Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I patted him on the hand, meaning he should let me go.
He did and I turned back to the preacher.
His eyes hit on the pimple, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Ignore it!” I barked.
The preacher grinned and resumed the ceremony, and soon I forgot all about anything but Drew.
That was until Attie’s water broke thirty minutes into our reception.
An hour later, we were holding Attie’s daughter, Sienna Drew, in our arms.
“Dad!” Attie said loudly. “Give her back.”
Drew looked at his daughter, and then back down to his granddaughter.
“Why?” He asked. “You got to have her for nine months. It’s my turn!”
I snorted and took a seat, my wedding dress poofing up at the sides.
The door to the room burst open and Mace, in full army fatigues, burst through the room.
“I didn’t make it!” He fake wailed.
I rolled my eyes as Mace walked up to Drew and fell in love with the little girl at first sight.
“Oh, boy,” I said to Attie.
Attie smiled at me, and I smiled back at the love I could see shining in her eyes.
“You did good, baby girl,” I told her softly.
“With the man or the baby?” She whispered back.
I looked back at the three of them, then back at her.
“Both. You did good with both.”
Attie smiled and then bellowed.
“Can I have my baby now?”
Drew glowered at her.
“I already said no!”
I chose to laugh instead of strangle him.
I had priorities, after all.
My main one being I wanted to use the man on my wedding night, not bury him.
***
Downy
3 months later
“Downy.” My wife said through clenched teeth. “It’s time to grow a pair.”
My eyes narrowed. “Memphis, I do have a pair. How do you think you got two kids out of me, and another one on the way?”
Memphis grinned.
“Just do it.” She ordered yet again.
Sighing, I walked to the door of my house, and opened it for my sister.
She stared at me like I’d grown a second head.
“What’s wrong with your face?” She asked.
I rubbed my cheek where my beard had to be shaved due to some stitches I’d received about an hour ago.
“Punk thought it’d be funny to sucker punch me in the face while I was ordering a sandwich at Subway.” I murmured.
She looked at my cheek, up to my eyes, and then back to my cheek.
“Maybe he was offended by what you put on your sandwich.” She offered.
I narrowed my eyes.
“There’s nothing wrong with adding ketchup to my fuckin’ sandwich!” I yelled.
Memphis started to snicker from somewhere behind me.
“Did you ask me over here to yell at me, or did you have something more to say?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
I looked over my shoulder to see my two kids playing in the middle of the living room, then gestured her to come inside.
“Follow me to the den.” I said. “I have something to show you.”
She followed behind me, and I closed the door once we got inside, gesturing to my desk with a tilt of my head.
She looked at me suspiciously.
“What?” She hesitated.
I pointed to the desk, and she finally let her eyes trail away from mine.
“What is this?” She asked.
“That,” I smiled, proud of what I’d done. “Is the apology that I should’ve given you a long time ago.”
Words escaped her as examined it, and then a large smile overtook her face.
“This is a picture of Danny getting arrested.”
“I pressed charges on him…and his woman.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Being the assistant chief of police has its benefits.” I told her. “And when I found out that Danny had ten unpaid tickets—ones that his partner had tried to have buried—I got him. It wasn’t much. He’ll never see jail time…and likely won’t lose his job since we’re so fuckin’ low on officers…but it made me happy.”
She picked up the picture frame, the one holding the photo of Danny in cuffs being herded into a police car with my hand on the top of his head guiding him down, and beamed.
“I’m going to hang it up by my bed.” She declared.
“I’m sure Drew’s gonna love that.” I snorted. “Let me know how he likes it.”
She turned those eyes—the ones exactly like mine—to me and stared.
Then she gently placed the frame down onto my desk, and promptly threw herself into my arms.
“I love you, Downy.” She whispered. “It scares the shit out of me each day you put on that badge, but I’m so freakin’ proud of you.”
My arms tightened around her.
“I love you, too, Aspen.”
She squeezed me just a little bit tighter before letting me go.
“But I’m still not admitting that ketchup is an acceptable sandwich topping.”
I ruffled her hair, knocking her ponytail sideways. “Well, somebody has to be wrong in this life. It might as well be you.”
She gave me a look that clearly said she didn’t agree.
“What’s for dinner?” She asked, changing the subject.