Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
I almost crumble.
Rocky stays firm. “It’s for your safety, Winter. You wear life vests around water.”
“Unbuckle. Unbuckle.” She kicks her legs and looks up at me for help.
“Oh no,” I tell Rocky. “We’re about to meet a toddler meltdown.”
“Unbuckle, please. Unbuckle.” She’s near tears. Okay, now she’s full-on blubbering.
Rocky curses under his breath, and I make an executive decision and unbuckle her. He gives me a headshake. Though not a hard one. His lips twitch up a little.
Maybe at the notion that I’m not calling Hailey to ask for step-by-step instructions on what to do. It even surprises me how quickly I can make some choices without consulting others whether it’s okay or right.
“It’s a five-minute boat ride,” I defend. “I’ll hold her tight.”
“Fine. Don’t tell Jake.” He mans the wheel, staying on his feet.
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
Winter immediately calms. As happy as a clam. She sprawls back against my chest like she’s sunbathing. Her arms spread wide as she feels the wind in her pigtails, the same light brown shade as Jake’s hair.
Rocky and I share a smile. Even loving her to the deepest core, we haven’t changed our minds about having children of our own. He had a vasectomy years ago, and there hasn’t been a day when I’ve wanted a baby.
If anything, I’m more resolute in our decision to not have kids. I’m happy as Winter’s auntie.
The town is bustling with tourists and locals when we make it to shore.
Docks are pristinely clean. Beaches raked. Storefronts all have fresh coats of paint. Everything about Victoria seems brighter, livelier.
In large part, because of Jake. He contributes sizable amounts of money to Victoria the same way that Rocky does through the Stonehaven tours.
Together, Jake and Rocky have given more to this community in the past three years than the Konings and the Wolfes did in the past decade.
“Hold hands, Winter,” I tell her once we’re in town on foot.
She grabs my hand and Rocky’s as we cross the street.
“Jump,” Winter says, and Rocky and I lift and swing her together over the cobblestone sidewalk. She giggles. “Jump!” We do it again and again.
The bookstore comes into view, and we let go of her hands. Winter races to the entrance, yanking at the locked doors with all her might. Then she presses her back to the glass with a smile like someone will come help her if she’s sweet.
“Does she remind you of Oliver?” I ask him.
“Every fucking day.”
I don’t have to unlock the bookstore. Hailey opens the doors from the inside. We’re closed on Mondays, and we all meet here for coffee and breakfast from Seaside Griddle. Not to plot a job.
Just to catch up.
The store isn’t Baubles & Bookends. For almost three years, it’s been The Bleeding Shelf: Books & Merch. A decal of the logo—a knife stabbing a heart on top of a book, blood dripping off the blade—covers the front glass door.
Just the right levels of romance and horror.
The bells ding as we go inside and the door shuts behind us. It’s a typical bookstore except for the iron shelves, the black walls with waves of pink, and stocked merch from various slasher flicks. Rocky jokes about my portion of the store being a Hot Topic, but we make a pretty penny off the campy Scream T-shirts.
And he has purchased way too many kitschy mugs for me to believe he doesn’t love it.
“Mommy. Mommy.” Winter immediately embraces Hailey’s legs with a big squeeze.
Hailey hugs her daughter with so much tender affection. My best friend has grown out her brown roots. These days, she only leaves the ends platinum-blonde. My hair is still a dark shade of blue. I watch Hails straighten Winter’s crooked skirt. “Did you have fun with Auntie Phoebe and Uncle Rocky?” she asks her.
Winter nods robustly.
“What’d you do?” She fixes her droopy pigtail.
“Hid in the castle.”
“Hid,” Hailey repeats, her eyes widening on me, then her brother.
“For fun,” I say fast. “Hide-and-seek.”
Hailey eases.
Rocky leans on the checkout counter, looking between us too intrusively before the door dings.
“Daddy!” Winter bounds over to Jake. He’s carrying white paper bags with the Seaside Griddle logo and a lilac box of donuts. I quickly snatch them.
“Thanks, Phoebe,” Jake says before lifting Winter up, her arms already outstretched to him. Almost instantly she sinks her head against the crook of his neck. He sways her side to side so soothingly. Like he’s done since she was a baby.
She’s not bouncing around or squirming. I swear she’s this little quiet angel when she’s with Jake, especially when she’s reading with Hailey.
He leans down just to kiss Hailey in a tender hello. He whispers something to her, and Hails nods back with a little red flush. I love that my best friend got her romance. Times two.
As Jake straightens up, a protective hand on Winter’s back, the little girl looks like she’s being lulled to sleep on his chest.