Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
“It’s lovely, Rowan,” my dad tells her.
“Looks nice,” Ace offers.
“You got the stockings right,” Talon praises from his position propped up in the corner.
I glance over at his stocking, hanging in the middle, much longer than ours.
“A third leg is appropriate. Good job, Hollywood,” he goes on, winking at her.
“Talon Simms!” April reprimands, but the entire room is already laughing.
Mark toasts his glass in the air. “My son gets it naturally.”
Rowan turns pink but looks at Hotch expectantly. “Daddy?”
“Hmm?” His eyes stay on the T.V.
“Do you like the house?”
“Can’t see through you, darlin’. How about moving to the side?”
“Daddy! The television is above my head.”
He looks at Cassie. “For three days, I’ve been hanging shit, climbing ladders, and taking orders. You promised me a game in peace.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s your daughter.”
He harumphs, going back to the screen.
“Daddy, you bull-headed rot, answer my question!” Rowan loses patience and my dick stirs in my jeans.
“It looks like Hallmark threw up on every inch of this place,” he bellows.
Her face breaks out in an ear-splitting grin and she fist-pumps in the air. “Yes!”
She fairy dances around the room to him and plants a loud smack on his forehead.
“How about getting me a piece of that cake?” he mutters.
“How can you be hungry? We’ve been eating for days.”
“It’s Thanksgiving. We’re supposed to eat.”
“I’ll have cake,” Talon agrees.
She shoots him a stern glare. “Not until you get up and walk around. It’s been an hour.”
He slices his eyes to me. “Did you know you’re marrying Nurse Rachet?”
“She’s right, you need to keep circulation going.” April goes behind and propels him forward.
“I’ll walk my ass to get my own cake. Be glad to get our house back tomorrow,” he mutters under his breath.
I feel his pain. The last five days, this house has been bursting with people. I love my family, but it’s time for everyone to go home.
More so, the selfish ass in me wants Rowan back. Tuesday morning was the last time I had any time with her. Between the cooking, shopping, and her business—she’s exhausted. I barely get her in my hold before she’s asleep.
She assured me she’s okay during our conversation the other morning. Part of me thinks she’s pushing herself hard to avoid thinking about that day.
What she saw and heard is bad enough. But shooting a man can have serious backlash. I’m waiting for the realization to hit.
And I’m not alone.
Every man is watching her for signs of distress.
Hotch may have griped about all the decorating, but I’d catch the way he looked at her when she wasn’t paying attention.
Exactly like he’s doing now.
“I’ve got her.”
His troubled gaze comes to me. “I’m counting on it. Hardest thing I’ve ever done is hand that responsibility to you.”
“She’s my world.”
“Heard you’re taking this hard.”
“Not my first fight.”
“You quitting your job?”
“Not anymore. Staying on with Hayes for a little longer, then transitioning back to Metro.”
“I know you have a will of steel, but my girl wants to take care of you. Think you can lower that armor and let her?”
I glance over my shoulder at the kitchen. Rowan has a plate with a massive piece of cake and is opening a beer. All for me.
Warmth spreads through my chest, settling deep.
“Yeah, I can do that.”
He jerks his chin, appreciation shining in his eye. “You’ll do.”
Rowan hands me my beer, moving to sit before I tag her around the waist. She lands in my lap with a wobbly plop, the cake almost tumbling.
“Ford, be careful.”
“I wanted you in my lap.”
“You’re still injured.”
“I’m not too injured to have your sweet ass wiggling on my dick,” I whisper, pulling her earlobe through my teeth.
She shudders, elbowing me. “Stop and eat your cake.”
“This all for me?”
“Yes.”
“Baby, I can’t work out for another week. Not sure this body can process this much sugar at once.”
“It’s too much?”
Hotch shoots me a glare that speaks for itself. Eat the fucking cake.
“I’m teasing.”
She relaxes, swiping her finger through the icing and sucking it off her finger. My dick twitches and her eyes grow wide.
‘Behave’ she mouths.
“Not my fault.”
The security system chimes, the group of women flying up the drive with a van following, the half-swoop emblem on the side.
“How much exactly have you ordered?”
“It’s all Black Friday sales, Ford. Everyone knows you can’t ignore the savings.”
Another thing I learned about my girl this week, outside of her love of Christmas, is her die-hard devotion to Thanksgiving sales.
“Plus, I have a whole new family to buy for this year.”
“We don’t do a big gift exchange.”
“How about a few small gifts?”
“That we can do. Tell me how much you spend so I can cover it.”
“Nope.” She shakes her head. “I finally found a way around your chauvinistic ways.”
I’m about to argue when the door swings open and the women stumble in shivering.