Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“I have two bedrooms and both are taken by Macy’s aunts.”
“Great, so you don’t care about your little sister”—she lays it on thick—“who spent the whole day flying.”
“In business class,” Jack and Joshua say at the same time and then share a high five.
“I hate them.” She looks at her father.
“Okay,” I start, getting up and looking at her, “let’s all calm down.”
“I’m cool,” Joshua says, “as a cucumber.”
“No one asked you,” she hisses at him. “I should kick your foot and see how calm as a cucumber you are.” Her eyes dart to him and then his foot, and he sits up ready to defend himself.
“Why don’t you go and get something to eat?” I look at her, ready to face her wrath. “Then we can go, I’m sure you’re tired.”
“Yes,” Zack agrees, “let’s go and get you something to eat. You sound hangry.” He laughs at his own joke. “And then Nate”—he points at me—“will take you to his house and tomorrow maybe we’ll have news about the hotel and, hopefully, everyone can go to their original assigned places.”
She looks down and then looks back up again. “I’m going to find another place to stay.”
“Why are you being so pigheaded?” Joshua asks. “Just stay at Nate’s house.”
“Yeah.” I sit back down next to Joshua and extend my arm across the back of the couch. “Just stay with me.”
We have a face-off in the middle of living room, with all eyes on us. “This is so much fun,” Jack goads, “the two of you.” We both look at him. “You guys always were like water and oil.”
“More like fire and ice,” Joshua corrects.
“You two,” Denise grits through clenched teeth, pointing at Jack and Joshua, “enough poking the bear.” She then points at Elizabeth.
“So now she’s a bear,” Jack teases, getting up and putting his arm around her. “Come on, sister,” he urges, “let’s get some food in you.” He slowly walks away with her.
The minute she’s in the kitchen and Macy’s parents go up to her, she smiles at them and I hear Zack and Denise let out a huge sigh. “Thank you so much, Nate,” Denise says. “We owe you big-time.”
“Don’t mention it.” I look at them and smile. “Glad I can do something to help.”
“You saved us.” Zack nods at me.
“For now,” Joshua adds, and Zack shakes his head, then turns to walk into the kitchen to see how Elizabeth is doing.
“Whatever you need”—I look at Joshua—“just let me know.”
I get up and make my way to the kitchen, when the front door opens followed by a loud commotion. “Well, well, well.” Their uncle Max comes into the kitchen, followed by his best friend and brother-in-law, Matthew. From the stories everyone tells, the two of them started out as enemies. Then Max dated Matthew’s sister in secret, which made them even more enemies, until push came to shove and now they are inseparable. “We have arrived.”
“Max,” Denise calls, going to her brother and they share a hug. “Where is Allison?”
“She’s going to come down tomorrow with everyone else,” he explains. “We came so we can help out with carpooling to make sure everyone is taken care of.”
“Isn’t that special,” Elizabeth deadpans as Max walks to her and hugs her, kissing her on the top of her head. “They forgot about me, didn’t even pick me up at the airport.” He gasps. “I was going to have to sleep on the street,” she tells him, “in the freezing cold.”
“Never,” he declares to her, “I would never let that happen.”
“At least one person loves me.” She wraps her arms around his waist.
“I’m ready to go when you are,” I say quickly. I don’t know why I say it, but I do.
“Fine,” she huffs. “Denise.” She looks over to her mother, who gives her a look. “Would it be possible for me to borrow a pair of pj’s until I can get myself to the store tomorrow?”
“Yikes,” Max notes, “she used your first name.”
“That is never a good thing,” Matthew adds going over to Jack and slapping him in the stomach. “How’s my man doing?”
“Sweetie,” Denise says to Elizabeth, “do you want to go and choose something?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “The last time I opened a drawer in your room, I had blood leaking out of my eyeballs for a month.”
“I told you it was a neck massager,” Denise defends. “Do you think I would leave my toys out in the open?”
“And now my ears are bleeding,” Jack grumbles. “She said toys. Like plural.” He fake vomits. “I’m never even going in their bedroom anymore.”
“Get your head out of the gutter,” Denise scolds. “I just heard they were called that. Uncle Matthew threw out Aunt Karrie’s toy chest.”
“Oh my God”—Elizabeth puts her hands to her mouth—“what is happening right now?”