Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Need to get the latch fixed first,” Grim reminded him.
“Yeah, we do.”
Skid didn’t move. He just stood there and kept staring at the rabbit, so I asked, “You good?”
“He’s mocking me.”
“He’s a fucking rabbit, brother. All he cares about is getting his next carrot.”
“Well, he ain’t getting it from me.” He gave the rabbit a snarl before grabbing some wire and his toolbox. “Cage is around back.”
I adjusted my hold on my new furry friend, making sure he was secure as we headed outside. The cage was tucked under a big weeping willow tree, and judging by the marks, the furry escape artist had been working on an exit strategy for quite some time.
Grim crouched down next to it and grumbled, “Damn, son. How’d you miss this?”
“I didn’t miss it,” Skid admitted. “I just haven’t gotten around to fixing it.”
“Then, you got what you had coming.”
Grim leaned in, looking things over before reaching over and taking the wire and toolbox from his son’s hand. I stood behind them, watching while they got to work. They hadn’t been at it long when the back door to the house opened, and Baylor, Skid’s stepdaughter, came flying out. She rushed up to me and ran her hand over the rabbit’s back. “You caught him.”
“Sure did.”
Laken, her mother and Skid’s ol’ lady, followed her over and gave the bunny a scratch on the head. “There he is.”
“He’s a criminal mastermind.”
“He’s not a criminal,” Baylor argued.
“Smitty just meant that he broke out of his cage,” Laken explained. “And he was pretty clever about it.”
Baylor’s brows furrowed. “He just wanted to get out and play.”
“Well, that changes things.”
Laken giggled as she said, “He wouldn’t be so eager to escape if he had a bigger cage.”
“I know.”
“She’s right. He needs more room,” Grim added.
“I know.”
“And tunnels.” Baylor smiled. “And a spinning wheel.”
“He’s not a hamster, kiddo.”
“And things to climb on.”
“Baylor.”
She planted her hands on her hips and huffed, “What?”
“Pop and I will build him a bigger cage in a couple of days.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Grim shook his head as he complained, “That’s great. Volunteered for yet another project.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Skid scoffed. “That’s what grandpas are for.”
Grim muttered something under his breath, and we all chuckled in response. Once they had everything secure, Skid stepped over to me and took the rabbit, whispering warnings in his ear as he placed him in the cage. The rabbit hopped across the enclosure and went straight to his water, taking a drink like nothing had happened.
Baylor closed the latch, then looked up at Laken and asked, “Can we go to the fair now?”
“Yes, sweetie. We can go now.”
“Yay!”
“I need to change first,” Skid added.
Baylor’s smile vanished as she groaned, “That’s gonna take forever.”
“It’ll take five minutes.”
“You always say that.” Baylor’s expression turned to a pout. “And you always take more than five minutes, especially when you go to the bathroom.”
Grim laughed even louder than before as he teased, “Kid’s right about that.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Skid fussed. “You and Jenna still planning to meet us over there with Luna?”
“That was the plan.”
“Good deal. I heard they’ve got some good food vendors coming.”
“Yeah, Jenna was saying something about a corndog made out of cheese? No idea what the hell that is, but she’s excited about trying it.”
“I want one, too!” Baylor gasped. “And some ice cream!”
“I think we can manage that,” Laken answered, before turning her attention to me. “You should come, too.”
“Hard pass.”
“Wow, that was pretty definitive.”
“Not a fan of the fair.”
Baylor looked wounded by my response and gasped, “They have games and prizes.”
“I’m aware.”
“And rides.”
“Too hot for rides.”
“Corn dogs made outta cheese!”
“Tempting, but still too damn hot.”
“Oh, come on,” Laken pushed. “It’ll be fun… A couple of girls from work are going to meet us there, too. I think you’d like them.”
“Ah, there it is.”
“What?” she asked innocently.
“The setup.”
“It’s not a setup,” she lied. “It’s just a couple of friends coming to hang out.”
“Not interested.”
Laken shook her head, then turned to Grim and said, “And that’s why he’s still single.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Might as well tell her you’ll come,” Grim groaned. “Or she’ll keep at it.”
“He’s right.” Laken smiled. “I can be very persistent.”
A couple of hours later, I was weaving through a crowd of sweaty parents chasing their sweaty kids and regretting every life choice that landed me at the county fair. The place was packed, and I don’t mean a little crowded. I’m talking shoulder-to-shoulder, hope the fire marshal doesn’t show up kind of packed.
It was rough, and it didn’t help matters that it was hot as blazes. The sun had started to go down, but it hadn’t helped to cool things off. The air was thick and humid, and it clung to my skin like a wet blanket that I couldn’t shake. Sweat was dripping and rolling into places it had no business rolling.