Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 155900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
A peal of laughter wound with the peace. “Look it, Daddy! Look it!”
Maci giggled like mad as she held the long metal rod with a marshmallow at the end over the open flames. The white, gooey blob bubbling to a golden perfection right in front of her eyes.
“I see it. You’re doing a great job,” I told her. “It’s almost ready.”
I sat right behind her on a blanket that we’d strewn across the grass-covered ground, hugging her close to make sure she didn’t get too close to the campfire.
Emery was right next to us, her sweet little body tucked up next to mine, radiating all her beauty and light.
Her gorgeous face lit in the glinting leaps of the flames.
“I told you that you were gonna do a really super great job,” Nolan told Maci from where he sat next to her roasting his own marshmallow with his dad on the other side of him watching him closely, though his dog, Rocky, was basically on his lap, doing a little protecting of his own.
His tail wagging nonstop.
My sweet nephew was finally getting his camping trip, even though it was about six weeks late. After everything had gone down, we wanted to give Emery and Maci time to readjust. Time to heal and rest and find the relief in the fact that they were safe.
To settle into this brand-new life after they had been so close to losing it.
My chest tightened as I wrestled with the thought. How close that fucker Tyke had gotten to stealing my heart right out of me. Our minds still twisted over the truth of what we’d discovered.
The connection that Emery and I shared was so much greater than we’d imagined. This thing that had burned between us an affinity only our spirits had recognized.
But I got it now. The depths of what we meant to each other.
Emery snuggled even closer, no doubt, feeling the significance of it, too.
“Guess I didn’t have a fing to be worried about.” Maci shrugged one of her adorable shoulders.
Amused affection pulled through my being, and I pressed a kiss to her temple. “No, Angel Face, you don’t have a thing to be worried about.”
I would fight with everything I had for that. For her to be able to live a life that wasn’t riddled with the types of fears that no child should face.
Give her a life that wasn’t wrought with injustices and wrongs and abuse.
No, I knew I couldn’t protect her from everything. I knew she needed to experience some hardships and obstacles.
They’d make her strong and wise.
Discerning.
But I’d be right at her side to help her see them through.
But for the rest? The monsters that lurked? They’d meet with my wrath first.
“That’s ’cause I got everyfing I need.” Maci gave a resolute nod.
“Well, you got me and you’re always gonna have me,” Nolan told her in his sweet little drawl.
Could feel the love that rolled through the entire circle as everyone watched down on these kids who had us enchanted.
Theo and Cash chuckled a bit, and River and Charleigh smiled softly where they were snuggled under a blanket together on the other side of Nolan.
From where Raven sat on Otto’s lap on a folding chair across the fire, I could see the flames dance in her dark gaze as she watched down on them.
Otto squeezed her a little tighter, the two of them obviously dreaming about the day their little one was going to join Maci and Nolan.
“That’s because I had to come here to find my daddy and my aunties and my uncles and my most very best friend,” Maci prattled.
My arm tightened around her waist, and I simply breathed in her sweetness. “And I am so glad you found me,” I murmured before I shifted to gaze at Emery through the babbling night.
“So glad you found me.” It came out rougher that time as I stared at my woman, and Emery bit down on her bottom lip, toffee eyes full of so much emotion the sight of them hit me like a freight train. The amount of love that slammed me every time I looked at her stunning face.
“I’m so glad we found you, too,” she whispered.
Charleigh tipped her face toward the serene calm of the heavens and exhaled a contented breath. “I really do think this place draws us to it. Guides us where we’re supposed to be.”
Emery peered over at me, so much joy in her expression I could feel it spilling into me. “I do, too.”
“Daddy! I got a fire!” Maci suddenly shrieked.
“Uh-oh, that’s bad. Real, real bad.” Nolan sadly shook his head.
“Ah, crap,” I rushed, a bit of laughter riding up my throat as I saw the orb of fire that had become Maci’s marshmallow.
It flamed and charred before it fully melted off the tip of the rod and plopped into the flames.