Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 101758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
He nods, and the doorbell rings. “Saved by the bell,” he mutters as he walks off to greet them.
“What did I miss?” I ask as I turn back to the others.
“You know how it made your panties explode to see your man with a baby?” Darby asks.
“Sure.”
“I think seeing you with Belle might have punched my brother in the balls,” Ava replies with a smug smile. “It’s kind of awesome. So, you and X, huh? I can totally see it.”
“It’s new,” I say softly and brush my lips over Belle’s head. “Like, really new. And moving fast because I’m living here now, thanks to my mom destroying my house.”
“Whoa,” Harper says with a frown. “This is news.”
“Also, moving fast isn’t bad,” Darby adds. “I’ve only been with Tucker for like six months, give or take, and we’re engaged. Sometimes, you just click with someone and it works.”
“We click,” I agree. “And yeah, my mom was staying at my place after the fire, and when I went to kick her out, she’d destroyed everything inside. So I’m staying here.”
Xander walks over with Indie at his side, and the whole house goes quiet for a heartbeat.
“This is not awkward,” Indie announces with a sassy grin. “I refuse. I’m just here to eat the food and gossip, and we can ignore everything else.”
“Hey, we’re down for food and gossip,” Easton says with a smile. “Glad you came.”
“He’s my favorite,” Indie decides, and we all laugh.
She’s going to be great.
Suddenly, Tucker’s standing in front of me, reaching for the baby.
“Gimme.”
“Fine, but I want her back later,” I inform him as he gently takes her out of my arms and snuggles her against his chest.
“Maybe.” Tucker winks at me and then walks away.
“I like Indie,” I say to Xander as he joins me again. The other girls have walked over to greet Indie, and I lean into Xander’s side when he wraps his arm around my shoulders. “How do you feel about having her here?”
“It’s good,” he replies softly. “She was nervous when I opened the door, and I told her it’s just food, and that seemed to help.”
“You’re a good big brother, and a good friend.”
He smiles at me and leans down so his lips are near my ear. “You’re sweet. Let’s disappear somewhere so I can fuck you so hard that you won’t walk right for a week.”
“Tempting, but no. Because with my luck, we’d get caught.”
“I don’t care.”
I bark out a laugh and push him away. “I care. But also, later, I expect you to do what you just promised. Along with other stuff.”
He waggles his eyebrows. “‘Other stuff’? Kinky.”
This man always makes me laugh. It’s one of my favorite things about him.
“Come on. Those ribs smell good.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
XANDER
Inviting Indie was the right move. She shook off her nerves, and she’s been making the rounds, chatting and laughing as if she’s been with us all her life. It helps that she already knows us a bit just from the ice cream shop and none of us is truly a stranger.
Even my dad took her aside and had some words with her. When they were finished, Indie wiped a tear from her cheek and Dad patted her shoulder, and I have a feeling that he’ll eventually take her under his wing because that’s just who my dad is.
He’s never met a stranger, and he’d give any of us the shirt off his back.
The fact that my mother chose someone else over my dad is mind boggling to me because there’s no one better.
Speaking of no one better, my gaze drifts over the patio to where Ivy is sitting with Darby and Easton, the water tumbler I gave her in her lap, that red hair up in a high ponytail. She’s in a Flurry T-shirt that has my number eleven on it, and to say I love it is a goddamn understatement.
I love that she’s wearing my number and my name on her back.
I love that she’s here with my family, laughing and fitting right in. The self-doubt from earlier is long gone, and it makes me want to scoop her up and kiss the fuck out of her.
“Hey, X, remember that time when you were like twelve and you dared Easton to ride his bike through the lake on the property?” Tucker asks. “That bike is probably still out there.”
I frown because I have no recollection of that at all.
“I didn’t do that. It must have been Ava.”
“No way, I’m an angel,” Ava says with a sassy wink. “It was you. I remember it.”
I shake my head and feel the frustration that always comes when the memories are lost kick in and it makes my chest burn.
“If you say so,” I reply and try to laugh it off, but I know it sounds forced.