Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Damn. So warm.
“Sorry, baby. Nothing against you. Just don’t like you living here. All the light and beauty that is you shouldn’t live here in the dark.”
She just stared up at him, mouth open.
She waited for Nan to give her some unwanted advice. But there was nothing. Even Nan didn’t know how to reply to a big bruiser of a man, who didn’t always operate on the right side of the law, being so damn sweet it was shocking.
He ran his thumb over her cheek and her legs gave out. She would have fallen to the floor if Grady hadn’t moved in behind her.
Damn.
She closed her eyes, wanting to savor this feeling.
Because being between the two of them? It kind of felt like heaven. She’d experienced it once. And like the greedy person she was. She wanted more and more.
Being between the two of them made her feel so warm. As though she had someone she could lean on and into because they could take the weight of her life and lessen it for her.
Make it so she could conquer anything.
“Baby, you need to turn the heating up in here,” Steele lightly scolded. “You’re cold.”
“I’m always kind of cold. I turn it up much more and poor Brooks roasts to death.”
“Then you should have socks on,” Grady said.
“Or her slippers. Put thick socks on the list.”
“List? What list?” she asked.
“The ‘things we need to provide for Effie’ list,” Steele told her.
“You do not have any such list,” she said, glaring up at him.
He just looked down at her. His face was serious.
Lord help her.
“You guys don’t need to keep buying me stuff.”
“Gonna disagree with you about that, baby girl,” Steele replied.
Then he stepped back and she stumbled forward. But he grasped her around her hips, steadying her.
Then he turned her to face Grady, who studied her intently. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Was that why they were here on a Sunday? To check in on her?
What the heck had happened last night that they thought they had to come today and check on her in person?
“I’m good.”
“Is your back sore?” Grady asked.
“No, it’s fine. Thank you for asking.”
Grady’s face softened, growing warm. “You’re welcome, Twinkletoes.” He didn’t touch her. But that look on his face . . . yeah, her legs were growing weak again.
“How about your stomach? Any nausea? Chills? Headaches?” he asked.
“Um, no. Is there a reason I would have those things?”
“You ever drunk alcohol while taking those pain pills of yours?” Steele asked gruffly.
She turned so fast that the room spun. An arm wrapped around her middle. That was something that Steele would do if he saw her growing dizzy. But Steele was in front of her.
Which meant that it was Grady who’d wrapped an arm around her. Trapped her to him. Holding her steady. And it was Grady who slid an arm under her legs and lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the sofa to set her down.
Brooks had put away the blankets and pillows and pushed the sofa together. Grady sat her down, then sat across from her on the coffee table. His knees were on either side of hers, trapping her.
“I didn’t drink any alcohol,” she told him. “I promise. I wouldn’t do that with those pills. And I don’t even like drinking.”
“We know, baby girl,” Steele reassured her.
“Then why would you ask that? What . . . what’s going on? And what happened last night?”
“You don’t remember it?” Grady asked.
“No. The last thing I really remember is Lucy getting me my handbag. And taking some painkillers. I wish I hadn’t done that. But I’ve never reacted badly to them before.”
“Don’t worry about that right now,” Grady told her. “Do you want to get changed?”
“Changed?” she asked. What was he talking about? Why would she need to change?
“Your clothes,” he said. “Do you need to change your clothes?”
“I was just . . . these are my cleaning clothes. I wasn’t expecting company.” If they expected her to dress better, then they should have called first.
“She needs to put on a sweater, socks, shoes, a jacket, scarf, and gloves,” Steele dictated, moving around the room. “Is that . . . does the floor go down right here?”
“Yeah, I think the foundation is sinking slightly.”
Steele just stared at her for a long moment. “Why hasn’t that been fixed?”
“Um, well, the landlord is kind of elderly. And I’m not sure that he could fix it.” Other than bulldozing the place. And she would rather have somewhere to live than a house that was level.
“At least he put in security lights,” Steele commented.
“Uh-huh.”
Grady eyed her steadily. “Did he pay someone to install those lights?”
“Uh, no.”
“So he got up on a ladder and did it?” Steele asked.
Shit.
“Coffee!” She jumped to her feet. “I need to get you coffee! And cookies! I must have cookies somewhere. Would you like cake?”