Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
And there it was. Yes. They were closing in on the end of the game, and he was behind in points. He wasn’t sure he could make up the points in routes, but he could cost the leader some points. He claimed his spaces.
His wife’s gorgeous eyes narrowed. “You knew I needed that route.”
He had. After many years of marriage, he knew his wife’s tells. He also thought she was sexy when she was irritated with him, but then he pretty much thought she was always sexy. He gave her his most innocent look. “I thought I was cutting off Hutch, baby. Not you.”
Hutch snorted. “Sure. She’s going to buy that one. Hey, Armie, that is a bookshelf. Not Mount Everest.” Hutch scrambled out of his chair to save his son from himself. “I swear that kid got his smarts from me.”
“I’m not even sure he’s mine,” Noelle said with a grin. “I think Hutch cheated with the mailman.”
“Well, our boys are right in there helping him, I’m sure.” Maddie Murphy sighed. “It’s too quiet in there. Something’s happening.”
Deke grinned and pushed back his chair. “I’ll go check.”
Maddie blew her husband a kiss. “Stop by the kitchen and bring me one of those cupcakes of Daphne’s.”
Boomer’s wife had brought along a big box of new cupcake flavors from her bakery, Daphne’s Delights. They sat at the second table in the big game room Kyle had spent years perfecting for his gamer wife. It was large enough for two big gaming tables and shelving space for her overflowing selection and all her bobbleheads. He was pretty sure they were the only family in the neighborhood with a giant red dragon head hanging proudly on the wall alongside the light sabers they’d made on their honeymoon. He’d never expected to live in geek world, but he loved it.
“You know I can’t complete my routes now,” MaeBe complained.
This was his every Thursday night. Game night at their place. Everyone brought the kiddos, and they had pizza or tacos or whatever they could scrounge up and played games. Friday night was their date night, and they usually ended up at Sanctum or The Club—depending on who was playing where that night—but he loved game night, too. He loved being surrounded by his friends and their families, loved the fact that his own kids had this group to run with. “I think you can still find a way to win.”
“You can do it, Mama.” Their youngest was already in her PJs, and she climbed onto her mama’s lap, snuggling close.
MaeBe’s expression softened as she looked down at Diana Hawthorne. She was four and two thirds, as she put it, and the most adorable kid he’d ever seen. She was going to be so much trouble one day, and he couldn’t wait. Their son, Rand, would be in the other room with the “wild boys” as he called the group of friends.
MaeBe kissed their daughter’s head and seemed to breathe her in. Their eyes locked, and for a moment they were in complete harmony. There were times when she looked at him and he knew exactly what she was thinking. She was grateful for the life they’d built together, for the time they had, for all the love around them.
For their son and daughter. For their friends and family, and for all the adventures to come.
MaeBe broke the moment as she hugged their baby girl. “You know what? I think I can still win. Let’s play.”
She drew a card and Kyle sat back. It was her move, and he would be ready for anything.
* * * *
Meanwhile in Toronto
Ben Parker was eager to get to work.
He stared out over the Toronto night, the lights all around him, but he preferred the shadows. It was odd to think that once he’d planned on playing professional baseball. Everyone wanted him to play hockey until he’d proven how well he could pitch. He’d planned on spending all of his time in the sunshine when he inevitably moved to the States for his pro career.
Not so much. Now he had a different goal.
“Ben? You can come in now,” a familiar voice said.
Joseph Caulder was his brand spanking new boss. He’d been the one to recruit Ben out of the Army and into his newly formed intelligence agency.
The world was getting more dangerous, and Canada needed protection. Ben was ready to start.
“I’m very pleased with your efforts in Tokyo last week.” Joseph wore a three-piece suit and looked like he was auditioning for the head of MI6 in a James Bond film. Ben pegged his boss’s age in the mid-thirties, only a few years older than he was, but then Joseph had been in the business from a young age. “You brought us excellent information.”
“Thank you, sir.” He’d been tracking a couple that had been identified as having ties with an anarchist group that had been staging deadly “protests” across the globe. He’d gotten the proof that they were meeting with certain media professionals who didn’t seem to care that the group they worked with had caused at least fifteen deaths. “Are they in custody?”