Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 131916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I’m going to remember that the next time you drag your ass through the door of my bar.”
“Come now, man, I’m your best customer.”
Kane shook his head, chuckling under his breath as he sat down next to River. “And look how he says it with pride.”
“Say everything with pride considering I’m an overachiever at all things.” Otto wagged his brows, gaze jumping around all of us as if he were begging for confirmation.
I could almost feel Raven catch fire beside me, her attention downturned as she inhaled a shaky breath.
“Overachiever? You didn’t even get a touchdown yesterday, Uncle.” Nolan mumbled it around a big bite of corndog. “Me and my Daddy-O left you in the dust.”
Otto cracked up, and River chuckled across from us, the sound smooth and rippling on the warm, night air.
I couldn’t help but let my attention drift that way. To his viciously handsome face, even darker where the shadows of the night crawled overhead.
Drawn to the sound.
If I wasn’t careful, I could be enchanted by it.
“That’s right,” River grumbled, affection in his gaze as he looked at his son.
“Well, those were special circumstances,” Otto said, still grinning, his blue gaze slanting to Raven. “Just like when my baby sister over here beat me in poker last week. Girl gets me every time.”
I wondered if I was the only one who noticed how she cringed when he called her that, though she was flashing him a bright smile. “You never learn your lesson. You always show up begging me to swindle you out of all your money.”
“Can’t help it if you’re a sneaky little thing.” His smile went soft, and I turned my attention to my plate, nibbling at a taco as I listened to the conversation go on around us. Laughter ringing and this comfort abounding.
I wanted to settle into it. Float on its warmth. All of which were ridiculously reckless.
But I allowed myself to do it for a little while as everyone ate and joked. Allowed myself to get lost in the lightness and the love that so clearly stretched between these people who looked so hard and rough.
Once everyone finished their food, the guys got up to help Kane with something at his booth, and Raven took Nolan to the restroom, and I found myself alone at the table.
It didn’t bother me.
I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt so relaxed, and I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the heavens.
My spirit squeezed in a bid of gratitude.
For almost an entire evening, I hadn’t felt alone. Hadn’t ached.
“That was fuckin’ sweet of you, buying that stuffed animal for my kid.” The gruff voice broke me out of the drifting, and my eyes snapped open to find River standing on the opposite side of the table with his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.
Moonlit.
His face cast in bare, silvery light.
“Well, I came into a little extra money recently.”
My lips tweaked at the side, and my stomach nearly toppled over when a smirk lit on his.
“That so?”
“Mm-hmm,” I hummed, not even sure what I was doing talking to him like this. He’d basically ignored me the entire evening, all except for the piercing stares he’d tossed my way.
“Don’t want your money,” he told me.
A frown furrowed my brow. “And what is it you want?”
I wasn’t even sure what I was asking him or why it felt imperative to know.
To understand this confusion.
This…thing that was so unfamiliar to me that I couldn’t process it.
His tongue swept his full bottom lip, focus firmly on me. “Told you…for you to do exactly what that tat said and live.”
Nonsensical laughter rolled out of me. It was so quiet I wondered if he’d heard it. “I don’t even know what that means anymore.”
“Most of the time, I wonder if any of us do.” His words were gruff.
Hollow.
Like he might be haunted, too.
“Until I see Nolan smile. Then I get it.”
I could barely manage the nod. “He’s amazing.”
“Kid stole my heart right outta my chest.”
I was sure the child had stolen a piece of mine, too, the way it fluttered when he was suddenly bounding up to my side. “Miss Charleigh, we’re going to go dance now because dancin’ is what sets you free.”
A surprised giggle rippled out of me as I turned that way, and Raven was hiding a laugh since I was pretty sure he’d taken the words directly from her mouth.
He grabbed my hand. “Come on!”
“Oh, I think I’d better call it a night and get home.”
I’d far overstayed my welcome, and every molecule in my being warned that I was getting too close.
“No way! It’s a dance party, Miss Charleigh. Don’t you hear the music? And my auntie has to have her best friend if she’s going to have a party.”
“Yeah, I have to have my best friend if I’m going to have a party,” Raven parroted, eyes wide. “Besides, I told you I was going to make sure you had a blast, and we’re just getting started.”