Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
When he straightened, he was pink. It was so cute.
“Rock, are you eating well? You seem smaller.”
“The boy is fine, Celia. Stop fussing.” A man who looked like an older version of Spencer walked up to Rock, patting him then Spencer on the back.
Celia turned to her. “And you must be my new daughter!”
Um. What?
Indie would have stepped back if she weren’t surrounded. Was every member of Spencer’s family here? She knew he had three older sisters, but it seemed like there were twenty people in the foyer.
“Hello, Mrs. Hensley,” she said.
“Don’t start with that nonsense!” she cried. “Call me mum.”
Was she serious?
And then Indie was suddenly surrounded by Spencer’s mum. And it was the best hug she thought she’d ever received.
She wanted to bury her face into the other woman’s shoulder and just let her hug away all the pain from her own mother’s neglect.
“You are so beautiful,” Celia told her. “Isn’t she beautiful, Richard?”
“She is,” Spencer’s dad said with a smile and a wink at Indie. “How about you let her breathe?”
“Oh, Spencer, you did well,” one of the younger women said.
“Yeah, squirt,” another one said with a grin. “You’d better treat her right.”
“How did he get someone as gorgeous as her?” another one said with a sly look.
She guessed these were his sisters. One of them was sitting in a wheelchair, looking pale and thin.
“Hey, I’m a catch,” Spencer exclaimed. “Everyone, this is our girl, Indie. And our daughter, Hope.”
Suddenly, everyone focused in on Hope.
“Oh,” Spencer’s mum said. “She’s just adorable. Give her to Granny.”
Indie watched as Celia expertly took hold of Hope. Spencer’s sisters gathered around and even Richard was smiling.
“Come in,” Celia said. “Come, come.”
They walked into a cozy living room that was dominated by a huge Christmas tree and piles of gifts underneath it.
“Merry Christmas!” Celia smiled at them all. “We’ve got all your gifts ready for you and we’re going to have a big dinner tonight. Turkey, cranberry sauce, the lot! Hope you brought your appetites.”
Wow.
“Don’t worry, dear,” Richard murmured to her as everyone started talking at once. “You’ll get used to how crazy it is here.”
“Really? How long do you think it will take?” she asked.
“Hmm. Only about ten or fifteen years.”
Indie had to laugh.
“You all right, Boo?” Slade asked, walking over to her and wrapping his arm around her.
“Oh, yes. It’s just . . .”
“A lot?” he guessed.
“Amazing,” she said.
“Even after all these years, I’m still shocked by how welcoming and warm they are,” Quaid said, moving to her other side. “They treat us all like we’re theirs.”
“Come on, stop standing around and take a seat. Richard, can you ask Hilda to bring in some tea. Come on, Indie. Come sit with me.” Celia sat while holding Hope. “I want my new daughter close.”
“Are you . . . are you sure?” Indie whispered, sitting beside her.
“I’m very sure,” she said with a warm smile.
For the next twenty minutes, Indie’s mind was in a whirlwind as she met all the members of Spencer’s family and they oohed and aahed over Hope.
Then Quaid approached. “Give Hope to me. She needs a nap. I’ve set her bassinet up in her room.”
How had he known which room was hers?
Actually, that didn’t really matter.
Spencer’s mum wasn’t given a chance to object as Hope was plucked out of her arms and then cradled against Quaid’s chest. She seemed to snuggle in as he carried her away.
“Always so serious, that boy. He rarely smiles. Not that I blame him with an asswipe for a father.”
“He smiles now,” Indie replied.
“Oh, does he?” Spencer’s mum replied. “And what about Slade? How is he doing now? Is his anger more under control?”
“He’s always taking care of us, putting us first, and I’ve never seen him this calm before.”
“Hmm. And Rock?”
Indie’s gaze went to her gentle giant. Spencer’s sisters were talking to him animatedly and he just kept nodding. “He’s found his voice. And his place.”
“Which is?”
“Right by my side,” Indie replied.
“Good. And my boy?”
Indie turned to Spencer’s mum and then hugged her. “He taught us all how to be a family, because he was the only one of us who had one. A good one. Thank you for raising an amazing son.”
“Oh. Well.” His mum pulled back from her and wiped at her eyes. “Yes. It’s your family, too, now. I hope you know that?”
Indie sank into the sofa, letting the laughter and happiness in the room warm her from the inside out.
Glancing around, she took in all of her men, including Quaid who had returned with the monitor in his hand.
Maybe her life had started off rough, but it was ending with so much love it made her heart full.