Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Keely took the sleeping baby and said, “I have a child, Copper. I think I can handle getting a kid back to sleep.”
“Still.” I ran the palm of my hand over Holt’s sleeping head. “If you need me, call me. I don’t care if it’s our wedding night or not.”
“So overprotective,” she grumbled. “You and Dima could be the same person.”
I rolled my eyes, kissed my sister’s cheek, then tapped knuckles with Dima before heading for my wife.
My wife who was doing handstands in the pool with the kids.
When she came up for air, I drawled, “Wife.”
Baker all but came up gasping, her eyes wide and her smile even wider. “I like that!”
Just the sight took my breath away.
I didn’t care how silly she looked in those oversized goggles with the flippers and the messy hair that would be a bitch to brush out later. Her smile. Her overall excitement just to play in the pool doing handstands with the kids…it was everything.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked.
The exuberant smile turned into slow and sultry. “Oh, yeah I am.”
I held my hand out for her and she placed her cold, wet hand in mine.
I hauled her up and out of the pool, and before I could stop her, she was jumping into my arms.
I wrapped my arms around her, despite her soaking me through, and shook my head while I looked into her eyes.
“This is kind of awkward, you in the goggles and all,” I teased. “You could at least take the snorkel out of your mouth.”
She spit the snorkel out and said, “How do you feel about getting a pool?”
“One with a fence?” I asked.
“Obviously, when we have more kids, we have to make sure we’re careful. I want a big house, with a pool, and a hot tub. A hot tub that’s off of our bedroom and nobody can see when mommy and daddy head out to the hot tub naked.” She ran her wet fingers through my hair. “What are we waiting for, anyway?”
She had a point.
Twisting around, I came to a stop when everyone was up and watching us.
“That’s definitely getting blown up,” Milena said, leaning over so she could look at the phone in Aella’s hand. “The goggles and the snorkel really make it pop.”
I shook my head and said, “We’re headed to the houseboat. If you need us, that’s where we’ll be.”
I hadn’t been there other than to check in on it in months.
“Here,” Webber said as he came out with a huge slice of cake on a paper plate. “We’ll save the cake topper for you.”
“Ohhh, nice,” Baker said as she took a swipe of the icing off the top of the cake and popped it into her mouth. “Thanks!”
“I packed you some food, too,” Elaine said as she held up a bag. “I’ll carry it to the car…”
“No, you won’t,” Bodie said as she caught up the bag. “You hang here. Not sure where that dude in the tank’s at, but you’re not out of my sight until he’s found.”
Elaine rolled her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Knight winked at her and followed us out to Baker’s car.
Baker’s car that was now decorated in white lettering on all of the windows.
“Wow,” Baker said as she saw the writing. “That’s impressive.”
“The ladies thought you might want to scream that you’re a married woman from the rooftop like they did,” Knight snorted. “I made them stop at adding cans on strings.”
“Thank you,” I murmured as I put everything in the back hatch before allowing Baker to slide down to her feet. “Good to have you home, brother.”
Knight shook my proffered hand. “Good to be back. And I’m really glad I got to be here to witness you getting married. I’m tired of missing all the good stuff.”
I helped my wife—fuckin’ goddamn did that feel good to say—into the car and then headed around the front of the truck.
“Keys?” I asked.
“They were in the purse that you put in the back, but since this isn’t a relic, you don’t need them up front with you to start it,” Baker teased.
I pressed the start button and it purred to life.
“Too used to the Cutlass.” I chuckled as I put it in Drive and headed to the houseboat.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to go here,” she said as I pulled into the lane that led to the houseboat twenty minutes later. “It looks pretty awesome.”
“Cutter and Chevy did a lot of work to it over the years to make it habitable again,” I explained as I got out and headed to her door. She went to step down but I caught her up in my arms and carried her bridal style to the door. “I always talked about making a life in this houseboat when I was in prison. It was my ultimate goal, to get back here and live.”