Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Wow, that’s fancy.” I blink up at him as the puzzle starts to fit together. “Wait. Connor Gallagher is one of those Gallaghers? Like, the hotel Gallaghers?”
“He’s the CEO and pretty much runs the show,” Blake confirms.
“Billie’s married to a billionaire.”
He smirks. “Yeah. It’s a good thing, too, because that girl likes fancy shit.”
“Am I the only one who thinks this is … a little weird?”
“No.” He grins as he leans in to press his lips to my forehead, sending fresh tingles down my body. “Try flying in the private jet to London to watch Skyla dance at a king’s coronation.”
My jaw drops, and I can only stare at him, making him laugh.
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m definitely not kidding. That happened. Okay, so we’re on for this staycation?”
“I’m in if you are.”
“Great. Have you had a good day, baby?”
I nod and take a second to think just how fucking hot this man looks in a pair of blue scrubs and a white coat, his stethoscope around his neck.
“Harper?”
“Yeah?” My gaze jerks up to his, and he’s smirking at me. “What did you say?”
“What were you thinking?”
“Stop it. You know you’re hot in that outfit.”
“It’s literally my work clothes.”
I swallow hard. “I know.”
His eyes journey down my own pink scrubs and over the stethoscope around my neck, and when his hazel eyes meet mine again, those gold flecks are on fire.
“Same goes, sugar.”
“We’d better get to work.”
“I do believe there are cameras in these stairwells,” he agrees and presses his lips to my ear. “Otherwise, you’d be boosted up against this wall right now.”
“You’ve threatened to fuck me a lot today. Maybe someday, you can make good on that threat.”
He bites his lip and shakes his head. “I’m going to spank your ass later.”
“Sounds like fun.” I rise on my tiptoes and kiss him on the mouth. “Have a good night. I’ll swing by around eight with something for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” I smile as I turn to the doorway. “I want to. See you later.”
“See you.”
“I brought dessert,” I announce as I walk into the house I grew up in. Ava and the boys are already here, gathered in the kitchen with Greg, who’s sipping water. “How is everyone?”
“Dad was just telling us about some woman he was flirting with at the doctor’s office,” Tucker declares, watching Greg with humor-filled eyes.
“Who?” I demand and set the sugar-free chocolate torte in the fridge. “I want to know everything. Why are you talking about this when I’m not here yet?”
“You were slow as hell,” Xander says before tugging on my hair.
“Her name is Linda,” Ava says. “She’s seventy.”
I lift an eyebrow at Greg, who’s actually blushing. “An older woman?”
“Only by two years,” he reminds me. “She’s a nice woman, and I’m taking her bowling this weekend.”
I blink at him. I don’t know how I feel about this. Greg never dated when we were kids.
At least, I don’t think he did.
“Wait. How often do you date, Greg? Is this something you’ve always hidden from us?”
He shakes his head. “No. I’ve been busy raising you troublemakers and running the ranch. Now my babies are grown, and my boy is taking care of the business. I have time.”
All five of us exchange glances, and Easton pats Greg on the back. “It’s time you did something for yourself, Pops. Just be safe. We don’t want any unplanned siblings.”
“Oh my God!” Ava and I exclaim at the same time, making all of the boys laugh.
We settle into our normal routine of working together to make dinner and telling each other stories from work, from life.
This is home. This is what I missed for all those years I was away.
Greg walks over and sits in one of the chairs at the table, and I join him, sitting next to him. He reaches over and brushes his hand over my hair, the way he’s done since I was a little girl.
“I’ve missed you, pumpkin.”
I swear, this man will always call me pumpkin.
“Me too. How are you feeling?”
“Fit as a fiddle.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Tell me the truth.”
“I am feeling better. The medicine helps, and I’m watching what I eat. I don’t want you to beat me up.”
I grin and lean over to give him a hug.
“You’re my dad. You’re important to me, and I need you to stick around for about forty more years.”
“Only forty?”
I snort. “Maybe fifty. So you have to take care of yourself because I can’t do this life without you in it.”
He smiles softly and taps his fingers on the table. “I’m going to be here for a long while yet. Don’t you worry. Now, I hear you’re seeing a doctor.”
My eyes jump across the room to where Ava’s talking with Tucker, but Greg shakes his head.
“Xander mentioned it the other day.”