Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
From his claim.
“I need to borrow that dress,” Aurora said, looking her over.
Mr. Tom handed around revealing spells so those not invisible could see those who were.
“Your confidence that it would fit both of us is the best compliment you could give me.” Jess laughed, smoothing the dress down her right hip. “They’ll think it’s loud. That a woman my age shouldn’t be showing off her body like this.”
All eyes turned her way. Patty pushed through people to step in close, frowning.
“You’re joking,” Patty demanded. “Tell me you’re joking.” Her pitch rose in volume. “Are you joking?”
“What does age have to do with wearing clothes?” Aurora asked, her upper lip showing a little snarl.
“I’m middle-aged and a mom,” Jess said with an insecure shrug. “They’ll think this dress is too showy, like I’m trying to act young. Older ladies should be covered up, in their opinion. We shouldn’t be sexy, I guess.”
Mimi didn’t say a word, but her body language said she was enraged.
“Jessie, you look absolutely fabulous in that dress,” Patty said, taking her hand. “Fabulous. It suits you perfectly. Those people really need to find some confidence and a hobby instead of trying to control one another. But we don’t have time for those kinds of games, do we? No, we do not. We will wear whatever we want, whenever we want, and we will do it with style. And just look.” She glanced between Austin and Jess, beaming. “You two are so handsome together! Suave and sexy and powerful and—”
“Are we plannin’ on gettin’ to this party anytime soon, like?” Niamh drawled from somewhere in the back.
“The Irishwoman has a point,” Mr. Tom said, shooing everyone forward. “Though she is only making it because she isn’t sucking on the end of a whiskey bottle.”
“There are a lotta dirty jokes I could make after that comment,” Niamh replied, “but yer face is joke enough.”
“Lovely,” Mr. Tom intoned. “Anyway, miss, the sentiment you expressed is exactly the sort of terrible conditioning we had to break you of when you first came to O’Briens, don’t you remember? And look, you’re more confident than ever. Let’s take this party by storm, shall we?”
Nearer the house, the group spread out enough that Jimmy caught up with them. He walked on the neighbor’s grass so he could be next to Jess.
“They’re right, Mom,” he said. “You look really pretty. And you look really happy. I know you never have very much fun at these things—not that I do, either—but this time you have all your people with you. You shouldn’t worry what they have to say.”
“Thanks, bud.” She squeezed his upper arm.
“Also, can I have some of that invisibility potion? There’s this—”
“No,” she cut him off. “Absolutely not.”
He let out an annoyed breath, tramping on some flowers.
“Careful there, Master Jimmy,” Edgar said, suddenly behind them. “You are crushing some of the loveliest additions to this neighborhood.”
“What are you doing after this, anyway?” Jess asked Jimmy as her son started weaving across the lawn more carefully. “You have another couple weeks before you have to go back, don’t you?”
“Going home with you guys,” he told her. “Dad’s going to be a nightmare after this. I’ll see him for Easter.”
Though Austin could feel her joy and also her frustration, probably because of how poorly her ex dealt with their son, she merely nodded. She didn’t bash her ex, like Austin would’ve been tempted to do, or comment about Easter. She was still taking the high road, even after that disaster of a dinner. She was a remarkable woman.
The others fell away as they approached the door, Austin and Jess taking the lead. Jess fidgeted for a moment, shook it out, and then reached for the doorbell.
“It’s going to go great,” Austin assured her.
“It’s not, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Niamh
The door opened slowly to a young man in his twenties wearing a gray, chef-looking shirt with large black buttons, black slacks, and an apron around his waist. He was clearly a caterer.
“Come in, please.” The young man offered a half-smile as he glanced at who was at the door. He did a double take when he reached Austin, his eyes widening slightly and his face going red. “Sir. Please.”
He stared at his shoes and made himself smaller as Austin lifted his hand for Jessie to go first. She kept hold of him as she stepped through, and he followed her in, not sparing the boy a second glance.
“Go, go.” Niamh motioned Patty in. The woman was practically bursting with energy. She did love a party with a bunch of strangers. Something was fundamentally wrong with her.
“I cannot believe you are going to embarrass the miss by bringing a cooler,” Mr. Tom told Niamh as they shuffled forward to the door. “Her mother never should’ve let you borrow it.”