Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Betsy is so lucky.
She has a gorgeous, protective man who dotes on her.
Twin menaces who she loves and adores.
And a little girl that has stolen her heart.
But there are threats to her happiness that she can't ignore.
If she wishes on a star will all of her Christmas dreams come true?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you in?” Betsy asked, crouching down to Zippy’s level.
Zippy’s dark hair was up in two ponytails and she was wearing a pair of jeans with a basketball sweater that Baron had bought for her.
She looked adorable. But far too small to be walking into school alone. Especially on her first day.
“Betsy, we’ve talked about this,” Zippy said patiently. “You can’t be worrying about me all the time. You’ll give yourself an ulcer. I got this.”
She had this.
This kid didn’t seem to realize she was only seven. Which saddened Betsy as she knew Zippy hadn’t had much of a childhood. But Betsy was determined to change that.
Zippy might have only been with them for two weeks, but she was definitely part of the family. The twins adored her. And so did Ink.
The twins thought she was hilarious.
But Betsy was worried that Zippy was holding back her real thoughts and feelings because she didn’t feel comfortable with them.
Actually . . . she had a point. Betsy was going to worry herself into an ulcer.
“If you got to worry about anyone, I’d worry about Baron. Apparently, he’s got a Chemistry test today.” Zippy shook her head. “He’s gonna set the school on fire.”
What? He did?
The boys were in college now. Thankfully, they were only a few hours’ drive away at Montana State. But she still missed them a lot.
“It’s not a practical test, is it?” Betsy asked urgently.
“Practical?” Zippy asked.
“Like where he gets to touch things . . . things that are potentially dangerous.”
Zippy shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno. Guess so since he was really excited about it. I don’t think he’d be excited about a paper test.”
No, Betsy didn’t think so either.
Dear Lord.
Now she had something else to worry about.
“Baron will be fine,” Ink soothed, placing his hand on the back of her neck. “The school will survive. Don’t stress.”
“Yeah, Betsy. Don’t stress.” Zippy smiled at her. “It will all be fine.”
“Really?” Then she realized she was looking to a seven-year-old for reassurance.
Get yourself together, Betsy!
You’re the adult.
Sometimes she felt like she wasn’t ready to be in charge of a foster child. But she’d raised the boys.
Surely, she had this. And she had Ink to help her.
It was just that she wanted Zippy to be happy. She’d been so closed off when she’d first come to live with them.
Suspicious and watchful.
She’d opened up a lot since then. Bandit and the boys had helped a lot. It was hard to remain aloof with Baron and Royal.
“Why don’t you go home and sit down with your feet up,” Zippy told her. “You look pale. Have some chocolate milk. You like chocolate milk.”
“You like chocolate milk,” Betsy said.
The smile on Zippy’s face was far too innocent. “Oh yeah. Also, you might be out of chocolate milk. I might have drunk it all this morning.”
Of course she had. Betsy bit back a smile. “I’ll make sure there is some when you get home.”
Zippy suddenly looked uncertain before she quickly wiped that look off her face.
Drat.
Betsy wished Zippy would talk to her when she felt unsure.
It will come with time.
“You got this, Zippy?” Ink asked, crouching down.
A rush of love filled Betsy. It was hard to believe that this was her life. With this man.
Who loved her for who she was. And loved her boys. Who took care of them all with an ease and confidence that was inspiring.
A happy sigh left her and both Ink and Zippy glanced at her.
“You okay, Brown eyes?” Ink asked.
“Ah, yep. Just happy.”
“You’re happy that I drank all the chocolate milk and Baron is going to blow up his school?” Zippy shook her head. “Doesn’t take much to make you happy, Betsy.”
No. She guessed it didn’t.
“I got this,” Zippy told Ink. “Not my first day starting a new school, you know. So long as no one calls me Zipporah.”
She hated her full name.
“I’ve told the teacher not to call you that,” Betsy reassured her.
“All right. You’ve got your lunch?” Ink asked.
“Yep.”
“Know where you’re going?”
“Royal mapped the school out for me. I know where everything is.”
“Who is your teacher?” Ink asked.
“Miss Peach. Awesome name.”
“And what are you going to do if anyone gives you any trouble?”
“Punch them in the nose.”
“That’s my girl,” Ink said, fist-bumping her.
Oh, dear Lord.
Please don’t let Zippy have to punch another child in the nose.
“Have a good day, honey,” Betsy told her as Ink stood and helped her up.
They watched Zippy walk into the school. Betsy leaned against Ink, putting her hand in his.