Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
When Winter comes back out of her room, I tuck all thoughts of work away and focus on the goodness I have in my life, because soon enough, I’ll be reminded just how fucked up this world is outside.
CHAPTER 8
emma
“Emma!”
Hearing my name shouted in Winter’s cute little voice as soon as I get out of my car with my bag, I smile, shutting the door then walk around the hood. The moment I step up on to the sidewalk, I laugh as she runs toward me, wearing a pink fuzzy bathrobe over her pajamas with a pair of cute piggy-faced slippers on her feet. Skye following close on her heels.
“Hey, sweet girl.” I wrap my arms around her as she hugs me, then look up at her dad, who is standing just down the sidewalk, watching us with a small smile on his face.
I drop my gaze back to Winter when she begins bouncing in front of me, making me shake because she’s still holding onto my sides, her hands clinging to the vest I wore over my long-sleeved shirt.
“Dad said we’re going to the zoo today.”
“We are.” I laugh when she shrieks in little-girl happiness, then my heart warms when she lets me go but then wraps her tiny hand around mine.
“Come on! I made pancakes.”
“You did?” I ask as she begins dragging me with her down the sidewalk toward her dad.
“Yes.” She grins up at me. “With cocoa chips.”
“How did you know those are my favorite?”
“Lucky guess.” She stops when we’re in front of Miles, and I look up at him. Without my heels I typically wear, it seems like he’s towering over me. Then again, he’s a tall guy, so I don’t know why I’m even thinking about how tall he is compared to me now.
“Hey, Em.” The warmth of his palm hits my arm through the material of my shirt as he leans down to kiss my cheek. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Any time.” I smile, chalking up the twist in my lower belly to not having a man touch me in months—not to the fact that the man touching me is Miles.
“Do you need anything from your car?” he asks, lifting Winter off her feet.
“Nope.” I smile, bending to give Skye a head rub when she nudges her nose into my hand. She’s grown on me these last couple of months and is probably the gentlest and most well-trained dog I have ever met.
When I’m done scratching her behind her ears, we follow Winter and Miles into the building, which isn’t as scary as it was the first time I was here. The drywall is all up and has been taped and floated, so it’s ready for paint, and most of the doors are now installed. It’s finally beginning to look like an apartment building, and I’m actually looking forward to seeing how it all comes together in the end. If the apartments are as nice as Tucker’s, Miles’s, and Clay’s, this is going to end up being the it spot to live in Nashville.
When we reach the elevator, Miles uses his phone as a digital key, the door slides open, and we step on.
“Were your friends okay with you rearranging your schedule?” he asks as the doors close, and the elevator begins to move.
“Yeah, they’re coming in next weekend.” I take Winter from him when she reaches for me to hold her, her weight only slightly heavier than Kingston’s, even with their age difference. “My friend Jamie was relieved, since she wasn’t looking forward to meeting me this morning after going out last night and having too much fun.”
“How did she have too much fun?” Winter asks, and I focus on her cute little face.
“She stayed up way past her bedtime.”
“I stayed up past my bedtime too.”
“Did you?” Miles asks, and she looks at him with an “oops, maybe I wasn’t supposed to admit that” face.
“Only a little bit.” He narrows his eyes on her. “Miss Karen and I were watching The Bachelor. We had to know who the winner was.”
“Miss Karen lets you watch The Bachelor?”
“She fast-forwards through the bad parts,” she assures him, and I press my lips together to keep from laughing at the look of horror on his face. I haven’t ever watched The Bachelor, but I have seen the previews for the show, so I know there are some pretty inappropriate things that take place. Or at least things that are inappropriate for a seven-year-old to see happen between two adults.
“Apparently, me and Miss Karen need to have a conversation about what you’re allowed to watch on TV.”
“It’s not a big deal, Dad,” she groans, wiggling to get down when the doors open, and I place her on her feet. “Come on, Emma.” She grabs my hand again and starts dragging me with her to their apartment as I glance back at an exasperated-looking Miles.