Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“At least that other little boy cleaned it up with his butt before Lottie came down,” I admitted. “But just sayin’, Lottie puked in the ball pit at the trampoline park last week when we went to a birthday party there. I don’t think they did anything besides clean the barf off a few foam balls.”
“That’s utterly disgusting, and I thank you for warning me ahead of time in case I ever find myself in a situation where I can get into a ball pit.”
I snorted. “Sorry.”
“No, no. Really. I appreciate knowing.” She turned to me. “I have eight clients already. After this, I’m going to drop all this stuff off at your place, and then I’m going to go get some work done. It’s highly likely that I won’t be home until late. Like midnight. I made all the appointments for this evening and tomorrow morning before ten.”
“That many dead people want manicures?”
“You have no idea,” she said as a man wearing a red shirt and khakis rolled up with our food. “I’ll go get Lottie.”
She got up while the guy was still putting the food down onto our table.
I thanked him and watched, enraptured, as she went up to Lottie who was in the net thing above her head and called out to her.
Usually, either Audric or I were the only ones that could get her out of the play area, but whatever Sutton said to her caused Lottie to squeal in excitement and tumble out of the netting.
Sutton caught her before she could trip and fall on her face, pulling her up into her arms before she turned and marched out of the play area.
“What sorcery did you just perform?” I asked as Lottie scrambled into the seat next to Sutton.
Sutton was unfazed as she replied with, “I just told her that she could trade her toy in for ice cream if she didn’t open it.”
I frowned. “She can?”
“Yeah.” Her brows rose. “Shouldn’t you as a parent know that kind of thing?”
“I usually just buy her the ice cream and don’t question it,” I admitted. “The toy is usually pretty lame. Ice cream is way better.”
“Ouse cream is betta,” Lottie said around a bite of chicken nugget.
“No chewing with your mouth open, darlin’,” I teased.
Lottie mimed closing her mouth and locking it with a key.
I winked at her and started on my own food, watching the two interact through the rest of the short lunch.
Lottie finished all of her food, including two bites of salad off of Sutton’s plate.
“Ewww,” Lottie groaned as she spit out the tomato.
“Here,” Sutton offered. “Try it without the tomato, and with this little bite of egg and chicken nugget. It’s better.”
Lottie took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “Okay, betta.”
Seriously, miracles were being performed here, and I had no clue how.
“Seriously, what sorcery is this?” I shook my head as I watched them finish their food.
“Just two girls trying new things,” Sutton teased. “Isn’t that right, Lottie?”
“Right!”
Again with the high-pitched scream.
Seriously, did little girls ever have any other octave?
“Almost time for that ice cream. You have two more chicken nuggets left.” Sutton pointed at Lottie’s masticated chicken nuggets.
“Ohhhhkay.” Lottie snatched the half-chewed nuggets and tossed them into her mouth.
Sutton started to gather trash, and I said, “I’ll go exchange this out.”
While I was gone, they’d completely cleaned off the entire table, giving me ample room to set my brownie, milkshake, and two ice cream cones down.
“Which one do you want?” I asked Sutton as I handed Lottie her cone.
She immediately started going to town while Sutton looked at my food and said, “Which one do you want the least?”
“That’s definitely not what I asked you.” I snorted. “Pick one.”
She went for the shake before changing her mind and heading for the plain vanilla cone.
I handed her the shake, then brought the cone toward my mouth and took a bite.
She blinked. “Did you just bite that ice cream with your teeth?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed. “Why?”
“Because only psychopaths do that.” She looked at Lottie, literally doing the same thing.
“I guess the psychopath gene is passed down.” She scoffed. “Like those dimples and that curly hair. Even if your hair is short enough to hide those curls right now.”
My dimples came out to play when I smiled back at her. “She does look a lot like me, huh?”
“Like you copy pasted her,” she agreed. “I imagine that they wouldn’t have been able to hide her lineage from you for very long. She looks a lot like you.”
“The only thing that she has of her mom’s is the fair skin and hair color. The rest is all me,” I agreed.
“Play?”
I looked down at my little girl. “You’re done?”
She nodded enthusiastically.
“You have ten minutes,” I said. “But then I have to get to a few more job sites today, so you’ll need to work with me.”