Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Nadia says you guys dated in high school,” Kiran said to Grayson.
“Yeah, for about two years?” Grayson looked at Nadia for confirmation.
“No lingering feelings, huh?” Kiran looked at Nadia, who shook her head.
Grayson chuckled. “Nah, there aren’t any residual feelings there.”
“Grayson’s getting married next spring,” Nadia said.
“To Weid,” Lynnea popped her head up to say. No one had the heart to try and correct Lynnea on the pronunciation of Reid’s name. “She’s very pretty.”
Grayson smiled at Lynnea. “She is, isn’t she?”
Lynnea nodded. “Mommy said so too.”
Grayson glanced at Nadia, who blushed. “Should we call her?”
Lynnea sat up and nodded quickly. Grayson got his phone out and pressed Reid’s contact image and waited for her face to appear on the screen. As soon as she did, his heart raced, and his smile went from ear to ear. He was ridiculously in love with her.
“Hi,” he said, almost breathlessly. “Someone wanted to call you.” Grayson angled the phone slightly to show Lynnea. She leaned into Grayson and waved.
“Hi, Weid.”
“Hi, Lynnea. Did you have the best time last night?”
She nodded. “I twirled a lot.”
“Your dress was so pretty. Grayson sent me a photo.”
He whispered in Lynnea’s ear about her flowers. Lynnea popped up. “Fank you for the flowers.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked them.”
“So pretty. Like you.”
Reid blushed, which Grayson loved. He turned the phone back onto himself. “We just wanted to say hi.”
“Hi,” she said. “How’s the play set coming?”
“Good. I have some help, so it’ll be done today. The girls should be able to play on it tomorrow.”
“Well, make sure you test it out beforehand.”
“I will. I’ll call you later tonight. I love you.”
“Love you too. Tell everyone I said hi.” Reid blew him a kiss. He wanted to be in two places at once but couldn’t figure out how unless he brought Reid with him. He was just thankful she’d believed him when he’d told her there wasn’t anything going on between him and Nadia. It wasn’t her he needed to see. It was the girls. They were the only reason he was there, putting himself through all this.
After he hung up, he watched Kiran and Nadia, with their heads bent together. Kiran was definitely interested in Nadia, and she seemed receptive to the attention he gave her. Grief was a funny emotion. If Grayson went by what Reuben had told him, he’d suspect Nadia wouldn’t date until the girls were out of the house. By the looks of things across the table, those two had something going on, and if it wasn’t happening now, it was going to happen soon.
Grayson and Kiran tightened the last screw just as the sun went down. Instead of staying for dinner, he told the girls he’d see them tomorrow morning, bright and early. Kiran had asked Grayson if he could help fix some things around the house, mainly cosmetic stuff that Rafe had intended to fix last year. Without hesitation, Grayson agreed. He’d taken off a full week of work to spend with the girls, and he’d do anything Nadia needed him to do. He’d be that person for her until she found someone else, and even if she didn’t, Grayson would be the person the girls could count on.
When he climbed into bed, he called Reid. Her face lit up his screen, making him miss her more than anything. “I love you,” he said as soon as she said hi.
“I love you too. Are you okay?”
He nodded and wiped at an errant tear. “Lynnea has been very clingy these past couple of days. I don’t mind because her presence makes me feel good.”
“And Gemma?”
“She had a friend over earlier, so she was busy. She also keeps her feelings bottled up. Gemma’s a lot like Nadia that way.”
“Did you tell Nadia yet?”
Grayson paused and cleared his throat. “Not yet. I will.”
“They need to know.”
He closed his eyes. “I know. Can we not talk about that, though? I miss you, Reid. Can you come up here?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Because you don’t want to or because of time off?”
“Both,” she said. “This is still very weird to me, Grayson. I’m trying. I truly am.”
“I know, and I love you for that. I just want you here, next to me. You’d like Nadia.”
“I might have to fight her,” she said, laughing.
Grayson shook his head. “I’m pretty sure she’s interested in Rafe’s best friend.”
Reid’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure, though. Just an observation.”
“How does . . .” She didn’t finish her question.
“Thankfully my heart isn’t tied to her. Just the girls. It’s just them.”
“Odd, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. The girls are physically part of Rafe. It makes sense, when you think of it that way. I told you, when I saw Nadia, I didn’t feel anything, but those girls. Game changer.”
Grayson hated it when the conversation stilled. He trailed his finger down his screen, pretending it was her face. “Please think about coming.”