Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 135696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
“I had a conversation with him this morning,” Riggs began.
“I know. I’m back so I’m horning in on Riggs boy time again,” she replied.
He took that to mean she knew she was staying, and he was pleased he didn’t have to tangle with her about that.
“He doesn’t think you’re horning in, honey. He likes you. He likes me with you. He says I seem happier.”
That alleviated her listless mood after taking her friend to the airport and having to deal with what she dealt with last night.
She smiled.
“I told him you’re going to be here until all this shit is sorted, sleeping in my bed,” Riggs shared. “And you’ll be spending the night regularly, also in my bed, after it is.”
Her expression shifted to concern. “That’s fast, Riggs.”
“He doesn’t care, Nadia. He likes me happier, and you give that to me, so he’s all in.”
Her face got soft.
With that look on it, Riggs wished she was close enough to kiss, but she wasn’t, so he kept assembling sandwiches and talking.
“I wanted him to go back to his mom’s until this was all done, and he shared he doesn’t feel safe with his mom for the sole reason that she leaves them with a seventeen-year-old babysitter all the time. He backed me into a corner about staying with us and not going to his gramme’s instead, which I’m too humiliated he bested me to go into detail about.”
That got him a wide grin.
He returned it and kept sharing.
“But it led me to the decision to be co-plaintiff with Storm and go for full custody. I already called him and my attorney. That’s happening.”
He probably shouldn’t be surprised at how relieved she looked, but he was, and he realized how much she was holding back about her opinion of Angelica when she gave him that.
Riggs was happy she agreed, but he still asked, “Where does that reaction come from?” He put down the spreader he was using to add mayo to their sandwiches and lifted a hand her way at the careful expression that came over her face. “And don’t give me all the stipulations about you not being in a position to judge. You’re in this now, Nadia. You get to have an opinion.”
It took her a second, but then she asked, “Have you and Ledger talked about chaos theory yet?”
“No.”
“Have you told him that you’re not going out of town for jobs for long periods of time anymore and that you’re going for half custody?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded and replied, “Okay, I’m still going to let him talk to you about what he told me, if that’s in the cards for him. But with this latest from him, I think he’s been trying to figure out how to be only with you for a while, without putting his mom in it.”
When she told him that, Riggs decided he’d press her on this chaos theory business if Ledger didn’t give it to him, because obviously, he needed to know what that shit was about.
But now, he was going to let it go.
Nadia kept talking.
“And from what you say, and what I’ve seen, she might love and care about her children, but she has no interest in being a mother. And although you and Storm are probably going to be facing lifelong issues with that with your children, because it hurts to have a parent who doesn’t have any interest in being a parent—”
Shit.
What was the matter with him?
He led her right to that place.
“Honey,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “It’s not about me, baby. I didn’t live my whole life thinking my dad didn’t have an interest in being a dad. This is about Ledger and Viggo, so even though you both are going to have to keep an eye on that, it’s my opinion they’re better off with one parent who loves them deeply, wants the best for them and offers guidance and support, than having to spend time with the other who keeps them fed, and clothed, and maybe loves on them some, but leaves them to do her own thing, which is more important to her than her children.”
A vision assailed Riggs of a baby girl with blonde hair and blue eyes his son could watch over and Riggs could spoil the fuck out of.
“You really need to reconsider the having-kids thing, princess,” he said gently.
“I really already am, baby,” she replied in the same tone.
That had him grinning wide.
“A little girl,” she said.
So they were on the same track.
“Dark hair and silver eyes,” she continued.
Right.
They weren’t on the same track.
And…silver?
His eyes were gray.
Riggs let that go too, in order to get into something more important.
“Blonde and blue-eyed,” he retorted.
“That’s not dominant,” she reminded him.
“You think the Russian won’t out?” he asked.
She started laughing, and through it said, “If you put it that way.”