Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“He got in my way when I was trying to get to Lottie.” Ace pointed at him. “Then he grabbed me.”
Everyone turned to look at him. Thea eyed him warily.
He offered her a smile. “Hello, I’m Nico.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Lottie said, sounding flustered. “Nico is a friend of Regent’s. He’s staying here with his husband, Liam. Nico, this is Thea, Ace, and Keir.”
“I’m afraid I did grab your little brother, but only because he was going to fall over,” Nico explained to Thea.
“You stepped in front of me,” Ace exclaimed again.
“You were running full speed at Lottie. I didn’t want you to knock her over,” Nico told him in a low, stern voice.
He wasn’t letting a kid get the best of him.
Thea placed her hands on her hips and gave her brother a stern look. “Is that so? What did I tell you about running in the house?”
“But we always run in the house. Lottie doesn’t care.”
“I care. There’s a lot of expensive stuff in this house that I can’t afford to replace.”
“But Reggie got rid of all the expensive stuff,” Ace told her.
Reggie? His lips twitched. Why hadn’t he thought of calling the very stiff and proper Regent, Reggie?
“That’s not the point. What did I tell you after you pushed Lottie over yesterday?” Thea said sternly.
Nico ran his gaze over Lottie, but she wasn’t looking at him. Christ, a stiff wind would blow her over. Was she hurt anywhere?
That kid was solid. He had a good kick on him too.
“That I wasn’t to race at her to hug her. That I have to be gentle ’cause she’s a girl.”
“Poor Lottie probably has bruises on her bottom from that fall yesterday,” Thea scolded.
The boy’s face went from suitably chastised to interested. “Really?”
“I’m all right,” Lottie said hastily, looking embarrassed.
“Do you really have bruises on your butt, Lottie?” Ace asked.
“Um.”
“Can I see them?”
“Ace,” Thea groaned, putting her hands over her face. “Give me strength.”
“What?” Ace asked. “I just wanted to see them. I’ve never seen butt bruises.”
Keir sighed. “You can’t ask to see a girl’s butt.”
The smaller boy frowned at this, clearly thinking. “So, if you ever get butt bruises, can I see them?”
“No,” Keir replied.
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll push me over to make sure I get butt bruises!” Keir replied.
Smart kid.
“Ace,” Thea said sharply. “You won’t push your brother over just to give him butt bruises. Understand?”
The smaller boy looked sad.
Lottie put her hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and get a cookie with Keir? I bet that Gerald made some especially for you two.”
The boy’s face lit up and he smiled.
“What do you say to Lottie and Nico first?” Thea asked.
Ace sighed. “Sorry, for bumping into you even though you stepped in my way.”
Thea started muttering something he could only guess was another prayer for patience.
“That’s quite all right,” Nico replied.
“And?” Thea prompted.
“And I’m sorry for asking to see your butt bruises, Lottie.” The boy hugged her around the middle, sending her staggering back.
“Ace!” Thea said sharply. But she was too far away to help. Nico quickly jumped over to put his hand at the small of her back to steady her.
The kid turned his head and scowled at him before mouthing a word at him.
What the hell? That kid had just mouthed the word mine at him.
Kid had guts.
Nico admired that.
“Come on, Ace,” Keir told him. “Before you squeeze her to death.”
“Is that possible?” Ace asked as he moved over to his brother. “Can you squeeze someone to death?”
“Yeah, probably. If they’re like old or something,” his brother replied nonchalantly.
“Cool!” the little punk replied. “I wanna see that.”
They both left the room, but he could still hear them as they walked away.
Thea shook her head. “They’re gonna be the death of me. Seriously. Ace asked me to cook him up some dinner that he’d found in the garden last night.”
“Okay,” Lottie said, looking as confused as he felt.
“They were grubs he’d found under a log.” Thea shuddered. She sent a curious look toward him, then Lottie. That was when he realized that he still had his hand on the small of her back.
And she hadn’t moved away from him.
Hope surged inside him. This was definitely a sign. If she was scared of him, she wouldn’t have stayed close. There had to be some part of her that maybe trusted him . . . just a little.
As though she’d just figured out the same thing, Lottie took a step away. She sent him an embarrassed smile.
“Are you sure you’re okay to look after them today, Lottie?” Thea asked. “I know they’re a lot, and you had them all day yesterday.”
“We’ll be fine,” Lottie reassured her. “You know I love having them.”
“And they love being here with you. They’re just so full of energy at the moment. I don’t want to tire you out.”