Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
I surreptitiously looked for a certain mobster, but found him nowhere, which I then had to admit was greatly disappointing.
I hadn’t seen him in days.
I’d gotten the answer to the question that I needed—the baby was safe.
Sure, I wanted to know all the answers to my questions, but my main one was satisfied, so I’d stayed away from his place.
I’d also realized that it was only a matter of time before one of my brothers caught me at the construction site, and then I’d have to admit to having an infatuation with a certain someone.
Which wouldn’t go over well with my brothers, because they were insanely overprotective of their sisters. And I just knew that they’d have more than a little to say about me having an obsession with someone they’d already warned me away from.
“Do you want to come out to the farm and help me possibly deliver four calves this weekend?” she asked as we took our seats at the table in the very corner of the room. “I told McCoy I was on duty until she got over a head cold that she’s pretending isn’t bothering her.”
“Um, no can do,” I said. “I won’t be here. I’ll be in Houston.”
She sighed.
“What are you doing in Houston for two days?” she asked.
“I have a teacher work conference,” I explained, already dreading it because it was inevitable that it’d be boring, long, and drawn out. “I’ll be there Thursday through Sunday, actually.”
“Are any other teachers going from your school?” she asked, though she wasn’t asking if I was going to have friends, but if there was a certain ex-fiancé that was going.
“They won’t be there. There are about ten of us going, but none of us together,” I admitted. “But I don’t know any of them well, so don’t bother asking me what you’re going to ask me next.”
JJ snickered. “I just don’t like you being alone in the big city of Houston, sissy.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’ll be just fine,” I said. “We’re staying in The Highlands, anyway.”
The Highlands was the richest part of Houston, and the lowest in crime.
At least, that was what I’d been told when I’d researched hotels and decided on where to stay.
“Good,” she said, taking a healthy sip of her latte. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“Will do,” I said, taking my own sip of heaven.
There were hundreds of coffee shops in Dallas, but this one was by far my favorite.
It was literally the best of the best. There was never an instance that my coffee wasn’t perfectly flavored. And, if there was an issue, it was fixed right away. But issues were few and far between.
The bell on the door jingled, and heart pounding, I glanced toward the sound and was immediately disappointed.
Not Shasha.
But he did look a little bit like him, as well as younger.
Though, even younger, he was still attractive.
There was no way this guy wasn’t related in some way to Shasha.
I had that suspicion confirmed when Milena squealed and darted around the counter toward the man.
“Dima! You’re home!” she screeched.
I smiled at the two, loving the way they were so happy to see each other.
I also noticed that the man wasn’t in dark clothing like I thought. The moment he stepped into the bright light that the coffee shop was producing, I realized that he was in blue camo. Fatigues.
“Yum,” JJ whispered as she watched the two swing around in a circle.
“You can say that again,” I whispered.
The door opened again, and this time, a woman looking a whole lot like Milena ran through the door, squealing. “You’re home!”
“Nasty!”
I assumed he was calling her that because of the kisses she was smothering on his face, but it turns out it was short for Nastya.
How did I know that?
Because the man I’d been desperate to see came through the door and said, “Nasty, calm down. Nastya. You’re scaring away Milena’s customers.”
I looked around for a short second, trying to find out who the customers were that this ‘Nasty’ was scaring away, but couldn’t find any of them.
“Shut up, Shasha,” Nastya replied.
“I thought you weren’t coming home until next month?” Milena asked.
Both women peeled away from their brother, leaving enough room for Shasha to get in there and pull his brother into the hardest back-slapping hug I’d ever witnessed.
Jesus.
That looked like it hurt.
Dima pulled away with a laugh as he said, “Got my marching orders. I deploy to the Pacific next month, so they let me get out a bit early for leave before I have to report back.”
“Fuck.” Milena sighed. “I was hoping you’d get shore duty.”
Dima snorted.
I took an absent drink of my coffee when JJ said quietly, “There’s one more.”
I glanced toward her, then toward where they were looking, to find yet another sister at the door.
Though, this one didn’t appear to be anywhere near as excited to see Dima as the rest of them.