Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
“How the hell did you manage to organize all of this in two days? On a weekend?”
Kenny smiled.
“Money solves all problems,” she said, then cringed. “That sounded really arrogant, right? And a bit douchey.”
Beth laughed.
“You’ve never worried about that before.”
“Oh my God, are you telling me that I’ve said cringey shit like that before? No wonder you didn’t like me.”
Beth turned to stare at Kenny, her eyes huge behind her glasses.
“Who says I didn’t, um, didn’t like you?”
“I mean…” Kenny shrugged self-consciously and picked at an imaginary thread on her flawless skirt. “I always assumed so, because you’re always so quiet and withdrawn around me.”
Beth laughed and shook her head.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry if I ever gave you that impression, Kenny. It’s just that you make me a little nervous. And when I’m nervous, I stammer. So I t-tend to just not speak. And the only reason I’m-I’m nervous is because I admire you so much. You’re one of the, um, the-the most accomplished and impressive people I know.”
Kenny flushed, embarrassed and uncomfortable with the woman’s praise.
“Well, then I’m sorry you’re nervous around me.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Beth grinned.
“That’s a me problem, not a you problem. It’s something I had to work out, and I mostly have. You always seemed so perfect that I tended to kind of—and please don’t take this the wrong way—I kind of saw you as almost superhuman. After your camping trip with Smith, I recognized that I was being unfair. You have the same insecurities and flaws and fears as the rest of us. And you most definitely can have bad hair days.”
“Not only that,” Kenny leaned to gravely confide, “I suffer from the Mariko Aoki phenomenon.”
She wasn’t disappointed when Beth stared at her for a long moment before bursting into laughter. She knew her sister-in-law was extremely knowledgeable on a host of varied and diverse subjects, and would get it.
“Nooo,” Beth howled, laughing helplessly.
“It was hell during my college years,” Kenny confessed, completely pokerfaced. Beth’s happy laughter was a balm to her wounded soul. “Every time I went to the library, I immediately needed to poop.”
“Oh, stop,” Beth pleaded, bent double.
“And now you know my secret shame,” Kenny intoned. And Beth laughed again.
“If it makes you feel better, that phenomenon is more common than most people know, even if research is inconclusive.”
“And you call me impressive,” Kenny said with a smile. “You’re the only person I know who can simply rattle a fact like that off about a something most people don’t even know exists. I’ve always admired that about you. That and your ability to get along with people.”
This time it was Beth’s turn to flush. The other woman shrugged before awkwardly reaching for Kenny’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Look at us, forming our own little mutual admiration society,” she half joked.
“I’ve always wanted a sister,” Kenny confided. “So I was absolutely thrilled when Gideon had the good sense to marry such a lovely woman. And I hope we can be sisters to one another. You and me and Fern.”
Beth nodded and impulsively hugged Kenny. The woman was so much shorter than Kenny that Kenny had to bend down quite a few inches to return the embrace.
“Are you okay?” Beth asked her after they stepped apart. Kenny’s eyes flooded at the question, hearing the genuine love and concern in the other woman’s voice.
“I will be. I just feel a little…blindsided. For a short while, I truly believed Smith and I would work it out.” She made a helpless little gesture with her hands.
“I’m so sorry, Kenny.”
Kenny nodded and swiped at the corner of her eyes with a fingertip.
“I refuse to cry tonight. There’s plenty of time for that later. But tonight is about family. And I’m damned if I’m going to let this ruin our evening. I will talk about this and how I feel, Beth. I’m done closing myself off from the people who love me. But not tonight, okay?”
Beth nodded.
The doorbell rang and Kenny plastered a smile on her face.
“Action stations.”
The evening was a success. It was just Kenny, Cade and Fern, Beth and Gideon, their dad and Nox who attended.
The latter had shown up looking travel-worn, still with that bushy beard, face drawn, and mouth grim.
Their always loud and brash father had been visibly emotional at the sight of his middle son.
“What have you been doing to yourself, lad?” he asked, sounding sad.
“I’m fine, Dad. Never been healthier and fitter,” Nox replied with a ghost of his usual cocky grin.
Physically, it was clear that Nox had never been fitter, given how much he’d bulked up in the nearly two years since he’d gone semi-prodigal son on them. Emotionally and mentally though? That was a different story. His eyes were so…sad. There were fine lines etched into his brow, around his eyes, and silver threads in that ill-advised lumberjack beard.