Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
My parents had always instilled in us that we were lucky to have a good start in life, but that we had to work hard if we wanted to achieve what they had. They might help and support us, but they weren’t going to hand everything to us.
On the ground floor, three doors split off to a huge kitchen my parents had renovated a few years ago, a TV room, a guest bedroom, a bathroom, and Dad’s office. On the next floor was my parents’ primary suite, a huge second living room, and Mum’s office. The top floor had been mine and my siblings’ floor growing up. We each had a bedroom and shared a bathroom. Mum and Dad had kept the character of the house by restoring Georgian coving and paneling throughout.
One day I’d love to be successful enough to buy a place like this to raise my kids. I’d only need around three and a half million pounds.
I snorted at the thought, trying to stem the sudden tightness in my chest.
Most of my family were gathered in the massive kitchen. Mum sat on a stool at the end of the island with my aunts Ellie and Hannah, drinking wine. Dad was at the stove with Grandma Elodie. Luke, Elle, my cousins Sophia and Jarrod, and Luke’s boyfriend, Afonso, sat at the breakfast nook. Grandpa Clark, Uncle Adam, and Uncle Marco sat with their backs to me at the island and to my surprise, there was no sign of my cousins Will or Bray. They were Uncle Adam and Aunt Ellie’s sons. Bray was named after my dad, Braden, because apparently, Dad and his sister wanted to confuse the heck out of everyone.
My uncle Marco’s son to a previous relationship, Dylan, was studying in the US. Like Lily and Luke, Dylan was twenty-one, and he was on a year’s university exchange from Glasgow to Northwestern in Chicago.
Marco’s wife was my aunt Hannah. Hannah wasn’t related to me by blood but was Ellie’s half sister and Elodie and Clark’s daughter, just as Elodie and Clark’s son Declan was Ellie’s half brother. Declan was the one member of our family who hadn’t remained close. He moved to Australia for a job, taking his wife and kids with him, and we only saw him once a year at Christmas.
My dad had always treated Hannah and Declan like his wee sister and brother, so it made no difference to us. We were all family.
And none of my family had noticed me enter.
Longing ached in my chest as I took them in. This lot was only a small portion of it. We were the (mostly) related portion. The rest of our family was made up of my parents’ friends, but we were so close I’d never considered them anything but aunts and uncles, and their children my cousins.
My dad noticed me first. His whole face lit up as he walked around the island toward me. “There’s my gorgeous girl.”
“Well, you did guilt-trip me into being here, so don’t act so surprised,” I replied sarcastically, even as Dad enfolded me in his arms and I hugged him like I hadn’t seen him in years. Dad was tall and broad-shouldered and one of the few people who could make me feel dainty. There was nothing better or safer than a dad hug.
He kissed the top of my head and gave me a squeeze before releasing me. “Missed you.”
“You too.”
“We wouldn’t have to miss you if you didn’t work so hard.” Mum was at our side now, waiting her turn for a cuddle.
At her disapproving tone, I frowned. “Eh, and for whom am I working so hard?”
“I don’t ask you to work so hard you have no life.” She reached up to cup my face in her palms, studying the features no one could deny I’d inherited from her. Other than my dad’s height and pale blue eyes, Jocelyn Carmichael’s dominant genes were stamped all over me. Same eye shape, same nose, same mouth, same hair, same skin tone. I was her mini me. Except I was taller. I’d sprouted past Mum at fifteen and hadn’t let her forget it.
“I have a life, shortie.” I took her hands in mine gently to remove them from my face. “I have a successful business.”
“That’s not all there is to life.” Mum pursed her full lips, studying me. “You look tired. I’m worried about you. You know when you got that flat, we thought we’d see more of you, not less.”
Irritation burned in my chest. “Gee, did Luke get this interrogation when he arrived?” I gestured to where my brother sat with my wee sister. Elle gave me a sympathetic wave, and I took that opportunity to head over to her. I smiled at my cousins Sophia and Jarrod. Jarrod was Elle’s age, and Sophia was seventeen. Because of their close ages, the three of them were good friends beyond being cousins. Sliding my arm around Elle, I kissed her temple. “Hey, baby girl.”