Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
“Sorry I’m late, ladies. I didn’t know we were having a party or I would’ve brought beer. As it is, all I have is this.” I hold out the Styrofoam cup to Janey, and she reaches for it, fighting hard to hide a smile but not succeeding.
A quick look around lets me know that Kayla and Samantha have fixed their faces into perfectly blank, neutral expressions, and Luna is covering the lower half of her face, unable to reach the same degree of flat disinterest as the others.
Apparently, they’re going with the ‘Kyle sucks’ agenda tonight. A classic for sure.
“What is it?” Samantha asks, one brow arched so high that it disappears into her newly trimmed bangs.
“Strawberry-apricot Sprite,” I tell Janey. “I know it’s not the same as your favorite Red Bull, but I thought it’d be a good substitute given your current caffeine restrictions.” I point to her baby bump. I swear, she’s gotten bigger since I dropped off Peanut Butter this morning. Not that I’m stupid enough to tell her that, of course, but with the way her legs are criss-cross-applesauced in front of her, her round belly is literally sitting on her swollen ankles.
Janey’s job at a nursing home is both physically and mentally demanding, so she’s taking an extended maternity leave, starting well before her due date and lasting basically as long as she wants it to. One of the definite benefits of being a part of this family is the financial security to do that if she wants. This is day three of her being home, and I know she’s missing her coworkers and patients, who she loves like family, which is why I asked her to watch Peanut Butter, thinking a furry, friendly distraction would be good for her. Plus, it gives me a chance to check in on her every morning and evening, something I know Cole appreciates but would never dream of asking for.
“Ooh, thank you,” Janey says in delight before sucking down at least a quarter of the drink in one go. She sighs in happiness, and I’m glad I made the stop, even if it made me a few minutes later.
“How’s my boy been today?”
I look around, expecting Peanut Butter to divebomb me when I least expect it. We don’t affectionately call him Nutbuster for nothing. He’ll run at you full-throttle, his nose aimed right where you least want it. But he’s nowhere to be seen.
Janey laughs. “Already in bed. It was so nice out that we played fetch in the back yard for an hour today, and I think I wore him out. He’s already claimed Cole’s place on the bed, so you can leave him. I could use the company.” She glances up to the camera in the corner of the room and sticks her tongue out at it. “Yep, gonna have another man in my bed tonight. One that likes to snuggle.”
She’s talking to my brother, who probably switched from the porch camera to the inside camera when I came inside. Like I said, he’s a weirdo, but Janey doesn’t seem to mind and apparently talks to Cole like he’s here even when he’s keeping a lookout from hundreds of miles away. Or wherever he is. With him, you never know. He might literally be across the street or in another country, depending on the job.
“Oh, if I’d known that, I wouldn’t have interrupted this.” I wave a hand in a circle, indicating the four women. “If you want to keep Peanut Butter, that’s fine. He snores like a demon, though, so don’t plan on a great night’s rest.”
Janey rubs her belly absently. “I don’t sleep much these days anyway, especially when Cole’s not here.”
I cut my eyes toward the camera, frowning, and then see the other women look at each other. It seems that’s why they’re all here too, checking on Janey while my brother’s out of town.
Not too long ago, the rest of us Harringtons wouldn’t have even known Cole was gone and definitely wouldn’t have known what he was doing. He came and went like the wind, vanishing at the drop of a hat and returning without notice. But Janey helped change all that, and now that Cole shares more with us, we look out for him and Janey, and their little one who’s on the way.
“Speaking of not here, where have you been?” Kayla asks.
I pull the beef sticks out of my back pocket. “I forgot, I did bring you something. Slim Jim?” I ask, holding them out to Kayla first, then Samantha, then Luna, in order of greatest threat to least likely to dig into things I don’t want to discuss.
But Kayla isn’t swayed by the mighty draw of the spicy stick of quick protein and sees right through my distraction technique easily. In fact, in trying to avoid the question, I think she sees an even bigger question mark target. Her denim blue eyes, the same as everyone in my family except me, narrow as she looks at me sharply.