Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Good morning, snuggle bunny,” he says without looking at me, and heat spreads up my neck to my cheeks. Does he know he was playing the role of big spoon this morning?
He couldn’t. He was asleep, wasn’t he?
“Morning.” I shift on my feet when his gaze hits mine.
“Coffee?” he asks, turning to lean back against the counter with his mug in his hands.
“Please.” I walk toward him, and his eyes move over my hair that I know is a wild mess after sleeping with it down while it was still wet.
He takes his eyes off me and turns to one of the higher cabinets, grabbing a mug from inside. “Creamer, sugar?”
“You don’t know how she takes her coffee?” Janet asks, making me jump, and I inwardly groan. “You two are hopeless.”
“Morning, Grandma.” He sends a charming smile in her direction, and she rolls her eyes before walking over to give him a kiss on his cheek.
“Did you sleep okay?” She pats his arm.
“Yep, Penny apologized right after you left, so we both got a good night’s sleep.”
Oh my God.
“Your advice was life-changing.” I smile when she looks at me.
“Maybe there’s hope for you after all.” She tips up her chin in approval. Or dismissal. With her, I have no idea.
“I hope so.” I keep my smile in place, and she huffs before looking at Jace.
“Make me a cup of coffee, darling. I’ll be outside,” she orders, then walks out the back door, leaving it open.
When I’m sure she’s out of earshot, I get close to Jace, and he tips his head down to me. I ignore the fact that my stomach dips when my chest presses into his, and I lift up on my tiptoes, placing my mouth as close to his ear as I can get. “I’m going to cut off your testicles when you’re sleeping.” I give him a sugary-sweet smile when I fall to my flat feet, and he chuckles like he thinks I’m joking, when I one hundred percent am not.
Chapter 12
Duck
“You’re a cheater!” I cry dramatically as I race Dash down an aisle.
“No, you’re old.” He giggles, running faster, and I listen to his mom and grandma laugh from behind us.
“I’m not old. You’re old.”
“I only three,” he says three like free, making me laugh.
“Ugh, you won again.” I give him a high-five when we both come to a stop, then lift him up off the ground so he can’t run away again while we wait for Haylee and Janelle to catch up with the two of us.
“Thanks.” Haylee grins, taking him from me when she reaches the end of the aisle.
“Any time.” I watch her smother his face with kisses that make him giggle, and I smile.
“So how many grandkids are you and Jace going to give me?” Janelle asks as we all continue to walk.
“Oh.” I bite my lip. I should have known this question would come up. After all, she does believe I’m her son’s fiancée, and that is something a normal couple would have talked about before ever getting engaged. But still, like everything else, I didn’t prepare for it.
“I don’t know. Maybe two.” I shrug, figuring two is a good, even number.
“I can accept that, but make sure one is a girl. I want a granddaughter.”
“I’m not sure we get to decide that, but I’ll do my best.” I look over at Haylee when she laughs and hate that she is close enough to hear this conversation.
I mean, from what I’ve gathered, she is totally over Jace, but this whole thing is still weird. And that’s part of the reason why this morning over breakfast, when Janelle told me that Haylee and Dash would be joining us for a trip into town so I could get a swimsuit, I considered coming up with an excuse as to why I could no longer go.
I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for anyone, myself included. But then I saw the look on Janelle’s face and knew I couldn’t do that to her. Plus, with Jace busy with work, that would leave only Janet to keep me company at the house. And I’d rather walk over hot coals barefooted and covered in tarantulas than spend time alone with that terrifying woman.
“Have you and Jace talked about how long you’ll wait before you start trying?” she asks, dragging me from my thoughts, and I shake my head.
“You have time.”
“Lots of it,” I agree maybe a little too quickly.
“Penny, the suits are over here!” Haylee calls out, saving me without even knowing it, and Janelle and I follow the sound of her voice across the store.
While Haylee chases Dash around and Janelle wanders off down an aisle with coolers and pool toys, I flip through the rack of suits.
It takes me longer than it should to find two options, because all the larger sizes are gone and what’s left, not many women I know could fit into. I take both of them to the dressing room and try them on, finding that neither is great. One looks like a plain black suit from the front, but the back of it is cut high, really high, leaving half my ass exposed. The other, which I normally wouldn’t wear because it’s a bikini, has a high waist, so it’s not so horrible. But it’s the top that makes it not my favorite suit in the world. My breasts are still very exposed, but they’re more covered than they were yesterday.