Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Oh, fuck off, Tate. I don’t want my sister.”
I snort out a laugh. I didn’t expect him to jump to that conclusion.
“I actually wondered if you harbor feelings toward Willa. That could be an off-limits situation that could cause turmoil.”
His grin is wicked. “As much as I’d love to see Callum lose his shit over me stealing his baby momma, I’m really not into Willa like that. It’s someone else. No one in our family.”
“You want to tell me about it?”
He stares at me for a beat. “I imagine it’ll come out in due time. Stick around and you might get to hear that story.”
Oh, I’ll stick around. Jude may be ready to run me off, but I’m invested now. This entire family and their dynamics interest me. I think I can help them. I really want to help them.
“Wanna play a game of pool?” Dempsey asks. “They can’t expect you to work twenty-four seven.”
I tense up, wondering if Sean would show up at a pool hall. I’d avoided running into him at the doctor’s office and the coffee shop. But a pool hall?
“Whatever,” Dempsey groans. “I actually thought you were serious about being an actual friend there for a second. I’ll be upstairs in the game room if you decide to join.”
“Wait!” I call out, relief flooding over me. “Sorry, I thought you meant leave. I, uh, I don’t feel like going out in public. A game of pool here sounds great, though. Really. I’m sorry if I made you feel otherwise.”
“Cool.” He stands and starts for the door, turning around at the last second. “You looked terrified. I thought it was because you didn’t want to hang with me. But now I get it. The toxic relationship is still fresh and you were triggered.”
I gulp at his summation and nod. “It’s a long story.”
“Maybe one day if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.” Then he cracks up laughing. “Not dicks, Tate. My dick might traumatize your precious eyes.”
With that wild remark, I’m left wondering what the hell is up with his dick that would traumatize me.
Yeah, I’m not even going to explore the possibilities of that one.
I like hanging out with Callum and Willa. They’re an adorable couple and the love between them is so bright, so infectious, they almost have me believing in it again.
One day, I could find the right man.
A good, honest, kind man.
Someone who wants to protect me, not hurt me.
“Well, you survived your first day,” Callum says, stroking his fingers over Willa’s small pregnant belly. “You ready to run for the hills yet?”
Willa giggles and playfully smacks his hand. “What’s not to love about this family?”
He smirks but doesn’t argue.
Funky stirs in my lap, reminding me to pet him. I run my palm over his back, taking comfort in his closeness.
“It was great. Started off a bit rocky, but then Willa swooped in and saved the day with iced coffee.”
Callum grins. “My girl has other magical talents—ones you’ll never know about.”
This earns him another smack from his woman.
“Everyone is really nice.” Except for Jude. “Me and Dempsey played some pool after our session.”
“Did he mop the floor with you?” Callum asks. “I swear he could play professionally. He’s a shark. Arrogant about it too.”
“We tied,” I say with a victorious smile. “There was a pool table at the bar my dad always went to. I learned to hustle those drunks when I was old enough to see over the top of the table.”
“Oh, so like last year?” Callum teases.
We all crack up laughing and it feels good. I don’t think he’s being cruel or picking on me in a bad way. All the men in this family are tall, solid, and sturdy as hell. In comparison, I’m a waif.
“Keep it up and I’ll hustle your ass too, man,” I joke back.
“Nah, I only attempt things I know I can excel at.”
The therapist in me wants to pick apart that statement, but since we’re not in a session—and I don’t know that Callum will ever do one—I let the comment blow over. Tonight, it’s about making friends and enjoying the company of others without fear of repercussion.
Willa tells him a story about the crazy lady at the coffee shop who took our order while I drift to other thoughts. One that keeps cropping up is that I wonder how Sean is dealing with my sudden absence. He was probably pissed at first, but then went on a rampage trying to hunt me down. Luckily, I left without telling a soul where I was going. On my way here, I took several weird routes until I finally backtracked over to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
Which brings me to my next big ask to maintain my safety…
“I was, uh, wondering if I could park my car in your garage.” I wince at how shaky my voice sounds. “I know it’s a piece of crap next to yours but—”