Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Soon, we’re both as close to decent as we’re going to get without a shower.
Holly pulls in a breath, catching my gaze as she extends a hand my way.
I take it with a nod, silently assuring her that we can do this.
After all, there are worse things than being caught naked by your entire family, the mayor, and several old men concerned about your odds of conception.
Probably. I would imagine.
She turns back to our audience with a tight smile. “Okay, we’re good. Except that we want to apologize, of course. We would have called to let you all know that we were okay, but the power went off and our cell phones didn’t have service.”
“Oh, it’s okay, honey, we know!” Holly’s mother spins around, rushing toward her daughter with outstretched arms. “We’re just so glad everyone is all right!”
Holly’s parents sweep her into a fierce hug, both of them trembling with relief. Behind them, my siblings rush in, pulling me into an equally tight embrace. I grunt as three pairs of arms wrap around me, my chest beginning to ache with wonder as I pat what parts of them I can reach.
They really were worried.
And they really love me as much as I’ve always loved them.
“Sorry to scare you,” I mutter gruffly. “I love you. Very much.”
Ashton nuzzles closer to my chest. “You’d better. You’re pretty much the best, you know. Not to mention the closest thing we have to a parent around here. We’d be lost and sad without you.”
“Very sad,” Elliot seconds, his voice nearly as rough as mine. “Call us next time, okay? Before you run out into the woods to slay dragons? We’ll help you. We want to help.”
“We do,” Bran adds. “And we want coffee. We all really want coffee. Right? It’s not just me?”
“Dying for coffee,” I agree.
“We’re taking everyone to breakfast,” George announces as we emerge from our hug circles, beaming as he claps me on the back. “And don’t feel nervous or embarrassed, son. Holly’s thirty years old. I’ve suspected she was sexually active for a long time.”
“Dad!” Holly says with a burst of shocked laughter. Her hands fly to her cheeks as she continues to giggle. “Oh my God, what a morning. I love all of you so much, but let’s get out of here. The sooner we get pancakes, the sooner we can pretend this part never happened. I’ll come back and clean up later. Let’s just…go. Now. Please.”
Cheeks barks his agreement as he bounds from Willow’s shoulder to Elliot’s to Ashton’s to mine, where he proceeds to insist that we go to The White Out Diner instead of Kit’s. Because they have carrot shavings in their Fall Fest pancakes at The White Out, and he could really go for some carrot shavings.
“Carrots in pancakes?” I mutter, shooting him some serious side eye. “Sounds repulsive if you ask me.”
Willow gasps loud enough to make us all flinch. I glance over to see her jaw drop and her eyes round. She flutters her hands my way, boots dancing on the hardwood for a beat, before she manages, “You heard him! You can hear him! Oh, Luke! This is fantastic.” I blink, having no clue what she’s talking about until she clarifies, “The carrots! You heard Cheeks say how much he likes the carrots in the pancakes at The White Out diner!”
I blink again, realizing she’s right.
But she can’t be right.
That would be crazy.
Nearly as crazy as everything else that’s happened since I returned to this very special, very odd little town.
The town where the love of my life is now slipping her hand into mine, and a chipmunk is assuring me that he’ll be staying with us from now on as he slides into my coat pocket.
“What happened?” Holly asks, giving my fingers a squeeze.
I shake my head as a dazed smile creeps across my face. “Cheeks’s decided he wants to live with us, I guess. If that’s all right with you.”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, of course. Duh. I mean, someone has to keep us in line.”
Cheeks clucks his agreement from my pocket, making those who speak chipmunk laugh, and the rest of the company look slightly confused.
But that’s all right.
They clearly still love us anyway, even when we’re being the very strangest, most authentic versions of ourselves.
What more could a person ask for?
We head out on foot for The White Out diner, sticking to the cleared roads. On the way, the old men regale us with stories of how this storm compares to the Blizzard of ‘64, while Hattie fields calls from the electric company, updating her on when power should be restored to the outskirts of town.
We order every kind of pancake, sausage, bacon, and three omelets to share, and I begin the process of getting to know the people who raised the best girl in the world.