Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Adam and Callie were still so little that I had faith they wouldn’t remember a thing if Sandra just started prioritizing them a bit more now. But so far… It was rough. They knew who Mama was because I essentially used a photo of Sandra as a picture book to point her out and repeat the term. They didn’t naturally turn to her for anything because she didn’t pick them up. She wasn’t a permanent fixture in their lives, despite we all lived together. Despite we saw each other every day. Had dinner together most nights.
I pulled into the driveway outside the office and killed the engine.
Seth’s and Haley’s cars were outside on the street.
I reached the gate just as Colin left the house with his backpack in tow.
“Hey, little man. How was school today?”
“Hi! It was great. Dad asked if you can make sure I get home safe.” He rolled his eyes a little at that.
One day, he’d appreciate his dad’s protectiveness. “Of course. I’ll stay here.” We’d done this before. He thought he was too mature for me to walk him all the way, but I could wait at the gate and wave to him when he’d reached their house.
He shouldered his backpack and trailed up the sidewalk.
Li’l mini-Jake was growing up too fast. He’d even adopted Jake’s signature look with backward-facing ball caps.
Four doors down, he turned to me and waved.
I smiled and waved back. “See you tomorrow, sweetheart. Don’t forget to lock the door, and call if you need anything.”
“I won’t forget, bye!”
I waited a few extra seconds to make sure he got inside, and then I headed in too. I guessed Sam was with Nikki. I never knew. When Nikki and Russell had moved in together last year, they’d found a house just a couple streets away from here, so the kids came and went pretty much as they pleased.
I could only pray Sandra and I would get along somewhat after we’d split up officially. God knew we’d been over for a long time already. We hadn’t behaved like a married couple in ages. We’d spent Christmas last year with her family, and they knew shit was broken. We’d be in New York for Christmas next month, and they had their own questions about us. Aunt Elsie was “concerned.”
As I kicked off my shoes, I heard voices in the kitchen, so I went there.
Nice, everyone was gathered, and they’d prepared coffee too.
“Yo.”
“Hi again.” Haley looked confused. “Didn’t you leave earlier? Ew, you’re all sweaty.”
It was actually mostly dry by now, thank you very much.
“Did Bear get home all right?” Jake asked.
I nodded and sat down at the island, then answered Haley. “The boss summoned us all, so here I am.”
She laughed. “As if Jake’s the boss. Puh-lease.”
“I love you too, sis,” Jake drawled.
Seth sat patiently and just sipped his coffee.
“I know you do.” Haley blew Jake a kiss. “So why the sudden afternoon meeting? I have a date with my bathtub and a bottle of wine.”
Seth coughed and set down his coffee mug, and it was such a reaction that I immediately grew suspicious. I narrowed my eyes and glanced between him and Haley. Haley Denver had a good poker face. Seth Diaz, not so much. He might be built like someone you didn’t wanna meet in a dark alley, but off the clock, he was one of the kindest and most genuine people we knew.
It’d been a long time since he and his ex had broken up. Could there be something going on between him and Haley?
Jake was obliviously pouring coffee, reminding me that he was probably uneasy as fuck. So I racked my brain for something to say, and then he could jump in when he was ready—
“We gotta talk about something,” he said.
Okay, then.
He slid the coffee mug my way, and I nodded in thanks.
“Sounds serious,” Haley noted.
Jake cleared his throat, something he always did excessively when he was uncomfortable. “I don’t want it to be a big deal, and it’s nothing that will be brought to the public’s attention anytime soon. I mean, it depends how you define soon—in a few months or so.”
Fuck, I wished I could make this easier for him. His discomfort radiated from him.
He rubbed the back of his neck, then planted his hands on the countertop. He was the only one not sitting down.
Haley sensed something was off. Her usual playful attitude took a hike.
I knew Jake well enough by now to be able to tell he was at war with himself. He had the demons of his past piping up in the background, then a louder, thankfully stronger voice telling him to just spit it out. In no scenario was even the good-guy voice remotely nice. He was always hard on himself.
“I’m gay,” he said and lifted his gaze from his untouched coffee mug to Haley.