Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“Well, look at that! The Deke Bishop is at my doorstep!” Jack announced, raising his arms in the air.
“That’d be me,” I said, then cut my eyes to Eli, who was rolling his.
“Hey, Jack,” Eli said, squeezing through a gap to get inside.
“Hey, there, Eli! I made some pizza rolls if you want some!”
Jack looked at me again with that same goofy smile and his hands at his hips now. He ran his eyes up and down the length of me in awe.
I raised a curious brow. “You gonna let me in or what, Jack?”
“Oh! Right! Yes, come in, come in!” Jack moved aside, and I stepped over the threshold. It definitely smelled like pizza rolls, and as I entered the kitchen, I spotted Eli standing over the stove, devouring them.
Damn.
Maybe I should’ve grabbed him a burger instead of shaved ice.
A hand clapped my shoulder, and Jack stood at my side. “The kid’s hungry, huh?”
I laughed. “Guess so.”
“Hey, listen, Deke. Thank you for picking Eli up. Camille’s been so stressed with work and all. I would’ve gone to scoop him up myself, but I was trying to finish up with one of my patients. Time sort of ran over. Glad I could make it home before you got here, though.”
Jack was a physical therapist. Mostly treated sports injuries . . . which was why it was so awkward at times with him, because it was like he was waiting for the day I got injured just so he could treat me.
I stepped back, not only to remove Jack’s hand from my shoulder but also to face him a step or two away, like most men usually did. “It’s all good, Jack. Trust me, I get it.”
“Anyway, make yourself at home. Camille should be here within the hour. I’ve ordered pizza and wings for tonight. Oh—can we take a picture together? My golfing buddies are gonna freak when they hear Deke Bishop was in my house!”
Oh, man. There was only so much of this I could take.
I took the selfie with him, but not without thinking that my sister needed to get her ass home stat.
TWENTY-THREE
DEKE
“Are y’all going to be out here all night or what?” Camille’s voice rang in the air as I passed the basketball to Eli.
I turned to find my sister stepping out the back door of her house and walking through the trail leading to their private basketball court.
“Hi, Mommy!” Eli abandoned the ball to rush to her. He hugged her tight around the waist, and she laughed as she held him back.
“Well, hello to you, too, honey. How was camp?”
“It was good. It was my turn to be the jungle leader today.”
“Oh, really? And did you walk in a straight line?”
“Yeah, but some people kept getting out of line.”
“Well, as long as you did your part, that’s all that matters, baby.” She kissed Eli on the forehead, then turned her attention to me. “Declan. Look at you.” She sighed, moving closer to me.
I tried not to react to her calling me by my real name. She and my mom were probably the only two people who could get away with it now.
“Wassup, sis?” I hugged her tight as she stepped into my arms.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She leaned back and gripped my upper arms. “Did you get enough to eat?”
“Oh yeah. Me and Eli killed that pizza.”
“Yeah, I see that, and now you and Eli can help with the dishes.”
She stepped away and wrapped her arm around Eli’s shoulder as he threw his head back and whined, “Aww!”
After cleaning up, Eli and Jack put on a movie in the living room, while Camille opened a bottle of red wine. I stood next to the fridge, with my lower back resting against the counter edge and my arms folded.
“You want a drink?” she asked, eyeing me as she placed the wine bottle on the counter.
“Nah, I’m good. I’ve got training on Monday and drank enough at that party over the weekend.” Speaking of the party instantly reminded me of Davina, and as if the universe had read my mind, my phone vibrated in my back pocket.
When I checked it, there was an email from her. It was wild to me that we were still communicating. I mean, technically I fulfilled my end of the contract. I did the photo shoot, she had her party, and it turned out great. All she had to do now was wait for the products to hit the shelves and for people to snatch them up.
But, regardless of all that, I liked talking to her . . . and I wanted her to know it, so I read her email.
Sorry it’s taken me a minute to get back to you. I was at the warehouse today—hectic stuff. Anyway, your training sounds intense. But look at you! You’re living your dreams and playing basketball for a living. Not many people in this world can say that.