Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 132332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
I almost choke on the weight of all the ways I’ve failed her and all the things I’m hiding from her. Would she still feel the same way if she knew the truth?
“Thanks.” I force a smug big brother smirk onto my face. “You’re pretty cool too…for a little sister.”
She rolls her eyes. “Are you home for good now?”
“Looks that way. Blake won’t be down there too much longer,” I assure her.
She nods. “He’s helping the guys renovate the clubhouse. Can I hold her?” She sticks her arms out, and I pass Grace over.
“Oh,” Heidi sighs. “She’s the sweetest when she’s sleeping. Those six a.m. alarm calls are murder, though.” She laughs and kisses Grace’s forehead.
Should I tell Heidi about Rock and me now? The words try to line up on my tongue but I bite them back. “You’re not upset Alexa isn’t the baby of the club anymore? She held the title for a while.”
Heidi lifts her head to scowl at me. “Of course not.” She rocks Grace gently. “I love her too much. Besides, Alexa’s literally being spoiled by Trinity right now.” A wicked smile curves her lips. “And I’ll be honest, spending time with Grace makes me want another baby so badly.”
“Worry about finishing school.”
She clucks her tongue and rolls her eyes at my harsh tone. No matter how old we get, our brother-sister dynamic will always be present.
“I am,” she huffs. “But I like being a mom too. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I let out a deep sigh. “No, there isn’t.”
She stares at me with wide eyes, as if my agreement shocks her. “What about you? Don’t you and Charlotte have baby fever yet?”
The teasing question hits me in the gut. I feel like a damn deer on the highway with a tractor trailer’s high beams lighting me up while it speeds toward me.
“Marcel?” Heidi touches my arm and hands Grace to me. “I was kidding.”
“Huh? Yeah, no. We’ll get there.”
Her forehead crinkles as she studies me. “I think you and Charlotte will be really great parents.”
“Yeah,” I answer. “I hope so.”
She frowns again.
Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
I can’t catch my breath.
Marcel holding Grace with Heidi by his side is the sweetest picture.
His two sisters.
Guilt chases away my melancholy. It’s been months. So much has happened, and Heidi still has no idea who Grace really is to Marcel.
“Hey, guys,” I call to get their attention.
Marcel glances up and his expression softens. “Hey, Sunshine.”
How ironic that he calls me sunshine when I always feel so warm and loved under his gaze. “Hey. Hope said you were with Grace.”
I approach slowly, like he’s cradling a rattlesnake instead of a baby. One of Grace’s fists escapes her blanket, and I can’t help smiling.
No matter how sad I am for my own loss sometimes, my heart fills with love. “Can I hold her?”
“Yeah,” Marcel rasps. We haven’t spoken about our miscarriage since the night he came home and I told him about it. The desperate need to do something to make it better claws at me every day.
Heidi hops out of her seat and offers it to me.
“Thanks,” I murmur and sink onto the couch.
She grins and opens her mouth, then frowns and closes it. Was she about to tease me about having baby fever, like I overheard her doing to Marcel a few minutes ago? Is my Grim Reaper face what stole the question from her lips?
“Hey, baby girl,” I whisper as Marcel hands Grace to me. “Everyone’s loving on you today, huh?”
She smacks her little lips and blinks at me.
“I gotta run.” Heidi leans over me to peer at Grace one more time. “Just wanted to see the little peanut before I head to class.”
“Hey.” Marcel captures Heidi’s hand. “Kick some ass today.”
“You know it.” She dips down and pops a kiss on his cheek, then scurries toward the dining room.
“Did you two have a good talk?” I ask without looking away from Grace.
“Not about what we should have.” He gently runs his hand over Grace’s curls. “I wanted to but with Blake still not here, it seemed like the wrong time.”
“I don’t know that there will ever be a perfect time for that talk.”
“Probably not.”
The front door opens and closes. “I’m so glad you’re here, Charlotte. I feel like I haven’t seen much of you lately,” Hope says. “Thanks for watching her, Teller.”
“No problem,” Marcel says.
Rock follows her inside but his gaze slips from his son to his daughter. “How’d she behave for you, knucklehead?”
“She was perfect.”
As if Grace senses her parents have returned, she scrunches up her little face and wails.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” I whisper.
“Aw, I’ll take her, Charlotte,” Hope says.
I’m not ready to relinquish Grace yet, but I can’t exactly keep Hope’s baby hostage, either.
Rock’s glued to Hope’s side as she takes Grace to the couch opposite us. He’s the kind of attentive father I know Marcel will be…eventually.