Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Brody stared up at her. “Oh, good, thanks.”
She looked over at Rhodes again. Almost as though she needed reassurance.
Ethan felt a weird urge to be the person she looked to for reassurance.
When Rhodes nodded to her, she turned to Brody. “I like your T-shirt.”
Brody glanced down at his T-shirt as though he didn’t even know he was wearing one.
It had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it, all posing with their weapons.
“Thanks, my girlfriend bought it for me.”
Cate sat next to him and they started talking back and forth.
“Let’s leave them to it for a moment,” Ink said, and they all moved away to sit at the large wooden table behind the sofa.
4
You can do this.
This is necessary. It won’t upset your routine.
So what if there are strangers who will be living in the house?
Rhodes needs this. Rhodes could be in danger. Nothing can happen to Rhodes.
“Hey, um, are you okay?”
Cate startled and stared at the cute guy sitting next to her. If it was possible to have kind eyes, then he had them. There was something sweet about him. Something that made her feel at ease.
Which was weird for Cate. Because she rarely felt at ease. Social situations were generally a nightmare for her. Trying to understand people’s thoughts and feelings was a challenge . . . it would make her life so much easier if people just said what they thought. Instead of hiding behind fake smiles and false compliments.
Over the years, she’d managed to pick up on some cues. However, she mostly relied on Rhodes and her assistant, Oliver, to guide her.
“Do you have all the information you need?” she asked in a tight voice.
She could feel herself starting to get stressed. Her chest was tightening.
She glanced at her watch. It was past dinnertime. Mrs. Sanders had cooked a large dinner that would only need reheating.
Should she invite everyone to eat?
Of course you should. Especially Tracey . . . wait, Ink.
He’d never liked his first name.
She’d always liked Ink and Duke. They’d always been kind to her and so had Ink’s parents.
Unlike her aunt and uncle.
“I need to heat up dinner. Would you like some?” Cate asked.
Brody’s stomach rumbled. “I would. But I have to go have dinner with my, uh, my boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“Boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Now he was blushing and looking nervous. Why was he nervous?
Oh, was he worried that she would judge him?
What did she say? What should she do to put him at ease?
“Would they like to come to dinner?” she asked.
His eyes widened. Shoot. Had she said the wrong thing? She reached for the hair tie around her wrist, snapping it against her skin to punish herself.
The pain cleared the frantic worry, helping her think better.
“Oh no. Thank you, though. But we have, um, plans.”
Weirdly, she wasn’t as relieved by his refusal as she’d thought she would be.
“Perhaps another time. Can I wash your T-shirt?”
Brody stared at her with wide eyes.
Damn it, Cate. You’re being weird. That was weird.
She reached for her hair tie again, but she couldn’t do that too often or Rhodes would notice.
Thankfully, she always wore long sleeves so she could hide it.
Cate hated keeping things from her brother, but Rhodes wouldn’t understand why she needed it. Not after what she’d done . . . he’d just worry.
“Sorry! Forget I said that. I just . . . I have a thing about stains. Really weird, I know.”
“Believe me, I know weird,” Brody told her firmly. “And that’s not weird at all.”
Oh.
That was actually a really nice thing to say.
“Do you think you can get the stain out? It’s my favorite T-shirt.” Brody frowned at the stain as though he hadn’t seen it before. “I’m not even sure how I got it. Maybe it’s barbeque sauce. Or blood.”
She sucked in a breath.
“Autumn, that’s my girl, she sliced her finger while trying to cut an orange when turbulence hit,” he said urgently. “I was trying to stem the blood before the F . . . before, uh, Fred, our boyfriend saw it. But the stain seems too big for that.”
“She was cutting oranges while flying? That doesn’t seem safe.”
“Turns out it wasn’t. She’s not going to sit comfortably tonight,” he muttered.
She gaped at him. “Pardon?”
Was he implying that Fred would . . . would spank Autumn?
“Oh, uh, it’s all consensual!” he said in a rush. “He’s not abusing her or anything.”
There was such clear panic displayed on his face that even she could pick it up.
“I’m sorry,” she said, unsure of what to say to comfort him. She figured an apology might help.
“Why are you apologizing?” Brody asked.
“Because you’re upset. You are upset, right?”
“Urgh, more like wishing I had some sort of social filter,” he muttered.
“Oh, I struggle with that too.” Maybe that’s why she felt so at ease with him.
“You did nothing wrong though. You don’t need to apologize.”