Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
“Pretending to be that gentleman again, I see.”
He leaned in close to my ear. His hot breath sent a chill that scattered and lifted the hairs at the nape of my neck. “Nah, just want you climbing the stairs in front of me so I can get a view of that delectable ass.”
Redness flushed and need bloomed in my belly. I chewed on my bottom lip, and I forced myself to move ahead of him.
I started to climb up the exterior steps.
So what if I put a little extra sway into my hips.
Glee covered every inch of Raven’s face as she grinned down at me. “I am so excited you’re here! I mean, I knew you would come because we’re kind of impossible to resist, but still.”
Overeager, she stamped her feet on the porch floor at our approach, and I suppressed a giggle.
Only she would be wearing five-inch stilettos to a family gathering when she was seven months pregnant.
“Well, I was threatened,” I told her.
“It was only so you would know how serious we are about you. We’ve claimed you, which means we’re forever going to keep you.”
When I made it to the top landing, she wrapped her arms around me. Her belly and the bowl of potato salad were pressed between us, but she didn’t seem to mind as she squeezed me tight and rocked me back and forth. Her voice was soft as she murmured so only I could hear, “Truly, so thankful.”
Emotion rushed, and I fought the insecurities that wanted to surge. Instead of succumbing to them, I edged back and nodded my agreement.
Because I was, too.
Truly grateful.
Maci bounced her way over to me, her adorable face tipped up in my direction. “Are you Miss Piper Poo?”
A shot of laughter rocked out of me. “Apparently so.”
“It’s really good to meet you.” The little thing wrapped her arms around my legs at the middle of my thighs and hugged me tight.
I couldn’t do anything but lean over so I could hug her back. “It’s really good to meet you, Maci. Your mom and dad have told me so much about you.”
“Hey, what about me?” Nolan jumped from behind her.
Reaching out, I pulled him into the embrace. “And I’ve been super excited to meet you, too.”
Words started to tumble out of Maci as she continued to cling to my legs. “That’s good because we were really excited to meet you because you got a little boy who’s our new best friend, and I can be his babysitter because my daddy told me I’m really smart and nice.”
Affection pulsed. “That sounds like a great plan. Finn is lucky he gets to be your friend.”
Nolan pulled back and did three jumping jacks as he shouted, “You get to be our friend, Finn!”
Finn giggled like crazy. “Yay! I your fwiend.”
I turned to where Theo held him at the top of the staircase.
My lungs compressed at the sight.
A mild breeze gusted and rustled through Theo and Finn’s hair. Joy was so brilliant on my son’s face, and the dark pitch of Theo’s eyes were softer than they’d ever been.
I swallowed around the rocks in my throat.
Theo seemed to shuck the emotion as he turned a smile to Nolan and Maci. “What, I don’t even get a hello?”
Maci giggled, holding her hands together at her chest as she swayed. “You already know we love you, Uncle Theo!”
“Because family is who you love most,” Nolan shouted.
Theo angled around Raven and dropped a kiss to her cheek as he passed.
“You sure look good with that baby,” she called behind him, suggestion seeded in the words.
If I wasn’t watching so closely, I would have missed the pain that lashed across his face.
Then he grinned, squeezing him a little tighter. “Finn here is my buddy, isn’t he?”
Finn grabbed him by both sides of the face, his little fingers gripping into his trimmed beard. “Finn’s Feo.”
My heart made a valiant attempt at crashing right out of my chest. Careening and battering and flailing in expectation.
Raven met my eye as Theo hustled the kids back through the open door. Easing forward, she reached out and touched the tear that I didn’t know had gathered at the edge of my eye.
“I know who’s done for.” Her words were soft. Not quite a tease. Then she stepped back with a smile and wrangled the bowl from my hands. “Come inside so I can show you around.”
She strode for the door, waving a hand back at the patio as she walked. “We just had this portion of the wraparound porch built since I moved in. We needed an actual entryway since all the living space is upstairs, and the only way you used to be able to get in was through the garage.”
I stepped inside.
Chaos was already in full force.
Otto, Theo, and Kane were in a pile on the rug in the living area wrestling around with the kids.