Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Geeze, can’t a guy get some food around here without having to beg?” Coop mutters under his breath before turning and walking into the house.
“You know you could cook for yourself,” Zuri tells him as she follows him.
“Yeah, right, we’d totally have to call nine-one-one if he did that,” Billie tells her, and Zuri laughs.
“God, I love them,” Nalia whispers, leaning into me. I look down at her, catching her smile, which is still in place when she tips her head back towards me. “I guess we better feed your boy before he starves.”
“Fuck, I love you.” I drop my mouth to hers, loving that eventually this will be our life, our family, and I’m really fucking looking forward to that.
Thirty-Two
NALIA
Walking into the crowded auditorium, I glance around the space that is filled with teachers, parents, kids, family, and friends. With everyone still standing, it takes me a few minutes to find Logan standing a few inches above everyone else towards the front of the room. As I make my way in his direction, I spot my parents, Zuri, and Cooper sitting in the seats next to where Logan is standing, talking to the man next to him.
Seeing everyone together, well, except for Billie, because she’s likely backstage trying not to panic about tonight, my chest feels odd. Like my heart has gotten too big for the small space behind my ribs. It’s felt like that a lot over the last few months as my whole life has changed in the best possible ways. Not just being suddenly thrust into parenthood, which has been awesome, and building a life with Logan and the kids, which has been surprisingly fulfilling even with the challenges, but it’s also the way my relationship with my family has changed. It no longer feels like I’m an outsider or intruder in my own family. Sure, there are times I still question if I’m worthy of everything my parents have given me my entire life, but it’s gotten easier to accept that I don’t owe them anything for loving me. And part of why it’s gotten easier is because I would be devastated if Zuri came to me later in life and told me that she felt like she hadn’t earned the love I gave her so easily.
When a hand comes to rest on my lower back I come out of my thoughts and look up and find Logan standing over me.
“Hey, baby,” His lips brush my cheek before he asks against my ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah, sorry I spaced out,” I mumble, and he grins.
“How was your meeting?” He wraps his hand around mine and starts leading me to where my parents and the kids are seated.
“Good, it ran longer than I thought it would because Bax and Talon showed up, and the two of them don’t know when to stop talking.”
“It’s not every day you meet a country music star.”
“True.” I agree. The client we met with this evening is a famous country star, who until tonight, we only spoke with through his assistant. I can admit walking into his home I was a little star struck when I first saw him, but by the time we left I felt like he was just a normal guy. A guy with a very cool story and lots of history, but a guy all the same.
When we reach our aisle, I scoot in front of Logan and hug Zuri before giving my parents each a hug and touch Cooper’s hair which makes him smile. Then I hug Gigi and Pops, the two of them sitting on the opposite side of Cooper who is sitting between his granddad and my dad, who adores him.
“Have you seen Billie?” I ask Logan as I take a seat and place my bag on the floor.
“Zur said she thought she saw her poke her head out of the curtain earlier, but I didn’t see her.”
“I can’t wait to see her all dressed up,” I tell him, then whisper and look at the empty seats next to him. “Kristy hasn’t shown up yet?”
“Not yet, she messaged that her and her parents are on the way.”
“Aaron’s not coming?”
“Nope.” I want to say I’m surprised, but I’m not. Aaron has kept his distance and Kristy hasn’t really insisted on the kids being around him. Despite whatever she told Aaron that made him show up at Logan’s job if she told him anything at all. Either way, I don’t see things working out for them. Kristy loves her kids, and Billie wants absolutely nothing to do with Aaron, and even though Cooper doesn’t know what happened, he’s following his sister’s lead and is refusing to spend time with Kristy if Aaron is around, including this weekend while Kristy’s parents are in town, which really sucks because the kids do what to spend time with their grandparents, just not when Aaron is there.