Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
A few nights before my flight, I pop into An Open Book after work and peruse the new releases, hunting for a juicy memoir or a dishy tell-all for the plane. I’m flipping through the pages of a just-released celebrity biography when I startle at a voice calling, “Inside feet.”
When I peer over the display, there’s Finn striding across the plush, sapphire carpet. He’s wearing dark blue slacks and a crisp charcoal shirt, and his hand curls over the shoulder of a little boy who looks remarkably like him—same dark hair, green eyes, and impish grin.
Finn slows his son before the boy can race down the main aisle of the store. I don’t think he’s seen me yet, shielded by a shelf with titles like When I Was Young and Tie One On. I feel like a spy, and it’s wildly fun to see them together. A little mesmerizing too.
“Sorry, Dad. But I just want the new Captain Dude so badly,” his kid says, insistent and eager as he stretches out the last word.
I just can’t resist. I become the bold one as I step out from behind the shelves and say to Finn’s back, “The new one is so good.”
He stops and turns, but it takes a few seconds for him to process seeing me here, which amuses me too. “Oh. Hey. Jules.”
Are his cheeks a touch pinker than usual? I’ve never seen him flustered. It’s borderline adorable. “I didn’t know you shopped here.” His kid escapes him and motors down the aisle, hellbent on his destination in kid lit.
“Or I you,” I say dryly.
“Zach likes it.” He gestures to the speed demon. “I should make sure he doesn’t knock any shelves over in the rush to get his new book.” He studies me for a beat, and I imagine the gears turning in his head. “Do you want to join us?”
That wasn’t on my to-do list tonight. But checking out books with a child seems safe. “Sure,” I say, and I don’t hide the smile I feel. It’s nice to be invited.
As we head to the children’s section, Finn holds up a finger like he’s pausing and rewinding something in his head. “Did you just say the new Captain Dude was good?”
Ah, I’d been waiting for him to catch up to my comment. “I did. I read it while I worked out this morning. On my Kindle,” I add.
“You…did?” Finn asks.
I’ve really shocked Mister Tycoon now. This is fun. I think I’ll keep doing it. “Well, I was dying to know what’d happened in Metropolisville since the last adventure,” I say. “Especially after they saved the city from the runaway train. Or should I say, saved the chocolate on the runaway train.”
“Yes!” interjects a young voice beside us. The boy talks as fast as he moves. “I was so stoked when they got to eat the chocolate. But the dog didn’t eat it. Dogs can’t eat chocolate.”
The mini Finn clutches the newest installment to his chest and happily inserts himself into the conversation. “But don’t tell me what happens in this one, okay?”
I lift my hand like I’m taking an oath. “I solemnly swear I’ll share no spoilers.”
He gives a long sigh of relief. “But how do you read so fast? Can I learn?”
Finn clears his throat then sets a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Zach, this is my friend Jules. She and I work together. Jules, this is Zach, my son,” Finn says with such obvious pride and love that my heart thumps a little harder.
I extend a hand and Zach takes it. “Hey there, Zach. I have a very important question for you.”
The kid’s expression turns intensely serious. “What is it, Jules?”
“How did you feel about the cat in the last book? Did you think he should have joined forces with them?”
Zach’s eyes sparkle with righteous excitement. “Yes! I kept waiting for that to happen. Why didn’t that happen?”
“Some cats just like to sleep,” I say with a tsk as Finn watches the two of us like we’re the world’s most fascinating tennis match.
“That’s why I like dogs, but at least Captain Dude and Captain Dog were up to the challenge.”
“They always are,” Zach agrees. “No matter how hard it is.” We dive into a discussion of the captains’ most daring rescues, then Zach says, “We’re going to get this book and get dinner. I might read it at dinner. Wanna come?”
The offer is so sweet, I grin, eager to say yes to Zach. But Finn might not want me there. “I don’t want to intrude,” I say when I meet Finn’s eyes.
“Intrude, Jules. Please intrude,” Finn says, in that commanding tone. The one he used in the restaurant bathroom a few weeks ago. The one that works on me.
Only this time, it works in an entirely different way. I’m not dropping to my knees—obviously. Instead, I say yes to a night I never imagined I’d want—a dinner out with Finn and his son. Talking to Zach is relaxing. Easy. Dinner with the two of them feels friendly.