Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
“He went to Jared’s!” She crowed. “Yee haw!”
My pop smiled at her indulgently.
“That’s good, sweet girl,” my dad slurred slightly. “Now, maybe, he can stop fucking around and get some of that wood cut up.”
Kitt got the baby out of her car seat and handed her over to my father, and I turned to survey the woodpile my dad had just gestured to.
“You did good, boy,” my dad said to my back.
I turned back to look at my dad who was now holding Emily, then looked at Kitt who was on her phone with one of the old ladies, and I walked to the wood and started cutting it up.
The life I lead may not be perfect, but it was mine. And that was perfect to me.
Epilogue
Sorry I’m late. I didn’t set my alarm. I didn’t set my alarm because I didn’t want to come.
-Kitt’s secret thoughts
Kitt
Two months later
“I need you to come inside,” I whispered into the telephone.
“Why are you whispering?” Apple asked, sounding somewhat alarmed.
“Because it’ll hear me,” I whispered back.
“What’ll hear you?” Apple asked, fully alarmed at this juncture.
As he should be.
“There’s a bug. A cockroach. In the middle of the kitchen floor. He’s talking to his friend, Mrs. Cockroach,” I continued whispering.
“Jesus Christ,” he said. “Just step on it.”
“No. Come inside or I’ll scream,” I ordered.
He sighed, and hung up, and I hoped that meant he was coming.
And twenty seconds later when the door opened, I was happy to know he’d complied.
But the man who stepped into the kitchen was most assuredly not Apple.
“Step on them!” I ordered, pointing to the bugs.
He did, stepping on them with a loud crunch that threatened to cause me to lose my lunch.
“Where is he?” Ridley snapped.
My eyes widened at the anger in his voice.
Apple stepped in through the back door, and I turned to see Ridley launch himself at him.
“You can’t just not tell me that!” Ridley pushed Apple.
I sighed and started forward, knowing exactly where this was going.
“No, he can’t. But I can,” I said, pushing my brother back.
He looked fucking crazy rough, and I was actually a little intimidated by the fact that he’d bulked up so much while in prison.
He didn’t look like the old Ridley, but a new, harder Ridley.
One that was hell bent on vengeance, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
But he was my brother, and I knew all his ire wasn’t due to the fact that he was mad at anyone, but rather it was concern for me.
“Ridley!” I cried out loudly. “Would you listen to me for a freakin’ minute?”
He turned his glare on me, and I smiled at him before running toward him.
He’d walked into the house today without even telling me he was coming and then proceeded to start yelling.
How he’d known before we’d told him about it, I didn’t know. But there was no use figuring it out now. What was done was done, and my brother was now home.
He caught me and wrapped both of his large arms around my shoulders, and I buried my face into his neck.
“I missed you, big brother,” I whispered.
“Missed you, too,” he said gruffly. “Proud of you. And sorry. Really fucking sorry.”
I squeezed him tighter, and then tilted my head back to study his face.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked. “You look rough.”
“Lots of shit that I do not want to talk about right now,” he said. “I want to drink a beer and watch you get married.”
I smiled at him.
“How are you going to pull that off?” I asked him. “We’re already married.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Don’t think we’re not going to talk about that, either,” he growled. “Vegas? Really?”
I smiled at him and pulled away, walking to the kitchen where Emily was busy making a mess of her applesauce.
“Watch this,” I called to Ridley. “You’re going to be so surprised!”
Emily automatically reached for me the instant I got to her, and I pulled the tray back on the highchair then hooked my hands under her armpits.
Immediately, I set her down on the floor, and she sat there staring at her uncle who came in looking a lot scruffier than when he’d left.
“Call her,” I said to him.
I moved to the kitchen counter and leaned my behind against it directly next to Apple, who immediately hooked an arm around my neck and pulled me in close.
“Emily,” Ridley called, dropping down onto his haunches.
Emily’s head whipped around from watching Apple and me to her uncle, and her mouth opened wide into a single tooth baby grin.
“Oh, man,” he said. “You got your first tooth while I was gone.”
Drool started to leak out of her mouth, and she leaned forward until she was on her belly.
Then she immediately started to army crawl to Ridley, who thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Mostly because he’d said so.