Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Two weeks before Thanksgiving, Elise and Avery announced on social that they were expecting again. My brothers and I were quick to meet up in our group chat to place bets that they’d have another girl, with Ryan and Lias positive this one would be a boy. Darius and I were on the same side, ’cause no fucking way. They had two girls already—a third was on her way. Avery would be surrounded.
“That’s amazing.” Nat beamed, grabbing her purse off the kitchen island. “I’ll head down to Cedar Point and get them a gift.”
I furrowed my brow. “Won’t there be a baby shower for that?” We’d just gotten home, dammit. I wanted to make dinner and have her as my dessert on the couch.
“That’s obviously when I design something silvery and unique for the mother and child,” she replied, as if that was a common thing. “If you come with me, we could go to that salad bar afterward.”
That wasn’t as appealing as it once had been. She was spoiling me with Southern cooking and chicken that wasn’t overcooked. Maybe I’d discovered my chicken was too dry in comparison to hers.
“It’s been a long day.” I threw that out there. “We bought those steaks…”
She shouldered her purse and came over to me, snaking her arms around my middle. “They have steak salads, honey.”
I narrowed my eyes. That wasn’t the same. I wanted her smashed broccoli and roasted baby potatoes.
“Why can’t I say no to you?” I asked, ready to accuse her of witchcraft.
She smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes. “Because you like me a whole lot and I can be persuasive?”
She was right about both things, but liking her hadn’t cut it for a long time. And this was kind of a great moment to point that out.
Hell. That made me a little nervous, I couldn’t lie. But we had a great thing going here, didn’t we? If she didn’t feel the same way, she had to be close, right? I mean, she’d joked about babysitting Gray and Darius’s youngest being “good practice,” as if testing to see my reaction. We were using nicknames and terms of endearment for each other. I didn’t do that willy-nilly. We spent most nights together. My folks already liked her, and they hadn’t even met her for that official bring-home-the-girlfriend dinner, but it was coming right up this weekend. We’d be joined by Darius and Gray—and Nana, if she felt up to it.
I dipped down and pressed my lips to Nat’s forehead. “I think it’s safe to say I more than like you, baby,” I murmured. She peered up at me, and the uncertainty and hope in her eyes had an instant calming effect on me. I smiled and got her lips instead. “I love you.”
Her relief was evident, as was her happiness, and she locked her arms around my neck instead. “I love you too, Ethan. So, so much.”
Fuck me, that felt… I had no words.
I kissed her hard and cupped her face in my hands, and I just rolled around in the pleasure. And the fuck-ton of relief too. Goddamn.
Darius and I weren’t surprised when Pop said he wanted to throw the steaks on the grill. So my brother and I aimed for the backyard to haul the grill out from the garage.
“I don’t know why he’s so insistent on clearin’ the deck for winter when he’s using everything well into December.” Darius grunted as he dragged the grill back to where it stood most of the year, the corner of the patio. “Next week, he’ll wanna use the smoker for some random reason too.”
Next week was Thanksgiving, so I wouldn’t mind that one bit. One day of Ma’s cooking before I hit the road with Nat. She’d asked me if I wanted to tag along to visit her stores before the holidays, and I hadn’t hesitated for a second.
“It’s worth it if we get Ma’s smoked turkey casserole,” I replied, opening a bag of briquettes.
“Fair.” Darius nodded once, then glanced back to the kitchen door as it opened.
It was Nana.
“It’s cold out here, Nana,” Darius pointed out. “You might wanna get back inside.”
“Thank you for the weather report, my dear boy,” Nana said. “I think I can manage five minutes.”
Darius and I exchanged a grin. She may be short, all frail-looking, and nearing one hundred years old—seriously—but there was nothing wrong with her wit.
Ma’s gardening jacket hung off her shoulders, about three sizes too large, and she shuffled over to us with her walker.
She’d been doing better lately. Her doctor had put her on a new medication that got her out of her wheelchair more often. But I suspected the water exercises she did in the community pool at the home helped a lot too. I’d personally designed the program for their merry squad of residents.