Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87913 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87913 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Yeah.” She gives him a hug, then the two of us watch him walk away before we head outside.
“Where are you parked?” I ask her as we make our way down the sidewalk toward the parking lot. It’s a beautiful day with the sun out and a slight breeze in the air.
“Right over there.” She motions across the lot to a small baby-blue car that is parked under the shade of a tree. Without a word, I start walking her to her car and stop next to the driver’s side door as she digs her keys out of her bag. “Thanks for covering for me in there.” She looks up at me, her eyes looking more blue than green as the shadows and the light shining between the leaves of the tree dance across her delicate features and full lips.
“I noticed you didn’t eat.”
“Yeah, toast seems to be the only thing I can keep down right now. Last night, Molly brought pizza and ice cream, and in case you don’t know, that is not a good combination when it comes back up.” She smiles as I start to open my mouth. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“Did your doctor tell you how long this stage will last?” I ask, uncomfortable with the amount of guilt I feel, even knowing this part of pregnancy is normal for most women. I don’t like that she’s been sick.
“A few more weeks, if I’m lucky.” She covers her mouth as she yawns.
“The offer stands if you want to borrow my guest room to take a nap. I’ll be home, but I need to go over the case I’m working on, so it’ll be quiet.”
“I think I’ll be okay. I’m so tired right now I’m pretty sure I’d be able to sleep in the middle of a Guns N’ Roses concert.”
“You need sleep, Franny.”
“I know.” She rubs her lips together.
“So then use my guest room.”
“I don’t really want to leave PJ. I’ve been gone all morning, and he gets anxious when he’s alone too long.”
“Then bring him with you. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Dayton,” she whispers, and without thinking, I reach my hand out and wrap it around the lower part of her jaw.
“Come over and take a nap. Your dog will be okay with me for a few hours while you sleep,” I tell her, and her eyes wander over my face before she lets out a breath.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” I let my hand fall away. “I’ll follow you.”
After getting her nod, I open her door and wait until she’s in and buckled before I leave her to walk over to my SUV. It takes a little time to get to our building. Traffic in the city on the weekends is always bumper to bumper, with people here from out of town and all the party buses that drive up and down the strip.
As she parks, I pull in behind her, shut down the engine, and then get out, meeting her at her door before she has a chance to get it open.
“Should I just meet you upstairs?” she asks, taking my hand when I reach for hers to help her out of the car.
“No, I’ll come with you and help you get PJ.”
Receiving her nod, I follow her to the door of our building and punch in the code to let us in. As we are stepping inside, I bite back a curse when I see my brother, Tucker, getting off the elevator while pushing an empty stroller, followed by his stepson, Kingston, on his scooter. His wife, Miranda, finally emerges while holding their daughter—Jenny, who is just a few months old—as if the two males insisted on making sure the coast was clear before letting their ladies out of the safety of the elevator.
“Dayton!” Kingston jumps off the scooter, letting it hit the floor with a thud before he runs to me. When he hits me full force, I go back a step as his arms wrap around my hips.
“Hey, bud.” I rub the top of his head. “You heading out with Mom and Dad?”
“Yep.” He pops the last letter. “We’re going for a walk and stopping for ice cream.”
“Nice.” I lift my eyes to Miranda and notice she’s eyeing Franny curiously.
Shit.
“You good, man?” Tucker asks, and I take my eyes off Miranda to meet my brother’s gaze. I haven’t told him or Miles about Franny; the only one who knows about her is Clay.
“All good.” I turn to Franny. “This is my brother, Tucker, his wife Miranda, and their kids, Jenny and Kingston. Guys, this is Franny. She lives here on the first floor.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Franny smiles as Kingston goes over to stand in front of his mom.
“You too.” Miranda returns her smile with one of her own.
“Tucker isn’t my real dad; he’s my stepdad,” Kingston says, then adds, “But I still call him dad.”