Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 51122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
But today was different.
He was supposed to be here an hour ago with my food, and he still wasn’t here.
Tommy knew that he was supposed to be here, because he was bringing food for not just me, but Tommy as well.
“He’ll be here,” Tommy assured me.
I went back to work, mind a mess, and stayed that way for another forty-five minutes before there was a commotion at the door.
I looked over my shoulder to see Tunnel standing there with food, his face a mask of horror.
Tommy was talking to him, but I could see whatever he was saying wasn’t penetrating Tunnel’s brain.
I hurriedly stripped out of my gown, gloves, and mask before hurrying toward my husband.
“You’re okay!” I cried, feeling the tears falling down my cheeks.
“I’m here,” he confirmed. “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t realize that my phone had died. And there was a wreck…”
I dashed the tears away by rubbing my face along the sleeves of my scrub top.
He reached for me, but I shook my head. “No, I’m not clean.”
He ignored me, dropped the food onto the nearest gurney, and picked me up bodily, crushing me to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated again. “I’m so sorry.”
He knew what this would’ve done to me.
That was why he went out of his way to always make sure I knew where he was.
“I’m okay,” I lied.
He laughed humorlessly. “No, you’re not.”
I held on just a little bit tighter. “I will be.”
Book: Beard Up
CHAPTER 18
A knight in shining armor is a man who’s never had his armor tested.
-Nico to Georgia
NICO
“Baby.”
I looked up to find my wife standing there staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Did you hear that my brother’s going to have another baby?” She clapped her hands.
I raised a brow at her. “Which one?”
She grinned wider. “Darby.”
My mouth kicked up at the corners in a grin.
“You’re freakin’ shitting me.” I blinked.
“Nope,” she said. “They’ll be due in January. A Covid-19 baby. I’m so excited.”
“I hope that kid treats him like he treated you,” I countered.
Georgia rolled her eyes. “I don’t. I love him. I hope he gets a great kid.”
“Unlike us.” I chuckled.
She snickered and pushed closer, her hands going to my face. “We have great kids. What are you talking about?”
I snorted loudly. “We do not. We have assholes.”
“Well, whose fault is it that they’re the way they are? I mean, you’re the one who gave them anything and everything they wanted. If anyone is to blame for their attitude, it’s you.”
She was partially correct.
I was to blame for them being like they are.
But I wanted them to know they could do anything, accomplish anything, as long as they put their minds to it.
“You should send them a glitter bomb as a congratulations present,” I said, gesturing at my pants.
Though my glitter wasn’t from a glitter bomb, but from a couple of glitter-covered children who thought glitter should be on everything.
“Why don’t you do it?” she suggested. “I have to get to work.”
I grumbled something under my breath. “I have to work, too.”
“Then our kids will probably blow up our house,” she said. “But they’re all adults now. Or mostly they are, in age.”
That was true.
For some really weird reason, they’d all come home when this pandemic had started, and our house had been absolutely bursting with people—or, at least, my kids. I hadn’t realized how much I’d enjoyed having the house to myself until it wasn’t an option any longer.
“I gotta go, honey,” she whispered as she pressed her lips to mine, being careful not to get the glitter on her pants. “Let me know what you want for dinner, and I’ll do a pick-up on the way home.”
I pulled her to me, glitter and all, and pressed her into me until she was laughing.
“You’re awful.” She pushed me away and stood up.
I snickered. “You’re covered in glitter.”
She flipped me off. “Shut up.”
“Have a good day!” I called as I followed her outside.
She climbed into the truck and waved on her way out of the driveway, and I stayed there watching until she was completely gone from view.
“Y’all are so gross,” Priscilla grumbled.
I pulled my daughter into my arms and hugged her tight, getting glitter all over her, too.
“Love you.”
Then I left, seconds after my woman, laughing as Priscilla tried in vain to get the glitter off of her shirt.
Book: Double Tap
CHAPTER 19
Do not fuck with a woman who can do tequila shots without cringing. She’s not the type who will fight you with one titty out in front of the police.
Janie to Kayla
JANIE
“This really, really sucks,” I said to my best friend, Kayla. “Like, if I could think of something worse than this, I don’t think it would be anywhere near as bad. I dream of long walks down the aisles of Target. Like, why did everything have to shut down at once? It was like, one day I had paradise in my hands, and the next, everything was taken away. Hot sauce and guacamole. Breadsticks from Olive Garden. Sweet tea from Texas Roadhouse. Great American Cookies from the cookie factory. Cute new clothes at Target. Coffee. Kayla, I haven’t had my hair trimmed since January. I think my split ends have split ends.”