Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Still . . . this was insane.
“There are no Malone girls other than Lottie,” he said. “There haven’t been any born for generations.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Ryleigh replied in a shaky voice. “I’m a Malone. You don’t have to believe me. I mean, we can just do a DNA test or something. I don’t know. I don’t care. All I know is that I’m a Malone and I’m your sister.”
“And how do you know that?” Alec asked in a low, soft voice.
Ryleigh bit her lip and Lilac got to her feet, wrapping an arm around her friend.
Okay, nope. That wouldn’t do.
“Lilac, sit down.” He reached for her.
She shook her head.
“Lilac,” he said warningly. “I don’t care what family drama is about to happen, you need to rest. Sit down.”
“I’m fine. Ryleigh, I’m so sorry. You don’t have to say anything more.”
“I do. I’ve got this. It had to come out at some stage. And I don’t want them to be mad at you for keeping my secret. That’s not fair. Lilac went to meet you guys for me. I . . . I was too nervous. I thought if I saw one of you it might just all come out. I’ve never been good with secrets or lies.”
“Yo, Ryleigh, if you’ve come out here for some alone time, you might want to put your pants back on because Linc is . . . ” Opal trailed off as she walked into the guesthouse, staring at them. “Hey! You’re all having a party without me. Lilac! Babe! Thank God they let you break out of the hospital.”
Opal rushed toward her, but Tanner held a hand out to stop her. “Easy, Opal. She’s fragile at the moment.”
“I am not!” she said as Opal snorted.
“Lilac? Fragile?” Opal stared down at Lilac, concern filling her face. “Hmm. Okay, I get your point. I’ll go easy.”
Lilac ignored the look Tanner shot her, wrapping her arms around Opal.
“What’s going on?” Opal whispered.
“Ryleigh’s about to tell them.”
“Oh, fuck.” Opal drew back and turned toward the door. “Linc! There you are!”
Linc stepped inside, staring around in surprise. Kye was cradled in his arm. He looked tiny in the big man’s arms. “Uh, what the heck is going on here?”
Alec stared down at Kye, looking a bit ill. As though he’d seen something unexpected. Then he glanced over at Tanner.
“What? What is it?” Tanner asked.
“Nothing . . . he just . . . it’s nothing.”
“What?” Ryleigh asked, moving quickly to take Kye from Linc. She held him against her chest as though she thought that Alec might harm him.
“I just forgot you had a baby. Fuck.” Alec blinked, staring at Ryleigh. “Are you really our sister?”
“What?” Linc asked. “Sister?”
Ryleigh stepped away from Linc, moving toward Opal and Lilac. They flanked her, giving her strength.
“Yes, I am,” Ryleigh replied. “I’m really your sister.”
“How did you know about us?” Alec said.
“My dad told me,” Ryleigh replied proudly.
“Lilac, I want you to sit,” Tanner demanded.
“Who is your dad?” Alec asked.
“Thomas Sanders was how I knew him, but he told me that his last name was really Malone.”
“Wait. I’m still trying to catch up here,” Linc said. “You knew you were their sister before you came here?”
Poor Linc. He really was struggling to keep up.
“Everyone needs to sit the fuck down!” Tanner said.
Kye let out a shocked cry.
Linc shot Tanner a dirty look, stepping forward to take Kye out of Ryleigh’s arms. Then he started lightly bouncing him, patting his back.
“What’s going on?” Lilac whispered across Ryleigh to Opal.
“Linc has turned into Mr. Mom. It’s pretty funny. This morning when I got up, I found him vacuuming in a flowery apron.”
“Why aren’t you at work?” she asked.
“I don’t go in until later this afternoon for training. Then I start for real tomorrow. The apron was pure gold.”
“Are the two of you finished?” Linc grumbled. “And it was not a flowery apron. Those were birds.”
“The birds were sitting on flowers,” Opal muttered.
“I think the fact you were wearing an apron says it all,” Lilac added. “Flowers or birds, doesn’t really matter.”
Poor Linc. He looked rather red in the face. Tanner would be amused if he wasn’t so worried about Lilac.
“Lilac. Sit. Down.”
Whoa.
Lilac found herself sitting before she even had time to process Tanner’s words. To her surprise, Ryleigh was seated beside her.
“Whoa. Didn’t know you had that in you, Cowboy,” Opal drawled as she sat slowly. She crossed one leg over the other. “Are you sure you’re not a Dom?”
Tanner shot her a quelling look.
“Right. Enough talking. Except for you.” He pointed at Ryleigh. “You need to keep talking.”
“Don’t point at her,” Linc growled, stepping in front of Ryleigh. “And do not growl at her like that. Understand me?”
Lilac turned to Ryleigh, who was staring at Linc’s back, her mouth open in shock.