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)
“Yeah,” I agree quietly, watching her kiss the top of her little boy’s head—the show of affection making him smile and my heart hurt.
CHAPTER 3
emma
As Miranda drives us down a dimly lit street with train tracks on one side, blocked off with a high chain-link fence and barbed wire, I glance around, wondering where the heck we’re going, because this area does not look safe.
“I thought we were going to Tucker’s apartment,” I say quietly as we turn a corner after passing three broken-down cars and what I’m pretty sure is a drug deal going down between two scary-looking men.
“We are.” She looks over at me quickly. “He lives right up the street.”
“This area is super sketchy, M.”
“It’s not.”
“Umm no, I’m pretty sure this is exactly where they filmed a missing persons episode for Dateline.”
She grins, never taking her eyes off the road. “The first time I came over here to meet Tucker, I thought he might be a serial killer.”
“And you stuck around?”
“Yep, then I followed him blindly into what I thought was an abandoned building.” She laughs, and I join in as she parks in front of a building that does look abandoned. I start to turn in my seat to look back at Kingston but let out a squeak when Miranda’s door is opened, and Tucker is suddenly there, bent halfway into the car, his face illuminated by the interior lights.
“Hey, baby,” he says softly, unhooking her seatbelt.
“Hey,” she replies breathlessly, and he smiles before looking over at me.
“Hey, Emma. You doing okay?” he asks gently.
“Yeah, thanks.” I fake a smile, and he lifts his chin.
“Tucker!” Kingston begins to shout for him from the back seat, and Tucker grins at Miranda when she laughs as he unfolds from the car to open the back door.
I unhook my belt, grab the door handle, and get out, and Miranda does the same while Tucker helps Kingston out of his seat and starts peppering him with questions.
Standing on the sidewalk, I look at the open door of the building. I can’t see much, because it’s so dark inside, but I still know that if a guy I just started dating were to tell me to meet him here and then insist I go inside with him, I would run for the hills.
“Miles and Winter are gonna have dinner with us,” Tucker says as he, Miranda, and Kingston join me on the sidewalk. I look at my best friend, raising a brow in a silent question, and she slides her arm through mine.
“Miles is Tucker’s brother, and Winter is Miles’s daughter,” she tells me as we follow Tucker and Kingston through the door.
“Oh.” I leave out the fake great. Any other time, I’d be happy to meet Tucker’s family, but it’s the absolute last thing I want to do tonight.
“You’ll like them,” she assures as we step onto an elevator that is spotless inside, unlike the first floor we just walked through that is filled with dust, paint buckets, sheetrock, and half-built walls.
I watch the numbers for the floors go up and expect the doors to open to the same disaster that is downstairs, but bright light greets me along with a man with dark, brown hair, a chiseled jaw, and greenish-blue eyes that are unusual and framed with thick, dark lashes.
“Ready, Daddy?” a little girl calls out, and he takes his eyes off mine and turns toward the sound of her voice, giving me his profile that is strong and masculine.
“They’re already here,” he says, and tiny feet padding on carpet hit my ears as he bends, then a little girl with the same dark hair as him is in his arms.
“Miles, Winter, this is my best friend, Emma. Emma, this is Miles and his daughter, Winter,” Miranda introduces while urging me off the elevator with her hand in the middle of my back.
“Hi.” Winter smiles shyly, dropping her head to her dad’s shoulder in adorable bashfulness.
“Nice to meet you both.” I muster up a smile that is less forced than the one I gave Tucker. Then again, Miles’s daughter is adorable.
“You too.” Miles smiles, turning his attention to Miranda as she goes about introducing his daughter to Kingston. Standing awkwardly off to the side, I nibble on my bottom lip as I watch the five of them, feeling completely out of place.
I look down when something cold touches the tips of my fingers and freeze as crystal-blue eyes lock on mine. Turning, I back away from the giant dog, who looks more like a wolf, while my heart pounds. I have no memory of being attacked by a dog when I was little, but it must be ingrained somewhere in my subconscious, because I’ve always been terrified of any dog I can’t easily pick up.
Okay, that’s a lie. Some little dogs freak me out too.