Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
‘I could…w-wait for you,” Tanya offered.
“No, thank you. You could just tell me when I come back.”
“Oh,” Tanya said, startled, eyes bright with unshed wetness. ”Th-thank you, Ollie.” Her chin wobbled.
Zane felt fierce emotion seize his chest. Before he could rescue Tanya, knowing full well that although he didn’t know her, she was absolutely about to weep due to being assaulted with emotions from his young son, Ollie Sr. spoke up, saving them all.
“It’s getting late. We have plans, you and I, Little Ollie. Hello, Tanya. Just to introduce myself, I’m Ollie Zenith, Zane’s father. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Hello,” she said shyly. “Thank you. You also.”
Zane’s father moved to her and wrapped his arms around her just briefly and planted a kiss atop her head. “Welcome, my dear. We leave you in Zane’s capable hands. We’ll return the day after tomorrow. I look forward to hearing these stories you write.”
Tanya’s face flushed a pretty pink and she smiled nervously at all of them. Zane’s father gave him a glowing smile. Zane could see approval all over the older man’s face.
“He accidentally forgot something,” Ollie Sr. informed with a wink.
Zane smiled and caught a smirk on his son’s face as the boy attempted to hide the mischief, then he looked to Tanya, who was watching Ollie with warmth in her eyes as well as amusement. Zane put his hand to the small of her back and ushered her into the elevator. Ollie and his father followed. The four traveled in the elevator down one level. Zane and Tanya exited, the other two Zenith men stayed, gesturing goodbyes to her as they waited to go down one level further, Ollie looking ecstatic.
“We chose well, Daddo,” Ollie called out as the doors slid shut.
“We absolutely did,” Zane returned just in time before the doors separated them completely and then he looked back to Tanya, whose face was pink, whose eyes were still bright, whose smile was big.
“Hi,” she said while giggling. And it was a sound he wanted to hear more of.
“Hi,” he returned, feeling warmth in his chest.
She was lovely. Absolutely.
“Ollie’s your little boy.”
He nodded. “Yes. Did I forget to share that part? I thought I said as much…”
She giggled again. He wasn’t sure why. Her small hand was pressed to her chest. The sound of it filled Zane with more warmth.
“And you ch-chose me together? Can you explain how that happened?”
“Absolutely. Are you thirsty?”
“Very,” she answered softly.
“Let’s take care of that. We can do that on the terrace and watch the sun go to bed while you give me a chance to hopefully make you continue to giggle like that.”
Tanya flushed pinker, chewing on the left side of her bottom lip.
Zane’s pants felt a little tight in the groin.
CHAPTER 5
TANYA
Talk about relief. Sharing me … with his little boy. I wanted to keep laughing about it, at how funny it was after my train of thought on the way here. I didn’t know how old his son was. He was tall, but he looked like he was in kindergarten. As a librarian, I spent a lot of time with kids that age. Story time. Craft time. I loved children and was way more comfortable with them than with adults. I couldn’t wait to be a mother, always felt this feeling come over me whenever I held a baby, and had often thought about how difficult it might be to become a mom given my fear of sex and, well, most men. I had recently, just a few weeks after ending things with Giorgio, even investigated donor insemination, though not too far into it as it made me feel forlorn, imagining never falling in love, not having a husband to share childbirth and parenting with.
And now I was here… on another planet… with the most handsome man I’d ever seen as well as his little boy who said they ‘chose well’ when picking me to be his new mommy. An adorable little boy who loves books.
I was in shock. Pleasant shock. I had big butterflies, but my body tingled with something strange. I think it was excitement. It was something that felt even bigger and better than hope. And I had not had enough of this emotion in my life so far, save a new book long awaited by a favorite author.
As we walked through a home decorated like a showplace, all sorts of fine-looking art and expensive-looking furnishings, but that still somehow had the warmth of a home, Zane opened scrolled golden gate doors out to an absolutely awesome outdoor patio area that overlooked colorful back gardens. We were on the second level of the three-level home and I could see that further over was another smaller terrace with what looked like a gazebo on it.
Still lost in amusement over the ‘sharing’ misunderstanding and still feeling excitement, as I imagine I might feel if I knew I was about to win the lottery, I stepped outside after he gestured for me to go ahead after opening the doors. We caught sight of Zane’s father and son going through a gate to the yard to the left of us.