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)
Oh-so-temporary.
Jake smirked. “You didn’t buy that, did you?”
“Gimme a break,” she laughed. “But can you confirm crap for me? You’re together now? No more panicked revelations before bullshit weddings, no more coming up with silly tequila games to cop a feel of your supposedly straight friend—”
“Hey!” What the fuck?
“Yeah, seriously.” Jake was with me, despite the amusement in his eyes.
Okay, I couldn’t hide that either, but my Tequila Licking scheme had been fucking brilliant.
“Mom, you cursed,” Colin noted. “That’s usually Dad’s thing.”
I snorted.
Jake barked out a laugh. “Boy, if only you knew. Mom has the worst potty mouth.”
“He’s lying, baby,” Nikki assured. Lying through her teeth. “Never listen to Daddy.”
Colin and Jake laughed and shared a look that said Mommy was being silly.
“I gotta peeeee!” Sam yelled.
Ah, it was good to have the kids here. Only mine missing now.
Nikki offered to take her, which gave us the perfect opportunity to show Colin his room.
He stopped abruptly at the sight of the names on his door.
“It says Casper here.”
“It does.” Jake smiled and pushed open the door. “What do you think about this?”
Colin walked in first, and the surprise was clear on his face. The bunk bed and the two desks made him spin around. “Is Uncle Roe gonna live here with Casper and the twins? Am I sharing with Casper?”
“If you’re okay with that,” I offered. I meant it. Regardless of how certain we were, if any of the kids for some reason wasn’t happy, we would make adjustments.
Colin pinched his lips together and tossed his ball cap on the bottom bunk. He took in his surroundings, his gaze lingering on the toy boxes by the window. Casper’s Lego collection was almost as impressive as Colin’s these days.
Jake approached and squatted down next to him. “What’re you thinkin’, sweetheart?”
Fuck. Now I was getting all nervous.
Colin flicked me a hesitant look before he leaned closer to Jake and whispered in his ear.
Thankfully, kids didn’t know how to whisper.
“It’s like before, when I was little—before Uncle Roe was stupid and moved out.”
Sweet motherfucking relief. I gusted out a breath and ran a hand through my hair.
Jake laughed softly. “You know, just this once, I’m gonna let you call someone stupid. He and the kids belong here with us, don’t they?”
Colin grinned, uncharacteristically shy, and stayed close to his dad. “Yeah.”
We were gonna be okay. Fuck that—we were gonna be amazing.
That Christmas, I saw my whole future ahead of me.
There was simply not a damn thing I would change about my found family in Los Angeles. Nikki and Russell showed up around four, when Jake was picking up Grandma Jo-Jo at the airport. Haley and Seth arrived—together, I noticed—shortly after. Haley was impressed by the Christmas tree, and I didn’t feel the need to tell her Nikki had decorated it for us.
She bossed Russell and me around in the kitchen too, and it was for the best. We’d ordered catering because we didn’t want anyone to die of food poisoning, so Nikki told us what to do in terms of reheating and setting the table.
“Grandma’s here!” Haley called out.
“Nanny!” Sam shouted. “Colin, Cas, Nanny is here now!”
The house erupted in greetings that drowned out the Christmas music playing in the background.
Okay, I could do this. Hug Grandma Jo-Jo, keep an eye on Adam, who was dancing dangerously close to the presents under the tree, add a stick of butter to the mashed potatoes, help Russell with the wineglasses, place the turkey on the warming tray, apply more glaze to the ribs, slice the bread—and where the fuck was my daughter?
Oh, thank fuck. She’d latched on to Nikki’s leg.
“I’m-wa up-ah!”
“Well, hi there, sweet girl. You want up?” Nikki grinned and hauled my girl up to sit on her hip.
I passed her on my way to grab more glasses, and I smooched both their cheeks. I couldn’t help it. I was just so fucking grateful for the support we had. Nikki and Haley weren’t messing around. Whatever happened between Sandra and our youngest in the future, Adam and Callie—and Casper, of course—would always have Aunt Nikki and Aunt Haley on their side.
Dinner was a loud affair, just like it was supposed to be. Jake gave Seth some good-natured shit for dating his sister, though I wasn’t sure anyone bought the act. The kids were…loud. Grandma Jo-Jo pointed out to Seth that Haley had child-bearing hips, to which we all cracked up.
“Let’s slow down, Grandma,” Haley laughed. “We’ve been together less than six months.”
“Pshhh.” Grandma Jo-Jo waved that off. “Just don’t take as long as your brother to settle down good and proper.”
“Thanks, Grandma.” Jake smirked lazily and rested his arm along the back of my chair.
Man, if only Grandma Jo-Jo’s son were as open-minded as she was. Her comment to Jake when he’d told her about us was, “Well, good. I’ve been waiting.”