Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“Neither. I thought the girls might like the cookies better than cake.”
“You’ve got this girl-dad thing down, Huntley,” Maddox teases.
Girl dad.
I know that River and Rayne come with Briar. They’re a package deal, and an adorable one at that, but it hasn’t really hit me until this moment that if this goes where I hope it does, I’ll be a girl dad. I smile at the thought.
“We lost him,” Maddox jokes.
“I can kill that,” I tell them.
“Kill what?” Legend asks as he and Monroe step into the house. I didn’t even hear the door open.
“Girl-dad life,” Lachlan explains.
“Bro, you’ve got this in the bag.” Legend nods.
“I agree. I should know… you practically raised Emerson and me.”
“Baby, that sounds creepy as fuck. Forrest and I are the same age.”
“Cradle robber.” Maddox coughs into his hand.
“Stop.” Monroe laughs. “It’s ten years, Legend. Not twenty. Besides, Roman and Emerson have the same age gap.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groan.
“Um, Forrest, you do realize that you’re thirty-two, right?” Monroe asks.
“I know how old I am, Mo.”
“And you know that your girl turns twenty-three today. I know this is hard, but let me help you. Thirty-two minus twenty-three is nine. As soon as it’s your birthday, it’ll be ten years.”
“Ha ha, smartass. I know how old she is, and how many years there are between us.” I just don’t give a fuck.
Monroe’s phone pings, and she pulls it out of her back pocket. “It’s Emerson. Briar, Brogan, and the girls just got to her place. She’s walking them over. She wants us all to yell ‘happy birthday’ when they walk in.”
Maddox rubs his hands together. “Let’s do this.” We form a line so that they’ll see us as soon as they walk in.
“Wait.” I turn and grab the bag of party favors and start tossing them out. Noise makers and hats are a must, right?
“They’re turning twenty-three, not three.” Monroe chuckles.
“Shut it. We’re doing it right. They haven’t celebrated with anyone but each other for four years.” Legend gives me the stink eye for telling his wife to shut it, but I just smile and toss him a party hat. Monroe might as well be my little sister, and I’m not going to treat her otherwise just because my best friend married her.
The door opens, and my heart rate kicks up into a higher rhythm.
She’s here.
Emerson leads them into the house, and as soon as Briar and Brogan enter, we call out “Happy Birthday.”
Briar’s mouth falls open. She takes in the room and all of us standing here with crazy hats and noisemakers. The twins are standing still with awe in their eyes. Roman slips out from behind them and grabs a hat for Lilly, placing it on her head.
My feet are moving before I know what I’m doing. I lean down and press a kiss to Briar’s cheek. “Happy Birthday, beautiful.” Tears shimmer in her eyes, but the smile she’s giving me tells me they’re happy tears. At least, I hope they are. And because her daughters are watching, I do the same to Brogan. “Happy Birthday.” I move back to Briar, needing to be next to her.
“Forty, I didn’t know we’d see you,” Rayne tells me.
“Yeah, we didn’t know,” River agrees.
I crouch down so that I’m at their level. “I’m glad you’re here.” I’m taken off guard when they both wrap their arms around my neck. Something shifts inside me as Maddox’s words play through my mind.
Girl dad.
“Did you bring your swimsuits?” I ask them.
“We did. Do we get to swim?” River asks.
“Do you know how to swim?” I ask her. I glance up at Briar and she nods.
“Yes!” the girls cheer.
“Well, all right then. Let’s go outside and get this party started.”
“Do we get a hat too?” Rayne asks.
“Of course you do, Dazzle.”
“Dazzle?” Emerson asks.
“That’s my name. My sister is Razzle. And he’s Forty.” Rayne points to my chest.
“Well, Razzle and Dazzle, let’s get our swim on.” Lachlan winks at them and they look to me, not their mom. Me. They look to me for permission.
“It’s okay. You can go. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Hey, I want a twin.” Maddox pretends to pout.
“I’m a twin.” River points to her chest.
“Razzle, you want to be my swim buddy today?” Maddox asks her.
“Yes!”
“Dazzle, that leaves you and me.” Lachlan holds his hand up for a high-five, and Rayne slaps her tiny hand against his.
“Don’t let them out of your sight, and in the water you’re with them,” I tell my friends.
Maddox nods his approval. “Yeah, you got this in the bag, Huntley.”
“I’ll go with them,” Brogan says, following out the patio door.
Glancing around the room, I see it’s just the two of us. “Come here.” Snaking an arm around Briar’s waist, I pull her into my chest and hug her. “Happy Birthday.”
She sighs and settles into my embrace, her arms wrapping around my waist. I hold her for a few minutes, relishing the feel of her in my arms.