Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97386 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97386 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
I choked when I realized where my thoughts had taken me.
“You okay, Mitchell?” my father asked.
With what must have been a look of horror, I nodded. “Yep. Sorry.”
Steed stared as if he knew where my thoughts had been.
“What are you staring at?” I asked sharply.
A slow smile built as he said, “Nothin’ at all.”
I shot him a dirty look. “Good!”
“Night, y’all,” Waylynn said.
Jumping up, I reached for Corina’s arm. “You’ll call me if y’all need a ride home, right?”
She stared blankly. I couldn’t read her at all. What in the hell? My job was all about being able to read people, and this woman had me all kinds of messed up.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I sat back down before she spoke. “If we need you, I’ll call, Mitchell. Always.”
Giving her my best smile, I replied, “Thank you. Y’all have fun and be safe.”
Waylynn walked past me. “Now where would the fun be in that?”
I watched as my sister, and the woman who was slowly driving me insane, walked out of Marco’s.
“They’ll be fine, Mitchell,” Dad said. “Cord will keep an eye on them.”
Nodding, I focused on my father. “I know. Trevor’s working tonight. I know he’ll call me if he thinks I need to come get them.” I turned to Chloe. “Hey, how about I follow y’all home and you pack an overnight bag?”
She fist-pumped. “Come on, Daddy! Let’s go so I can have my princess party with Uncle Mitchell.”
My smile dropped. “Princess party? I thought we were watching Frozen?”
Chloe turned to me and shook her head. “Oh, Uncle Mitchell. You’re so funny.”
Snapping my head to my parents, I asked, “What did I say that was funny?”
They both attempted to hide their smiles and failed miserably.
“You sure you don’t mind her spending the night, Mitchell?” Paxton asked as she handed me Chloe’s bag.
“No, not at all. I never get tired of spending time with her. It’ll be fun.”
Chloe came walking into the kitchen. “Let’s go get Patches!”
“Patches?” I asked as I looked back at Steed and Paxton.
“Pumpkin, Patches can’t spend the night with you. Uncle Mitchell lives in the city, remember?”
“But he has a yard. It’s big enough for Patches.”
I laughed. “Patches needs more space than my yard, squirt.”
“Ah, dang. That’s okay, we’ll still have fun without Patches.”
“Gee, I hope so! I’d hate to think the goat was more fun than me!”
Chloe giggled and took my hand. My heart dropped and something strange hit me right in the middle of my chest. I ignored it.
I glanced at our hands then back up to Steed. He was wearing the same damn smile that he’d had at Marco’s earlier.
“What?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I think you’re starting to want it.”
I pinched my brows.
“Want what?” Paxton asked.
“Yeah, what do you want, Uncle Mitchell? A goat? A horse? Oh, I know, a giraffe? Cuz I really wanted one of those too.”
I chuckled. “No, kiddo. I don’t want any of those things.”
“What about a kid?” Steed asked as I shot him a dirty look.
Chloe gasped. “You want a baby goat?”
Meeting the big blue eyes looking up at me, I shook my head. “Don’t listen to your father, Chloe. He’s delusional.”
We started toward the door. “What does that mean?”
“It means your dad thinks he knows the truth, and he is far from it.”
“I thought Daddy was always right?”
“I am,” Steed said.
“He isn’t,” Paxton and I both said at the same time. Laughing, I kissed her goodbye on the cheek. “I always knew you were secretly on my side.”
She bent down to face Chloe. “You have fun and listen to Uncle Mitchell, okay?”
Chloe nodded. “I will, Mommy. Kiss Gage for me, okay?”
“Of course I will. I love you, Chloe Cat.”
“I love you too! Love you, Daddy.”
Steed squatted down and pulled Chloe in for a hug. “I know Uncle Mitchell looks like me, but remember, Daddy is smarter, more handsome, and a better singer.”
Covering her mouth, Chloe chuckled. “Oh, Daddy. You are not a good singer!”
Everyone laughed as I guided Chloe out of the house and to my truck.
“Let me know what time you want her home!” I called out. I lifted Chloe into the backseat and buckled her in. Steed had already put Chloe’s booster seat into the truck for me along with a checklist of other Chloe-related things. I rolled my eyes and set it in the seat next to Chloe. It wasn’t like it was my first time having my niece over.
“You ready to get our Frozen on?” I asked.
She nodded her head. “Let’s do this!”
When I walked around my truck, I glanced over at my brother. He smiled and called out, “I’m right and you know it!”
“Delusional. That’s all you are.”
As I slipped into the truck, I turned back to see my precious niece, and I knew in that moment who the delusional one was.