Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Oh, we have some news,” Landry says. “My swimmers won the race!” He thrusts his fist in the air, and everyone laughs and offers their congratulations. It’s obvious we all already knew, and that endears me to this group even more.
They have each other’s backs, and I trust that the ladies will keep my secret. I don’t know what’s next for Foster and me, but I know I want every moment I can get.
Chapter Seventeen
Foster
* * *
“What do you want to do today?” Eden asks. We’re lying in bed, the morning sun barely peeking through the blinds.
“I have no plans,” I tell her.
“Foster!” She rolls to her side and props her head up on her elbow. “It’s your birthday. We have to do something. What about the guys? Do you have plans with them?”
“Nah, they’ll text me, probably call, but no plans.” The guys have tried over the years, but they know birthdays are not a big deal to me. They just didn’t know why until recently.
“You should call them. Go to dinner or something.”
“Or I could stay exactly where I am, with you,” I tell her, leaning over to steal a kiss.
“It’s your day of birth. The day you were given life. We have to celebrate,” she insists.
“Birthdays were never a big thing for me growing up. You know how it is,” I tell her. There’s no point in rehashing our past in foster care. We both know how the other grew up. That’s part of what I love about her. She understands. She not only understands my past, but she lived it, and that makes me feel closer to her.
“That’s exactly why we need to make a big deal now. Foster, you’re incredible, not because of your career or those abs.” She giggles, and fuck me, I love it. I love waking up with her. “It’s because of who you are. Your big heart that you try to keep hidden, but those of us who know you see it. We see you. I see you, and I want to celebrate you.”
“If it’s that important to you, we can do whatever you want.”
“Foster!” she half scolds, half laughs. “This is your day. What do you want to do?”
I waggle my eyebrows, and she rolls those big blue eyes of hers, but her smile never falters. “Fine, you can have that, too,” she says as her phone rings. Her brow furrows. “Who is that this early on a Saturday?” she muses, reaching behind her to the nightstand on her side of the bed—yes, her side—to grab her phone. “It’s Carrie, I’d better take it.”
I nod, not that she needs my permission, as she places the phone next to her ear.
“Hello?” she answers.
We’re lying close to each other in bed, so I’m able to hear the conversation. It’s muffled, but I can follow along.
“Hey, Eden, I hope I didn’t wake you,” Carrie says.
“No. We were up,” she answers. I fucking love that she includes me in her answer. I want to be everywhere she is, even if it’s a phone call. I’m aware that sounds creepy as hell, but Eden is addicting in the absolute best of ways.
“Good. Hey, I hate to ask this on such short notice, but is there any way that you could watch the kids for us today? Nick had a guy call in sick—well, his only guy,” Carrie says with a chuckle. “And I just got a request for a showing. It’s at noon and should only be a couple of hours.”
“Carrie, I—” Eden starts.
“We can watch them,” I tell her. “They can bring them here, or we can go there.”
She pulls the phone away from her mouth. “Are you sure?”
I smile and nod. “That’s what I want to do today. Spend time with you, and those closest to you.”
“Foster,” she says, her eyes welling with tears.
“Eden?” Carrie asks.
She clears her throat. “Sorry, yes, we can watch them.”
“We?” Carrie asks, and I can hear the smile in her voice even secondhand through the phone.
“Yeah, I’m spending the day with Foster today. It’s his birthday.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I can take the kids with me,” Carrie says.
“No,” I say, hoping that Carrie can hear me. I can hear her, so the chances are good. “We had no plans. We’re happy to,” I say, and Eden’s smile grows.
“Did you hear that?” Eden asks her best friend.
“So, we finally get to meet him, huh?”
Eden’s eyes hold mine. “Yeah, you finally get to meet him.”
“Thank you both. I’m sorry to crash your day.”
“You’re welcome, and you didn’t. We were literally just talking about what we were going to do today. I assumed he’d be with his friends, but he’s a bump on a log and says birthdays are just another day.”
Carrie laughs. “You’re going to have to show him how it’s done, babe.”