explained. “Plus, I was the youngest and had smaller fingers than the rest of them. If Mom wasn’t around, it was me who braided it for her.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
“We’ve made peace,” Germaine said gently.
I’d have to make a note to ask Garrett later how she’d died.
I sensed that it was a sensitive topic and chose not to put his parents through that kind of grief if I could help it.
“I had to learn how to do my own hair,” I admitted. “Mom and Dad work their asses off. Still do. My mom stayed at home with me until I was eighteen. When I went to college, she went back to school for her nursing degree. We both graduated from the same school at the same time. Me for my paramedic degree, and her for her nursing degree.”
“That’s pretty cool,” Garnett said. “I’d always intended to go back to school and get my degree because it pays better, but having all these kids, and multiples at that, made it sufficiently hard to do much more than work and rear them.”
“Multiples?” I asked.
“Yes,” Germaine said. “Garrett didn’t tell you that they were all twins? Except for Quincy, Quaid, and Quinn. They’re triplets.”
My mouth fell open. “You have four sets of multiples?”
“Yep.” She paused. “And just sayin’, but it runs in the family and hasn’t skipped a generation yet.”
Garrett’s grip on my hair was the only thing that kept me in my seat instead of turning around and saying, “We fucked up.”
Hopefully my face didn’t show my panic.
“You should invite your parents down for a visit,” Garnett suggested. “And maybe your mom could help me blind-proof Garrett’s house? And we can discuss other things.”
“Other things?” Garrett laughed.
“Things that will come later,” she hedged.
I had no idea what that meant but, “They’d already planned on coming down. Dad owns his own business now. He’s a mobile welder and can work when he wants where he wants. Mom is planning on taking a contract here for a month at the hospital up the street from the police station.”
“Oh.” Garnett sounded so excited now. “That’s perfect!”
“Will you ask them if they want to stay here?” Garrett asked quietly. “I have a huge guest room suite back there. I actually built it for when Ande, her husband Keene, and their kids want to stay over. Which happens more than you would think. But it’s completely open right now, has a separate entrance and exit, and they can come and go as they please. Plus, enough room for a big ol’ truck that might or might not have a trailer attached for welding equipment.”
I smiled, my eyes filling with tears when I did.
“I think they’d take you up on that. They were having conniptions when they saw the price of VRBOs here,” I admitted.
“Sounds pretty perfect then, Garrett Parrot,” Garnett crooned.
“Okay, what the heck is with Garrett Parrot?” I laughed as he started on the other braid. “Because I am all for it.”
“Athena started it, I think. Now they all call me it.” The man at my back sighed, his fingers forever gentle as they worked through my thick hair. “Even the kids are calling me that now.”
“Don’t worry,” I teased. “I’ll make sure our kids call you Daddy and not Garrett Parrot.”
There was a moment of silence as the words I’d just uttered sank into the room.
That’s when I winced, realizing what I’d said.
“I…”
“I’d appreciate it,” Garrett murmured. Pulling my head back with a tug on my hair, he pressed a kiss to my forehead that made my anxiousness melt away.
“Like I said, we have things to discuss.” Garnett laughed. “I just placed a huge Amazon order. Look for the package tomorrow, darling. We’re going to go eat some cookie cake.”
Garrett finished my hair as Garnett and Germaine let themselves out of Garrett’s house.