Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
I stepped closer to him and slid my arm around his waist. “What is it?”
Kenji met my eyes. “Your parents reached out to Dunlevy, Pace, and Trumble and asked if they can put their house in trust for Lellie after they pass away. They plan to leave their estate to her.”
It wasn’t a bad surprise, but the reminder of my parents was a sour spike on an otherwise sweet night. “Considering she’s their only freaking heir, that’s not the generous flex they might think it is,” I explained.
Tully leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of my face. “Not true, baby. You’re their heir. They’re passing you over, which—” He shook his head when I began to interrupt. “No, listen. Which is a good thing since it would only be taxed if it came to you first, and you don’t need it.”
“They don’t know that,” I sighed. “But fine. I refuse to let them ruin my night. It’s fine.”
Kenji huffed out a laugh. “Now you sound like Zane.”
I couldn’t help but smile when I realized he was right.
Kenji’s phone squawked with a ringtone of Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous Boyyy.” “Fucking Christ,” he muttered under his breath. “What now?”
“What did he mean about you sounding like Zane?” Tully asked after Kenji turned away to take Landry’s call.
He was rocking gently from foot to foot, holding Lellie against his chest and stroking her back lightly. The movement reminded me of a night two weeks ago when the weather had turned cold and Tully had insisted on building a fire. I’d had plans to put gas logs in the large, stacked-stone fireplace, but Tully had begged me to leave it alone.
“If I’m going to move to the cold hinterlands of the north, there’d better be woodsmoke and fluffy snow,” he’d insisted. “Hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets on the sofa.”
I’d just finished getting the blaze going when the sound of Lellie’s cries blasted through the baby monitor.
“Your turn,” I’d insisted with a cackle. I’d made a big production of throwing myself down on our deep sectional sofa and crossing my feet on the ottoman.
He’d cursed me the whole way back down the hall to Lellie’s room. Twenty minutes later, he’d stood in front of the fire, rocking her in his arms and singing “Goodnight, Sweetheart.” It was one of his favorites, and hearing it sung soft and low in his deep voice made my skin prickle and my dick swell.
“Babe,” he said, lifting his eyebrows and flashing me a sexy grin. “You’re looking at me with an expression I happen to know well, and I have to say it’s highly inappropriate right now, considering our location.”
I stepped in front of him and put my hands on his hips to pull him in gently. The warm bulk of our sleeping daughter pressed between us as I leaned in to kiss him with light, teasing brushes of my lips against his. “I can change our location,” I whispered against his lips. “Just say the word.”
The dressing room door slammed open, and Ryan stormed out, cursing under his breath. His eyes were dark, and his hands were curled into fists. After taking three long strides, he stopped, groaned, and pivoted back to the open dressing room door, yanking at his hair. “I’m done trying to reason with you, Zane. We’re doing this my way, and that means wheels up in sixty minutes. Do you understand?”
Zane’s voice was muffled like he was pulling a shirt over his head, but I could still hear the thread of unease in his words. “I think you’re forgetting who’s in charge here. I told my family I was coming in time for Sunday supper tomorrow. We’re not going back to LA until after I’ve had my aunt Rinny’s tomato corn pie and cheese grits. I’ve waited months to see my family, and I’m not letting some bullshit prank take that away from me.”
Kenji stepped back up to us quietly and tapped Tully on the shoulder before tilting his head in the direction of the open dressing room door, where Zane was still ranting.
“And besides, how many times do I have to tell you… I’m fine!”
Tully bit his lip against a laugh. He shot his dancing eyes at me, and I felt my shoulders drop.
As I let myself slip cool and easy into the crystal clear waters of the Gulf and float happily into the future with my precious family.
ZANE’S EPILOGUE
I hadn’t even felt the stamp this time. The best I could tell, it had happened when I’d been jostled to the side by a stage tech rushing past during the set break. Immediately afterward, Carlo and Kim, the makeup and hair duo, had stepped forward for a quick touch-up, and Kim had quirked her head and asked why I had red ink under the collar of my shirt.