Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I drew an unsteady breath and let the relief wash over me. I hadn’t doubted him taking my side, but it felt so damn good to really feel that we could still be a united front.
Ellie grew even redder in her face, and she cried and screamed uncontrollably. “You’re both dumb!”
“Noelle!” I barked out.
“Oi!” Alfie got heated in an instant, and before I knew it, he was running up the stairs two at a time, and Ellie flinched and shrank in on herself. “What the fuck is this about? Why’re you acting like a spoiled brat?”
“I would t-take care of it!” Ellie sobbed.
Alfie glanced down at me, and I offered a pointed look.
“Jesus Christ, is this about another pet?” He turned back to Ellie, visibly ticked off. “You know why Daddy and I say no, Ellie? Because an animal needs owners who can take care of it properly. How you gonna do that when you go back to kindergarten and Daddy and I work?”
She sniveled and cried about how Lizzie R had a dog walker, and her older sisters were home too.
“This fuckin’ Lizzie R again.” Alfie pinched the bridge of his nose.
There was nothing wrong with Lizzie. Her parents, on the other hand. They gave her whatever she pointed at.
“Listen, Ellie.” Alfie squatted down in front of our girl. “We’re not getting a pet. You can cry all you want, but we will never hire someone to take care of a living thing because we don’t have time to do it ourselves. And we will sure as fuck never get a pet because you want it so badly that you’ll scream and call us bad names.” He pointed to her door. “Get back in there. When you’re ready to say sorry to Daddy and me, we’ll talk.”
She let out another rage-laden cry and stomped back into her room.
I blew out a heavy breath.
“Is this just a shitty day, or is it the start of a behavior we wanna nip in the bud?” Alfie asked as he trailed back down.
“I hope the former,” I replied. “She’s at that farm camp this week, so she’s gone bananas over a new animal every day.”
“Ah. So we’ll keep an eye on things.” He peered into the kitchen. “Hey, buddy. That looks incredible.”
Trip didn’t even look up. “Hi, Dad. Not now. Concentrating.”
We let out a chuckle, and we locked eyes to the muted sounds of Ellie crying upstairs.
“Where’s, uh…where’s Colby?” I asked.
“His brother called from Dublin. He’ll be in soon, I reckon.”
Got it.
Needing something to do, I nodded for the kitchen and said we could start the grill. In reality, I was going for the smokes I kept hidden in a pot on the terrace.
The trick for surviving tonight might be to keep myself occupied. Perhaps it’d been a bad idea to finish all the prep for the barbecue.
“Do you have another pub night planned later?” I asked as I opened the terrace door.
“No…?”
“Oh. I figured, with the clothes…” Today’s colors were two shades of dark blue, and he looked out of this world. Paired with rustic tan leather shoes and a matching belt, it reminded me of what I’d stupidly bought last week in the city. I’d seen a simpler model of a watch from a brand I’d always admired in a store window, and I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. I’d gone in there, thinking I might buy something, and then I’d laid eyes on a display picture of a beautiful chronograph that had to be ordered directly from Switzerland. It had a white dial but dark blue accents and a leather strap, so it would go very well with what he was wearing today. Blue and brown was one of my favorite color combinations, especially leather, especially those earthy tones of saddle brown and tan. And he knew this.
He glanced down, then shrugged. “They’re growing on me more.”
I could tell. He looked comfortable, albeit tired.
The latter was relatable.
We’d only seen each other at drop-offs since that night at his place, and we hadn’t spoken properly. Just kid-related topics.
I loathed it.
I stopped at the doors outside the guest room, and I dug the pack and a lighter out from a potted rosebush.
“Fuck, it’s like you can read my mind. I’ve been craving one all day,” he said.
“I usually cave when I’m stuck in traffic after work.” I lit mine up and handed the lighter to him. “It’s been one too many lately, though.” One too many late-night drinks too.
We automatically snuck around the corner of the house, where we’d have more privacy. If Trip came out, we’d hear him and have time to hide the evidence.
It wasn’t our first rodeo.
“Colby mentioned you look like shit lately.”
I frowned. “Pardon?”
“Not in those words. He said you’re tired.”
Well, thanks a lot.
I swallowed uncomfortably and pretended to find the hedges interesting. They needed trimming soon.