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)
He was almost finished when he said, “Keep making comments like that, and I’ll think you’re ready for more.”
I smiled despite my earlier embarrassment for blurting out my inner thoughts without checking them over in my head first.
“Garrett, I’m not quite sure it’s a bad thing at this point.”
I like long walks. Especially when they’re taken by someone that annoys me.
—Garrett’s secret thoughts
GARRETT
One week later
I heard the front door unlock, as did all three dogs that were currently lying at the end of the bed.
I blinked open my eyes as I heard my alarm beep, and then my front door open and close.
“Not it,” the woman at my side grumbled as she buried her face into my pillow—yes, my pillow.
She was a bed hog, plain and simple.
If I was using it, she wanted it.
Pillow. Body. Sheet.
It was all the same to her, and I loved it.
It meant I got to keep her close.
The dogs all stood up the moment that my bedroom door was thrust open.
I was unsurprised to see Atlas practically storming through the door with his son, Glades, in his arms.
Atlas took in the bed, eyes automatically going to the woman at my side who hadn’t so much as picked her head up to see who’d just come in and caused all of the dogs to start moving around with their nails clicking on the hardwood floor.
She was out like a light.
Which didn’t surprise me, really.
This week had been hectic.
With Thanksgiving a day away—and her parents’ arrival late last night—it was no wonder that she was dead to the world right now.
“Don’t shoot me,” he teased.
I nearly rolled my eyes at his words.
“I’m not going to shoot you,” Bindi grumbled.
“You ever heard of knocking?” I asked, my eyes still bleary from sleep.
“I did,” he said. “In my head.”
My woman giggled, still not picking her head up from her pillow, letting me know that she was now awake.
Atlas walked toward me and placed Glades in between the two of us, uncaring that we were both practically naked and still in bed, and still asleep.
“I have to go save my girl from a murder hornet,” he exaggerated.
“You mean a fly?” I asked, turning over and cuddling Glades closer to me.
I loved my nieces and nephews. All of them equally. But the baby stage was my favorite, and Glades was firmly in my favorite stage for now.
Bindi finally picked her head up when Glades made a soft, cooing sound. “Is that my baby?”
Atlas snorted. “Bye.”
He left us then, and Bindi rolled over and reached out.
I caught her hand and placed it on Glades’s chest.
“Hey, Glades,” she whispered.
I felt my belly dip.
In the last week, she’d met all of my brothers and sisters-in-law.
She’d also met all the nieces and nephews. The ones who could comprehend that Bindi was blind had all promised to help her, and I’d witnessed Bindi fall in love with them.
Neither one of us had told them that we were together, but at this point, it might as well be obvious.
I did pull them all aside and tell them we were keeping it on the down low at work, though.
At least for now.
“I guess this means we have to get up.” She smiled as she leaned down and pressed a kiss onto Glades’s chest. “I’m going to go let them out.”
She slipped out of bed and picked my T-shirt up from the dresser where I made sure to put it every night for her.
She slipped it on over her head and then whistled for the dogs.
“Let’s go outside and get some breakfast, boys,” she called.
The dogs followed dutifully behind her, and I heard the back door open and close.
Seconds later, I heard voices and knew that her mother had joined her.
Getting up myself, I left Glades on the bed surrounded by pillows and quickly got dressed.
When I came out of the bathroom, it was to find him awake and glaring hard.
“Well, hello, Glades,” I said to him. “What’s with the grumpy face?”
I picked him up, and his expression softened.
Reaching for the bottle that he’d probably had recently but hadn’t finished, I popped it into his mouth and started for the voices.
I found those voices in the kitchen.
Lea was at my counter making coffee. Ruben was at my table reading a paper.
And then there was my girl, feeding all of the dogs.
“How much longer will you get to keep Rufus here?” Ruben asked as he looked toward his daughter that was running her fingers through his hair. “That lady going to get him back?”
“No,” I answered for Bindi. “As of last week, it was decided that Delphine would no longer be a K-9 officer with our department. She’s going back on regular patrol as of today.”
“Good.” Ruben looked toward me. “You got a kid?”
“No.” I chuckled. “This is my brother’s son, Glades. Glades is grumpy right now because he woke and didn’t have immediate attention.”