Series: Sean Moriarty
Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 113805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“You can try—” Simon starts to threaten.
But Meredith hits the red button to disconnect.
“That man! I swear!” Meredith cries out as she stomps the small object into even smaller pieces. “It never ends!”
Her face flushed red as if she’s trying to contain her laughter, Beth says, “I think you’ve killed it.”
Meredith makes an angry sound in her throat and stomps on the device some more. Working out her frustration. “This better be the only bug or I’ll make damn sure Simon can never have another kid!”
A little whimper comes from Meredith’s stroller and she freezes. “Oh no.”
The little whimper turns into a full-blown wail.
The wail is quickly met with another.
“Dammit,” Meredith grumbles. “He woke the babies.”
Abandoning the bug, Meredith walks around her stroller and pulls the canopy back.
Squatting, she talks softly to her babies. “Shhhh, it’s okay, sweeties. Go back to sleep.”
The babies seem to stop in unison to take a breath then they cry harder.
“Shit,” Meredith curses and straightens. “I doubt they’ll go back to sleep now without eating.”
Walking back around the stroller, she grabs the handle and begins to push and pull it back and forth. Trying to soothe the twins.
But they continue to cry.
Chewing on her lip, Beth says, “I guess we should go back. You can feed them at my house.”
Meredith lets out a loud sigh. “Okay.”
Turning her stroller around, Meredith begins to push it back the way we came.
Beth shoots me an apologetic look then we both turn our strollers to follow Meredith.
We’re not far from my house, we only made it a few blocks, and I realize with a start that I was so distracted I didn’t do anything I wanted to do. Like check the perimeter of the area to see what kind of fence and security I’m dealing with.
“Ugh. It figures Simon woke them up,” Meredith grumps.
Beth and I both look at each other but we don’t dare correct her.
Meredith glances over her shoulder at me. “I’m sorry about all of this, Eden. I was hoping to spend more time with you.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “No need to apologize.”
“That’s kind of you, but there is,” Meredith says, “My husband shouldn’t have been spying on us. That was extremely rude of him.”
“Yeah, that was a little weird…” I admit, hoping it doesn’t piss her off.
It’s one thing to talk shit about your own spouse, and a completely other thing when someone else does it…
“He means well,” Meredith says quickly in his defense. “He only cares about the family.”
“Simon does keep a good eye on everyone,” Beth agrees, backing her up.
Meredith nods. “Yes, and he only oversteps with me. Now that you’re family, you don’t need to worry. He doesn’t spy in houses or anything creepy like that. The men would kill him if he did. No, he saves all his creepiness for me.”
She calls me family so casually it takes a moment for what she said to sink in.
They consider me family? Just like that?
Her babies continuing to cry, Meredith starts to walk faster. Leaving Beth and me to catch up.
“It’s not easy keeping an eye on everyone,” Meredith huffs out. “He feels like it’s his duty, though. And with the family growing, he’s under a lot of pressure. Probably why he’s been so cranky lately…”
Beth laughs. “Yes. Simon is like our guardian angel. A very… cranky guardian angel. Always watching, always there if you need him…”
“Oh god,” Meredith chortles. “Don’t ever let him hear that.”
“Good thing you killed that bug!” Beth says cheerfully.
“Indeed!” Meredith agrees.
At the pace we’re walking, it only takes a few more moments to reach my driveway.
Coming to a stop near the spot I met them, Meredith turns towards me. “So, shopping tomorrow, yes?”
I hesitate for a split-second.
To her, it’s an innocent question.
But to me it would mean a commitment.
A commitment to staying with Jude.
For one more day, at least.
Beth smiles at me. “We’ll shop ‘til we drop then grab some food and drinks.”
“And the men will watch the children,” Meredith adds.
“Oh yes,” Beth agrees happily. “The babies will only slow us down.”
With an offer like that, how could I refuse?
I grin and wave goodbye. “I’m looking forward to it.”
18
Jude
Standing in the garage, I have to make a decision. Do I use the bike or the SUV?
Considering it, I jingle the keyring in my pocket.
It’s not too hot that I’ll stifle in the helmet, and I’m also on a bit of a time crunch to get to confession.
Grabbing the helmet off the workbench, I slide it over my head and feel myself grinning the widest grin I’ve ever grinned.
She loves me.
I’ve never been told by another person that they love me.
Never in all my years.
I doubt my parents ever uttered the phrase to me as a child. I was simply an attachment to their lives that was required by societal norms. White house, picket fence, a child, and a retirement savings account. Living the American dream, I suppose. Even if they were colder than dead fish to each other.