Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Biting back a scathing remark for Stevie’s sake, I went over to the entertainment system and picked up the remote. We had plenty of channel options, and although I’d never watched one meant for children, I’d seen something like that on here. I turned on the screen, and it lit up.
I glanced back at Stevie. “I’ve got any channel you want, or is there a specific show I can search for you?”
Her eyes were wide as she stared at the screen. “It’s like a movie theataw,” she said in awe. “Look, Mommy! It’s just like when we go to see a movie with popcown.” Her eyes swung back to me. “Do you have popcown?”
Damn, she was adorable. The popcorn machine in the theater at my brother’s home in Georgia wasn’t looking so pretentious right about now. I’d need to buy one of those and hope he didn’t come for a visit, only to see it after I gave him hell for his in his home theater.
“I do.” I looked at Luther. “Go pop her some popcorn,” I told him.
“With buttah, please!” she piped up.
Luther did not look amused, and for a second, I thought he was about to refuse, but his gaze went to Branwen. Whatever he saw made him change his mind. It had better be him having some out-of-place sympathy for her and nothing more. Luther was a whore, but he wasn’t going to fuck the mother of my child. We’d need to get that cleared up and fast before he started trying to charm his way into her panties.
Apparently, it’s not hard to do, I thought bitterly.
“Mr. Shephard, you needed me,” Jayda said, entering from the other side of the room.
“Stevie, this is Jayda. She will get you anything you need. Change the channel for you. Just ask,” I told her. “Jayda, this is Stevie, a very special guest. Take care of her for me. Her mother and I will be in my office if you need me.”
Jayda turned to smile at Stevie.
“You look like Awiel,” she told Jayda. “She’s my favowite pwincess. I like youah hayah.”
“Oh, I much prefer yours. All those beautiful blonde curls.” She glanced back at Branwen. “You got those from your mother, I see.”
Stevie nodded her head, causing the curls to bounce around her head.
“We will be just fine,” she said, looking at me, then giving Branwen a reassuring smile.
“Luther went to get her popcorn. Make sure he did it right before you give it to her,” I instructed.
Jayda laughed. “I’m not sure he’s ever done that before. Stevie and I might need to make a trip to the kitchen.”
“This way,” I told Branwen, barely glancing at her before starting toward the office.
“I’m, uh, Branwen,” I heard her say. “Thank you for watching her. You need to know that Stevie is allergic to tree nuts. Popcorn will be fine as long as it is being popped here and hasn’t been cross-contaminated. She will ask for a soda, but it makes her bounce off the walls, as does anything sugary. She likes water and oat milk, if you have it. Dairy gives her a stomachache, and she doesn’t like soy milk. If you have any questions, she knows what she can and can’t have, but please come ask me. Being in a new place, she’s excited, and she might not pay close enough attention.”
I stopped and looked back at her. What happened when she had tree nuts? Was it serious? Finding that there were instructions that came with Stevie wasn’t something I’d even considered. I wasn’t used to food allergies, and knowing Stevie had some concerned me. No, it fucking scared the shit out of me.
“Oh, and she loves grapes. If she asks for them, she is allowed to have them, but I slice them in half. She’s probably old enough to not choke on them now, but it still worries me. If one were to slip down her throat…” she winced. “Please slice them before giving them to her. It’s a fear of mine. The popcorn makes me a little nervous, too, but I let her have it. I just never leave her alone with popcorn, and I watch her while she eats it. If she were to choke, there wouldn’t be a sound, and you wouldn’t know she wasn’t breathing.” She paused, biting her lip and looking at Stevie nervously. “Vivi Lu, chew the popcorn very good. Don’t put more than one piece in your mouth at a time. Keep something to drink beside you, okay?”
Stevie nodded. “I pwomise to eat it slowly.”
Branwen’s smile softened. “Be good. I won’t be too long, but if you want me or need me for anything, tell Jayda, and she will bring you to me.”
Fuck. Maybe I shouldn’t leave her with Jayda. What if she looked away and missed Stevie choking? I no longer wanted her eating popcorn. Why didn’t we have ice cream? We needed to get ice cream. Wait! Shit. She couldn’t have dairy. My head started to pound behind my eyes as I worked through what was safe for her and what wasn’t.