Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Mom, chill,” Nathan huffed. “We know how to act.”
“Yeah, and none of that.” I motioned my hand in the air. “I don’t need you telling me to chill or to calm down—even if I need to. You got that?”
“Yes, ma’am. I got it.” When we pulled up into Ronin’s drive, Nathan leaned forward to get a better look and gasped, “Dang, this place is huge.”
He was right. Ronin’s house was rather large and very beautiful, and just seeing it brought butterflies to my stomach. Once I was parked, we grabbed our things and got out of the car. As we started up the steps, I glanced over at the kids, and their eyes were filled with both curiosity and excitement.
It meant the world to me that they were so excited about staying with Ronin. I couldn’t help but think it was a good sign. I knocked on the door, and it wasn't long before Ronin appeared with a big smile on his face. “Hey, guys. Come on in.”
With wide eyes, we all stepped into his house and took a quick glance around. All the natural tones and large windows made it the perfect mix of old and new. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn’t expecting something quite so stunning. I couldn’t hide my surprise when I gasped, “Wow. It’s so beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He motioned his head towards the stairs as he told the kids, “The guest rooms are upstairs. Why don’t you two go up and figure out which room you want...”
He didn’t even finish his sentence before they both bolted for the stairs. Their footsteps echoed through the house as they charged up the steps, and Ronin laughed when they each shouted their claims to one of the rooms. I shook my head and said, “I guess I better go up and put my things away, too.”
“Not a chance.” He reached over and took my bags from my hand. “You’ll be staying in my room with me.”
“But it’s kind of soon, don’t you think?”
“You got two smart kids, Maggie. They know what’s what.” He narrowed his eyes. “It’s only a big deal if you make it a big deal.”
“Okay, but if they ask what’s what, I’m going to let you explain it to them.”
“Deal.”
Smiling, he leaned forward and kissed me, then disappeared down the hall with my bags. When he returned, he took my hand in his and led me to the kitchen. It was twice the size of mine, with a large island and stainless-steel appliances. The walls were painted white, and the cabinets were a beautiful dark gray, which gave it a modern flare.
“Wow, Ronin. This kitchen is amazing.”
“It’s a work in progress.” He walked over and pulled a pan of lasagna from the stove. “Just like dinner.”
“Oh my, you went all out.”
“Well, yeah. Gotta do what I can to impress.” Ronin grabbed the Caesar salad from the fridge and carried it over to the table. “I thought I’d make us a fire after dinner and let the kids roast some marshmallows.”
“That sounds perfect.”
I helped him make the drinks, and then we called the kids to come down to eat. The rich aroma of lasagna and garlic bread enveloped us as we gathered around the dining table. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Nathan and Samantha’s eyes light up when they saw that Ronin had made lasagna. It was one of their favorite meals, so I wasn’t surprised when they eagerly dove into their plates.
We talked and laughed throughout the entire meal, and it wasn’t long before all my nerves had subsided, and I was feeling completely at home with Ronin and his beautiful home. After we finished eating, the kids and I helped Ronin clear the table and load the dishwasher.
As soon as we were done, Nathan asked, “Are we still gonna do a fire?”
“Only if you and your sister will help me get it started.”
“Yeah, I’ll help.”
“Then, let’s get to it.” Ronin got up and grabbed a few wire coat hangers from the hall closet and a lighter from the drawer. “Give us a second to get the fire started.”
“What can I do?”
“Ummm.” Ronin opened the back door. “You could get us a couple of drinks.”
“You got it.”
Ronin and the kids went outside, and together, they started tossing wood into the fire pit. Once he had the flames rolling, Ronin and Nathan gathered a few chairs and started placing them around the pit. I took that as my cue to start grabbing the drinks and the two large bags of marshmallows he’d left on the counter.
I carried them outside and sat down next to Ronin. He handed each of the kids one of the hangers he’d unwound and told them, “Here you go. Roast away, but don’t get too close to the fire.”