Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I crouch automatically, and catch her as she throws herself into my arms. “Hey, wild thing. Causing your usual madness and mayhem?”
She grins as I lift her up and toss her gently into the air. Her infectious laughter echoes off the walls. It’s exactly what I needed to break the tension coiled inside me.
Laiken appears behind her. “You two are going to break something.”
“Nah. It’ll be fine, old man,” I say.
Kia moves from behind him as her gaze settles on the woman at my side. Her smile brightens. “Hi, I’m Kia.”
Chey steps forward. “Cheyenne. It’s nice to meet you.” She glances at me. “Sorry to just barge in like this.”
“No worries. I’m glad Knox brought you over. Come in,” Kia says, waving us inside.
Elody continues clinging to me like a baby rhesus monkey.
“Is that your friend?” she whisper-yells, studying Chey like she’s trying to solve a puzzle.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
Although, have I ever considered us friends?
Not really. That word doesn’t fit. It’s much too simple to describe whatever this is.
I glance at Kia. “Chey’s coming with me to the Railers charity event this weekend and needs a dress.”
Color floods Cheyenne’s cheeks. “I can shop on my own.”
“Oh, I need one too,” Kia says. “We should go together.”
Chey blinks, clearly thrown by the unexpected offer. “Really?”
“Of course,” Kia says. “It’ll be fun.”
Laiken gives me a penetrating look. It’s the kind that says he’s filing this situation away for later.
I shrug, knowing there’ll be questions.
Elody tugs on my shirt. “Do you want to play Go Fish?”
“Sure. Go set up the game.”
When Chey arches a brow, I admit, “The kid’s a bit of a card shark and usually ends up wiping the floor with me.”
Her lips tremble with a smile.
Not because this is new. She’s seen me on the floor with Avery and Maddox building LEGO towers, all the while getting bossed around by tiny dictators with sticky fingers.
“Now this I’ve got to see,” she says.
“It’s the only game I lose, Hollywood.”
A laugh slips out of her. “We’ll see about that.”
It doesn’t take long for my muscles to loosen. Having Chey here, in my teammate’s home, is a hell of a lot easier than sitting on my couch, one accidental touch away from losing my mind.
Getting us out of my penthouse was supposed to fix the issue.
Instead, all it’s done is show me how easily this woman fits into my world.
9
Cheyenne
Kia couldn’t be any sweeter. There’s something about her that’s warm and easy. She’s the kind of person who makes you feel included without any effort. As much as I’m trying to focus on our conversation, my attention keeps getting snagged by Knox stretched out on the floor with Elody.
They played a few rounds of Go Fish, and now he’s helping her build something out of brightly colored blocks while she talks a mile a minute about preschool, dragons, and how she’s going to be a big sister. He listens intently, like every word matters, and even though I try to stop it from happening, my insides melt.
When the little girl gets frustrated and the tower tips over, he doesn’t sigh or tease. He helps rebuild it so it’s bigger and better than the previous one.
“Try again, wild thing. You’ve got this.”
She beams at him like he hung the moon.
It’s not a surprise that he’s so good with Elody. He’s always been amazing with Britt and Colby’s kids. I’ve seen him down on the floor at family gatherings, letting Avery braid his hair or Maddox chase him around the backyard with a Nerf gun.
But seeing him here, in someone else’s home, in this quiet, everyday way, hits differently. Maybe because there’s no audience or noise. He’s not trying to charm anyone or captivate the room. He’s just sitting on the floor in jeans and a T-shirt, helping a little girl rebuild a block tower like it’s the most important job in the world.
He’s both patient and present. Those aren’t words I would’ve used to describe Knox McNichols before.
Kia nudges my arm. “He’s such a softie. Elody adores him.”
I glance at her. “Pretty sure he has that effect on females of all ages.”
She laughs. “Isn’t that the truth.”
We make plans for tomorrow—shopping first and then coffee. She tells me about a little boutique on the Magnificent Mile that her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Rina, took her to that has an amazing selection of gowns.
“That sounds fun. I can’t wait.”
Strangely enough, I mean it.
It occurs to me that, other than the occasional outing with my sisters, I’ve never done something this ordinary with another woman. I’ve never gone shopping, grabbed coffee, or just hung out.
I don’t really have friends in LA. I have acquaintances. Most of them are catty and competitive, and I’m never quite sure if what they say to my face is real or if they talk behind my back the second I leave the room. After being burned a few times by women I thought were my friends, I’ve learned it’s easier to keep my distance.