Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“Pizza!” Ollie screams, and we all laugh again.
We’re all walking to the parking lot, and Beau leans in next to me. “Natalie, it’s not what you think.”
The truth is I have at least ten questions for every damn scenario that’s come across my mind since I met Marlene tonight, but I’m not going to bring it up now in front of everyone. Ollie is begging Ford and Lilian to let him ride with me, and I glare at Beau. “So I haven’t been sitting at home wanting to be with you and your family and then find out you’ve been having dinner with my nephew and some woman and her kid?”
There’s no hiding the hurt in my voice or on my face. It’s there for anyone to see. I need to get myself together. “Like I said, we’ll talk about this later. Please, just go and let me enjoy tonight.”
“Natalie, wait! My mom and dad said I can ride with you.”
Ollie is running toward us carrying a booster seat with him. I throw my hands up in the air. “Yes! Well, let’s go, I’m starving.”
I take the booster seat from him and set it up in my backseat.
Ollie is bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. “Uncle Beau, you riding with us?”
“Yeah, I’m riding with you,” he answers before looking at me. “If that’s okay.”
I don’t have to answer. “Duh, Uncle Beau. You can ride with us, but none of that kissing stuff like Mom and Dad. It’s so gross.”
I can’t help but laugh as I walk around to where Beau is. I drop the keys into his hand.
He’s surprised. “You want me to drive?”
I nod. “Yeah, I need to DJ.”
“DJ?” Beau and Ollie say at the same time.
I point at the door for Ollie and watch as he buckles himself in. “Yes, DJ. We just won a ball game. We need to play some victory tunes on the way to our victory dinner.”
I shut his door, and Beau is standing at the passenger door with it open for me.
Ollie hollers from the back as I get in, “Are you going to play it loud, Aunt Nat?”
Beau is walking around to the driver’s side, watching me through the front windshield. “You know it, kid.”
As soon as Beau turns on the car, I find the music on my phone and blare the song through the speakers. The whole way across town, we sing along with the windows down. I pull the visor down to see Ollie in the back seat, and he smiles at me, nodding his head along to the music.
I join in, earning an even bigger smile from him.
Beau is quiet the whole trip. If he wanted to say anything, he would have to do it over the loud music. For just a moment, I let myself reflect on everything. It shouldn’t be this hard. I love him, and he loves me. It shouldn’t be this hard.
Chapter 19
Beau
I fucked up… again.
I know I did. It was stupid. One night after a game, Ford and Lilian asked me to take Ollie out to dinner so they could have a date night. It was nothing. Ollie and I were enjoying our meal when Marlene and Max showed up. Of course, Max and Ollie wanted to eat together, and we ate a meal. Marlene flirted, but I made sure to talk about Natalie, and absolutely nothing happened. But just thinking about it, I know where I fucked up. I should have told Natalie about it. Hell, I should have had Natalie there with me.
We pull into the parking lot, and Nat and Ollie are both out of the car before I can get around to their side. I reach for her hand and hold my breath, wondering if she’s going to let me or not. When her hand fits into mine, I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“What do you want on your pizza, Ollie?”
As soon as she asks the question, I’m shaking my head because I know what the kid is going to answer. “Pineapple!”
She stops and looks down at him. “Pineapple? You want pineapple on your pizza?”
He nods. “I swear, it’s really good, Aunt Nat. Try it with me.” He points at me. “All of them say its gross, and they get me my own pizza, but they won’t even try it.”
Natalie holds her hand up for a high-five. Ollie doesn’t hesitate and smacks his hand across hers. “Well, you’re in luck, little nephew. I happen to love pineapple. Have you tried it with pepperoni and pineapple? That’s my favorite.”
He shakes his head. “No, but I love pepperoni, and I love pineapple.” And then he squints his forehead. “Do you really like it, Aunt Nat, or are you just joking with me?”
Natalie laughs, and the sound goes all through me. I’m learning that I love to hear her laugh. “I promise. I love pineapple on my pizza. I never get to eat it, though, because this guy will only eat meat on his pizza.”