Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“You’re a baby,” she says. “And it’s not just coffee. My drinks are masterpieces.”
“Right.” I decide that I need to change the fucking subject. “Hey, Billie, how’s book club going?”
Billie grins over at me. “So great. We’ve upped it to twice a month because there’s so much interest. We have a meeting later this week.”
“Oh my God, the book is so good,” Dani gushes. “And I’m coming to this one. I need to get out of the house and be around grown-ups.”
“I’m so excited you’re coming,” Skyla says, clapping her hands. “Beckett and I have loved this one as well.”
I raise an eyebrow at my brother, and he smiles smugly.
“You should give it a try,” he says.
“What, reading romance books?” I ask.
“Yeah. They’re good, man. Skyla and I read together every night.”
“Dani started reading some to me, too,” Bridger admits. “They’re not bad.”
I blink at my brothers. I have nothing at all against romantic literature. I think it’s awesome. Hell, my sister has built a thriving and incredibly successful business from it, and I’m damn proud of her.
I just never expected to hear that my brothers enjoy it.
I glance over to Brooks and find a strange look on his face.
“What’s wrong with you?”
He shakes his head. “They’re not wrong.”
My eyebrows climb into my hairline. “Are you telling me that you read smut between oil changes?”
“Don’t be a dick,” he says with a huff. “Jul—I’ve read them. Before. They’re good for a relationship.”
That’s right. Juliet’s a reader and got Billie started reading them when Billie was a teenager.
Before everything blew apart.
“Have you been to the new place?” I ask in a low voice, but everyone’s listening in.
“No.”
“Brooks.”
“Give me the baby,” he says, abruptly standing and crossing to Holden, who gently passes the sleeping baby over.
Brooks rocks side to side and kisses Bryce’s little head.
“It’s still fresh for him,” Millie murmurs. “After all this time.”
I nod. “Yeah. Something like that doesn’t go away.”
“We’re having beers at the Wolf Den,” Beckett informs me. “While the girls do book club.”
“I happen to have that night off, so I’ll join you.”
“I’ll be at home with my babies,” Bridger says and kisses Birdie on the head.
“I’ll watch them,” Mom offers with a smile. “And you go out.”
“Are you sure?” Dani asks her. “They’re a handful.”
“I had five children, darling girl,” Mom reminds her. “Birdie and I will keep Bryce in line.”
Chapter Fourteen
HARPER
“Baby Alice needs to be fed,” my coworker tells me before she goes off shift. “She’s the only one I didn’t get to in time. She’s only about ten minutes behind, and her mom called and said they wouldn’t be able to make it to this feeding.”
“Got it.” I nod and start to walk toward the tiny preemie. She was born at just three pounds, and now she needs time to grow. “Have a good night.”
It’s my last evening on shift, and then I get a couple of days off, which I’m ready for. I love my job, but nights are particularly brutal for me.
I’m a day dweller.
But we all take turns to make it fair because babies aren’t only sick during banking hours. Eventually, if I’m able to work my way up to the director of the department, I could move to day shifts all of the time, but that would mean less patient care. It’s a catch-22. I love working with the little ones, so moving out of this role doesn’t excite me.
Alice is eating comfortably in my arms as I rock us back and forth in the chair when my phone buzzes with a text.
The grin on my face is massive when I see it’s Blake.
I miss him. I haven’t seen him since that morning almost a week ago when Greg gave us all a scare. Between our jobs and families, we haven’t had time to see each other, but we’ve sent a lot of messages back and forth, and he’s called me every chance he gets.
I have no doubt in my mind that Dr. Blackwell is interested in me, and it’s not all sexual. He checks in and asks how I am, if I need anything, and what he can do for me.
He’s so freaking swoony.
But really, at the end of the day, the only thing I need is to spend time with him, and time isn’t something we have to give each other right now.
It makes me wonder if pursuing something with Blake is a smart idea. But then, the thought of not having him in my life makes my heart physically hurt in my chest. I know that unless he’s the one to end it, that’s not an option for me right now either.
So I guess we’ll simply keep going the way we are for the time being.
I open the texts and feel heat spread over my cheeks.
Blake: So he’s giving her sex lessons? In this book of yours?