Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 76934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
The apartment was unusually silent for the city. So much so that I could hear him taking the cups down from the cabinet and opening and closing the fridge. And, of course, the front door as the kids came home.
“Tuna!” Charlotte cheered. In my mind, I saw her crouching down to give him love, even if he would barely tolerate it.
“Why is Tuna here?” Liam asked, immediately suspicious.
“I need to talk to you two real quick.” Christopher’s serious voice had no right to be as sexy as it was.
“What’s up?” Liam asked, sounding older than his seventeen years.
“Alara was robbed at work.” Charlotte gasped. Bless her.
“She okay?” Liam asked.
“She’s okay now. But she was attacked, and she is pretty bruised and has a busted foot.”
“Oh, no,” Charlotte said.
“She’s okay,” Christopher assured his niece. “But she is going to stay here for a few days while we figure out who did it.”
“Someone’s after her?” Liam asked.
“Maybe. We just want to make sure she’s safe. And has somewhere she can recover. Her place has too many stairs. And she has no one around to help.”
“But she can have all of us here,” Charlotte said.
“Exactly. I thought maybe you two could entertain and walk Tuna for her. And maybe grab her things so she doesn’t have to get up.”
“Where is she?” Liam asked.
“She’s staying in my room.”
“Oh, yeah?” Liam asked, and I could hear the question there, one that likely went right over his sister’s head.
“I’m on the couch.”
“I can take the couch,” Liam offered.
“No, kid. I got it. But if you got a few minutes, she could use an extra pillow or two to put under her leg.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Ice packs. The kind that bend.”
“Anything else?”
“I dunno. Anything you think she might need.”
“He’s not going to know,” Charlotte declared. I could practically hear her eye roll. “I should go too.”
“Alright. But don’t be long. We have to order dinner.”
“I can pick it up if you place it,” Liam offered.
“We,” Charlotte corrected.
“Alright. Let me ask Alara what she’s in the mood for. I think we should let her pick after the day she’s had.”
“Yeah, and maybe ask her what she wants for dessert too.”
“Whatever the kids are usually into is fine,” I told him when he appeared in the doorway with my coffee.
“Heard all that, did you?”
“Your building is freakishly quiet.”
“Char probably wants pizza. Or Italian in general. You game?”
“Does anyone ever actually turn down cheese and pasta?”
“The place around the corner has a killer baked ziti.”
“Sounds good. And whatever dessert Charlotte recommends. She seems to be the expert.”
“That she is. Alright. I’ll go relay that. Take your pill.”
A girl could get used to this being taken care of thing.
It wasn’t really something I had any experience with. I mean, my mom fussed over us when we were little and sick. But it didn’t last long, as the stress of their work and the extortion really just decimated her emotionally.
As an adult, well, I just never had anyone around when I wasn’t feeling well. I wasn’t sure I’d accept their help even if I did.
Why, then, was I so comfortable with it from Christopher?
I was still wondering about that, and enjoying not only the pain-numbing effects but the slightly floating sensation in my head from the pain medicine when the kids came back into the apartment some time later.
“Can I go see her? And give her this?” Charlotte asked.
“Okay. But knock, in case she’s sleeping.”
“I’m not,” I called back.
Two seconds later, Charlotte was bouncing into the doorway, only to stop short when she got a look at my face.
“Oh.”
“Just some bruises,” Liam, following his sister, said. Though his own face tightened. “She’s alright, remember?”
“Looks worse than it is,” I assured her. Even if it was a lie. “What is that?”
“It’s a kiwi bat stuffy,” Charlotte announced.
“She insisted,” Liam added with a head shake as he pulled a normal pillow out of a bag.
“They make you feel better,” Charlotte declared.
“Oh, that’s even softer than it looks,” I said, taking it from her.
“See? She likes it.”
“I do. Thank you.”
“She’s not done yet,” Liam said, even as he started emptying his bag onto the dresser. He’d opted for practical things: toothbrush, paste, hairbrush, floss, and a loofah.
“Well, she can’t work. She needs stuff to do,” Charlotte insisted. And then she gave me three books, a crossword puzzle, and a coloring book with a fancy marker set.
“This was all so sweet, thank you. You too,” I said, looking over at Liam.
“She’s not done,” Liam said, handing his sister another bag he was holding.
“Uncle Chris doesn’t have a soft blanket. So, we got you one.” It was printed with little ducks. “And a sweater because they keep it too cold here. It’s girl winter all the time.”
It was kind of chilly, now that she mentioned it.
“She just wants it to be seventy-three year-round,” Liam said, looking disgusted.