Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 55769 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55769 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“It wasn’t chocolate and mustard. It was tangerine and chocolate.”
“Orange and poo, same thing,” Ally, ever the shit-stirrer, stirred.
Tod’s face got red.
“Hi, babe,” Sadie called his way, and the minute she did, Gretl left her place sitting on his feet, panting to go to her mama.
He lifted his chin to her.
Her ice-blue eyes sparkled.
He felt that flare in his gut, spreading warmth.
She was happy. In her element. Surrounded by friends.
Thank fuck he didn’t take her to Vegas to get hitched, she would have missed this.
She then turned to Tod. “I like the idea of seashell, Tod. It’s opalescent. You can work with that, you know, instead of ice? Right?”
Tod considered it a second, then he chanted, “I’m seeing it, I’m seeing it.” He lifted his hands and spread them out like he was envisioning a marquee. “The most delicate iridescent seashell and the fire of…wait for it…opal!”
“Oh…my…gawd!” Ralphie exclaimed. “It’s perfect!”
“Isn’t it?” Tod asked.
Ralphie threw his chair back. “Is the fabric store still open?”
“They know me. Even if they’re closing, they’ll let us nip some swatches while they sweep the floors.”
Tod snatched up the planner lying spread out on the table, and he and Ralphie bumped into each other on the way to the front door, but even so, they didn’t miss a step.
“Guess I’m going. Love you, girlies,” Stevie said, getting up and blowing kisses without using his hand.
“Me too,” Buddy put in. He gave Hector a chin lift, one to Eddie, a smile around the table, then as he walked with Stevie to the door, he suggested, “We drop them, make sure they can get in. Then we’ll take my truck, go get a beer, and they can meet us for dinner?”
“Works for me,” Stevie replied.
Clearly, Tod and Ralphie exiting the room and taking the wedding binder with them meant the Gathering was over.
He knew this when Sadie came to Hector and rested her weight into him where he stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed on his chest.
Gretl, as ever at her mama’s side, came with.
“I’m making tacos. Jet says it’s easy. Just brown ground beef, throw some water and seasoning in, and voilà.”
“The food of my people,” he teased.
She giggled.
When she was done doing that, she shared, “Ava and Stella already popped out to get more beef and cheese and tortillas. And, um…sour cream and jalapeños and lettuce and other stuff.”
His eyes swept the table. “Good call.”
Her voice dipped when she asked, “You’re not mad it’s not just you and your brother, Jet and me?”
“You happy to cook for thirteen people?
“Lee, Hank, Vance, with Max, Mace, Luke, Marcus and Jason are all on their way over.”
He started laughing.
She smiled at him while he did.
He circled her with his arms. “What? Not Tex?”
“He said he’s setting fire to any wedding planner in his sight from now until Ally gets hitched. So when Jet asked him to pop over tonight, he said he’s not coming within five miles of our house if the wedding planner is in it.”
“Is Ally getting hitched?” he asked curiously, considering her situation with Ren Zano hadn’t yet been outed, at least, not that he knew.
“I don’t know, is she?” Sadie asked back, watching him closely.
He shrugged a single shoulder.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
So he kissed her.
Hector stood back.
Sadie moved forward.
And at the base of the pink marble tomb, she rested a spray of gardenias.
She then sat on the step and said, “It’s official, mama. Our wedding colors are seashell and opal.”
Hector leaned against a tree.
Gretl found her spot and urinated next to a tombstone.
When she was done, she loped to Hector, and they waited as Sadie visited with her mother.
“C’mere,” Hector muttered.
Sadie fought the bubbles and drifted across the hot tub toward him.
Even though she’d seen them in it dozens of times, Gretl prowled the deck like she feared them drowning and sporadically barked at the foaming water.
Sadie straddled Hector and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Under the water, he did the same around her back.
“You good?” he asked.
She nodded, trying not to let it show. How happy she was. But it burst from her like a beacon.
“We can wait,” he offered.
“What?”
“We can wait,” he repeated. “To get married. So your dad can give you away.”
Her eyes gleamed, but she bit her lip.
She let it go to ask, “Do you want to wait?”
“I want you to have what you want.”
“It’s your wedding too.”
“Both Malcolm and Tom will come to blows to walk you down the aisle, so to avoid that, Seth filling that spot because it’s his wouldn’t suck.”
It was official.
The appeal had been upheld.
The sentence reduced.
In less than a year, her father would more than likely get parole. He was a model prisoner, and when he wanted to, he could charm a snake. A parole board would be eating out of his hands.