Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
“Daddy, can we play outside?”
“It’s raining, best friend,” Mark replied, reaching out to run his hand over her hair. “Not a good day for it.”
“I got my coat, you know.” Olive sighed.
“Go,” I murmured quietly, turning my head to kiss his jaw. “You know you’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“I’m only gonna be gone two nights.”
“And both of those nights you’re going to be bummed you didn’t take the kids outside for a bit.” I elbowed him jokingly in the belly. “You know it’s true.”
“I’m a pushover,” he grumbled.
“That’s okay, because you’re our pushover.”
“Alright,” Mark said, dramatically throwing his hands in the air. “Let’s go outside!”
“Yes!” Olive bounced on her toes a couple of times before throwing herself at Mark.
“I wanna go, too!” Meg screeched, running toward us.
“Coats,” I reminded them as Mark ushered the kids toward the front door.
“Thanks,” Mark called back sarcastically over his shoulder. “Wouldn’t have thought to put coats on them.”
“Gimme that baby,” Forrest demanded, grinning happily as he reached for his namesake.
“It gets kind of confusing having two of them,” Lu said, hopping onto the counter.
“Only when they’re in the same place.”
“So, always?” she joked. “Swear to God, I’m here more than I’m at my own place.”
“I keep saying you guys should just put some tiny houses on the back of the property,” I reminded her, heading for the fridge. If I didn’t want the kids to riot, I needed to start on dinner.
“Woman, I wouldn’t fit in a tiny house,” Forrest grumbled, lifting the baby over his head until he shrieked.
“We’ve also got the apartment above the barn.” I shrugged.
Lu laughed. “Didn’t you tell the boys they couldn’t rent that place?”
“No, I told them they couldn’t bring their crazy ass one nights stands to my house and they decided to look elsewhere.” I glanced at Forrest. “He can stay. He’s one of the most boring people I know.”
“Thanks, Cec.” Forrest grinned.
“So, security for a pop star, huh?” I murmured, setting some frozen chicken nuggets down next to Lu.
“Not as fun as the shit we used to do.” She shrugged. “But the pay is pretty much the same and we don’t have to fly across the world, so I’m not complaining.”
“You know, I worried when everyone left the old company that you guys would all drift apart and Mark wouldn’t be able to get something new going.”
Forrest scoffed. “You’re stuck with us. Sorry.”
“Thank God,” I shot back over my shoulder with a smile.
“I wasn’t worried,” Lu replied, digging into the bag of chicken nuggets as I set the air fryer next to her. “Chief’s always got something up his sleeve. If he was ready to leave, I knew he had something waiting.”
“I’m pretty sure he didn’t,” I said wryly. “Are you guys staying for dinner? Chicken nuggets, some steamed broccoli, and homemade applesauce is on the menu.”
“No thanks,” Forrest replied. “I’m gonna grab somethin’ on the road.”
“I’m going to head out, too,” Lu said, scowling at the air fryer. “Rain check?”
“You can stay for dinner.”
“Nah.” She slid off the counter. “I’ll give you guys some time to yourselves before we steal your husband.”
“You sure?”
“I’ll come for some chicken nuggets next week,” she assured me.
They passed the baby back and forth, giving him cuddles before setting him in his high chair. I joked that there needed to be three people keeping an eye on the kids, but honestly, either Lu or Forrest probably could’ve managed them individually. Eli on the other hand was not babysitting my kids alone until they were old enough to call 911 themselves.
No one would mention it, but we’d asked all three of them to manage my anxiety, not for any other reason. Knowing that if something bad happened while we were gone there were enough adults for each child made me feel marginally more comfortable being away from them.
“See ya in a couple of days,” Forrest said gruffly, kissing the top of my head as he headed toward the back door.
“You care if I leave my bike in the barn?” Lu asked. “It’s pissing rain out there.”
“Oh, so you’re ridin’ with me?” Forrest teased. “Were you gonna ask?”
“Go ahead,” I cut in. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“First of all, your family is nuts riding in this shitty ass weather,” Lu said with a smile, pointing at me. “Second of all, thank you. I’d never hear the end of it.”
By the time they’d left and I’d given baby Forrest a couple of wooden spoons to bang against his high chair tray, I could hear Mark and the girls coming back inside the front door. They hadn’t lasted long outside which wasn’t a surprise. Playing in the rain always sounded like a good idea as a kid, until you were soaking wet and freezing.
“What’s for dinner?” Olive asked, sliding into the kitchen in her socks.