Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
My head fell back and my grip on him tightened as my knees wobbled. Nolan pressed a kiss against my neck. He was utterly glowing with his double orgasms, making my heart twinge.
“Now to untangle.” He laughed, far more trusting now. “Carefully.”
That would be the trick on so many levels. I had absolutely no clue how to untangle our hearts.
Long after Nolan had dozed off after our midnight pie raid and quick check on the sleeping boys and the sky had darkened then started to lighten again, that question kept surfing in my brain. The seas were deep and treacherous, and I was beginning to doubt my ability to get either of us to shore.
Twenty-Three
The countdown is on, ohana. And not simply the New Year’s Eve countdown. No, we’re counting down the days until school is back in session!
NOLAN
I left Merry and a good chunk of my heart behind on North Shore. That had been my wish, the one I’d refused to tell him, that we could keep this thing between us going forever. However, we were already apart. Merry and the boys were staying on North Shore until New Year’s Eve morning, which meant a whole two days without seeing him. I’d wanted to get back to Honolulu to help Cara with the bored middle schoolers and a continuous stream of holiday break playdates and activities. On the thirty-first, though, I took my time getting ready for the party. If this was going to be one of my last chances to see Merry, I wanted to look my best.
But maybe I’d gone a bit too formal because Athena greeted me with a whistle, immediately shining her phone in my direction.
“Looking good, Uncle Nolan.” Athena did a slow panorama of me using her phone. “That’s some first-class drip. Walk us through your ensemble.”
“Um.” I glanced down at my peach-colored vintage tuxedo shirt, crisp linen Hawaiian-print bow tie, and narrow dress pants. A lifetime ago, when I’d packed for Hawaii, I’d thought this might make the perfect New Year’s Eve outfit with its beachy yet dressy tone. However, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember any of the designers, the careful thrift store bargain, or the sample sale discoveries. I was far too distracted by thoughts of Merry.
“He’s too nervous about seeing his boyfriend.” Stella was teasing, but she wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t care less what Athena’s audience thought of my outfit, but I wanted Merry to like it, to see beyond the city slicker he’d first met to the guy who cared so much for him. And the guy who was going to miss him like crazy.
“Stella Louise.” Cara swept into the room in a silk robe over a red slip dress. “How about no more teasing Uncle Nolan, either of you?”
Cara steered me toward the living room couch. The Christmas tree was already packed away for next year, making the space seem bigger, though more depressing. Cara spread two baby blankets over me and deposited the baby on my well-covered lap. “Here. Hold the angry dragon and tell me I look hot and not like I had a baby three months ago.”
“You did have a baby three months ago.” I kept my tone patient and upbeat, hoping she wouldn’t lob a throw pillow at me. Said baby was wearing a hooded dragon sleeper someone had gifted him for the holiday and a very pissy expression. Cara shrugged off her robe and slipped on a pair of strappy gold heels before making a slow turn for all of us. I clapped. “And you do look amazing.”
“Good.” She smiled, but her eyes stayed worried. “Craig wants to try for a video chat a little after midnight. He said I should dress up for the party. Maybe he’s tired of seeing me in pajamas on chat.”
“Or maybe he wants you to feel good about yourself.” I gave her a pointed look. Craig always liked when Cara dressed up for special occasions and date nights, but he also appreciated all the hard work Cara did solo parenting while he was deployed. “He sent you the spa day for Christmas.”
Yesterday, Cara and the girls left Noah Craig with me and used the gift certificates Craig had sent to get manicures and pedicures, along with a hot-rock massage and therapeutic pool soak for Cara.
“He did.” Cara took on a dreamy expression. “You Bells are pretty great guys.”
“We try.” I helped her pack up the girls, the baby, and all the baby’s gear, including the stroller for him to hopefully snooze in. We made our way to the neighborhood community center decorated in gold, silver, and white twinkling lights. A buffet was set up along the back wall, and a fair number of families were already there when we arrived. Because the neighborhood was made up almost entirely of base families, there were a lot of moms and a few dads solo parenting through a deployment like Cara. They offered each other commiserating hugs on making it through another holiday season without their partners.