Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 41725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 209(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 209(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
At least… I hoped I was prepared. I’d tossed and turned all night, organizing my thoughts, and when I’d finally woken from a fitful sleep around dawn, I’d resorted to arranging my thoughts on flash cards, just like I had in med school, to be sure I didn’t miss any salient points.
First, though, I needed Brody to show up. I needed to see him with my own eyes and reassure myself that he was alright. I searched the parking lot again for a sign of his arrival, but he wasn’t there.
Thankfully, I was distracted from my thoughts by the man next to me muttering under his breath. “What are parents supposed to do at a robotics competition? Cheer? Scream at our team’s robots to kick those other kids’ robots’ asses? What?”
The man he was with said, “Blue, baby, simmer down and just watch, okay?”
“I’m here to support our child, Tristan, and you already took away my poster board sign and my pom-pom, and my emergency pom-pom, too—”
“Mmhmm. We talked about this in the car. Ella specifically asked you to chill after last time.”
I was desperate to avoid my sister’s interrogation, so I feigned interest in the men’s conversation. “I have to ask… what happened last time?”
The man closest to me—Blue—had strawberry blond hair, a mischievous grin, and an abundance of freckles. “I had T-shirts made.”
“Don’t ask,” Tristan said with a sigh. “My husband thinks he’s hilarious.”
My ears perked up when I realized the two of them were another same-sex parent couple. “No, I need to know. What did the shirts say?”
“Uh.” Blue shot a quick glance at his husband and flushed. “I Like Big Bots and I Cannot Lie?”
I burst out laughing.
Blue grinned once again and shot his hand out to shake. “Blue Marian. You’re new, aren’t you?”
I nodded and shook his warm grip. “Dr. Grant Brighton. My daughter Cleo is the one baring her teeth at the angry kid with the high ponytail.”
The man with Blue offered his hand. “I’m Blue’s husband, Tristan. That kid with the high pony is ours.” His grin was both teasing and understanding.
I winced. “Sorry. Cleo takes her robotics seriously. It’s one of the reasons we joined Mountbatten.” I gestured toward my sister. “This is Gwen—”
“I’m Grant’s sister,” Gwen interrupted, grabbing my elbow. “And my brother is currently trying to weasel his way out of an important conversation.”
“Oh, really— Wait.” Blue leaned in and lowered her voice. “Are you the doctor who married his nanny? Because if so, I owe you a huge thanks for taking the heat off me with the gossipmongers this week.”
“That’s me.” My face heated, but when I caught sight of the man stepping out of his car in the parking lot, I couldn’t feel anything but pride and giddy relief. “To be fair, that—” I pointed across the grassy area toward Brody. “—is my husband.”
Blue and Tristan both turned and stared as Brody made his way toward us. The afternoon sun shone on his wavy brown hair and handsome angular face. My heart raced with excitement like it had been years since I’d set eyes on him instead of a day.
“Uh-huh,” Blue said before pursing his lips. “No wonder the ladies couldn’t shut up about it.”
His husband elbowed him in the side. “Stop drooling. You’re embarrassing yourself,” he muttered.
Blue turned with a laugh and smacked a kiss on his husband’s mouth. “I love you, but I think we need to talk about this sudden need I have for some help with the kids.”
“Jackass.” Tristan pinched his husband’s ass where only I could see it. The two of them were clearly very much in love, which filled me with a strange kind of envy I’d never really felt before.
“Always appreciate an ‘I love you, but,’” Tristan added under a laugh.
Because I couldn’t take my eyes off Brody, I noticed right away when he stopped ten feet away and gave me an uncertain look, like maybe he wasn’t sure he was welcome.
Silly man. As though there could ever be a time when I wouldn’t be proud to have him beside me.
“Hey!” I called, unable to restrain my smile as I waved him over. When he strode up, I couldn’t help myself. I stepped forward and took him into my arms, dropping a kiss on his lips before pulling him against me. “Hey,” I exhaled against his hair in relief. My arms tightened involuntarily. “Hey,” I whispered again like a fool.
“Hi,” he said softly into my shoulder.
He didn’t smell like the organic oatmeal and honey soap he used at home, and I hated that, but underneath, he still smelled like Brody, and I inhaled him like oxygen.
“Missed you,” I said roughly.
My sister made an impatient noise, and Brody pulled away from me shyly. When he noticed Blue and Tristan standing beside us, the tops of his ears went pink, and his eyes flicked everywhere but at me. “Um. Hi. And hi, Gwen.”