Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
I was trying to catch my breath when I heard a noise downstairs. “Oh, fuck.”
“What?” she said, still panting.
“Stay here.”
Reluctantly I lifted myself off her, felt around the ground for my underwear and tugged them on. Then I grabbed a pair of sweatpants from a drawer and shoved one leg in, hopping in the dark as I tried to get them all the way on and open the door at the same time.
“Beckett, what’s wrong?”
“I’ll be right back.” Tugging the pants over my hips, I tied the drawstring as I hurried into the hall and went down the stairs two at a time. I strode into the kitchen, where the lights were on and my father was pulling pots and pans out of the cupboard. I squinted at him. “Dad, what are you doing?”
“I’m making breakfast.” He set a large iron skillet on the granite counter with a loud clank and tightened the belt on his robe. “I heard noises upstairs, but you didn’t come down, so I thought I’d just get breakfast going.”
“It’s not morning yet.”
“Do we have any eggs?” He scratched his head. “Maybe strata lady can bring us some. Is she coming back?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and willed myself to be patient. “We can have eggs tomorrow for breakfast, Dad. But it’s only midnight. It’s not time to wake up yet.”
“Everything okay?” Maddie entered the kitchen in her pajamas, which I hadn’t noticed before had pineapples all over them.
“Oh, good, you’re here,” my dad said, looking pleased.
“I’m here.” She smiled at him, looking so sexy and adorable with her messy hair and puffy lips and pineapple pajamas, I wanted to throw her on the kitchen island and have my way with her all over again.
Jesus Christ, I hadn’t even tasted her. What the fuck was the matter with me?
“Everything’s fine,” I told her. “Dad heard a noise and thought it was morning.”
“It sounded like banging,” my father said.
Maddie and I exchanged a look, and she covered her mouth with one hand.
“It’s late, Dad. Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”
“But what about the eggs?” he said as I led him from the room.
“We’ll have eggs tomorrow.” Over my shoulder I mouthed I’ll be right back at Maddie, and she nodded.
After making sure Dad didn’t need to use the bathroom, I hung up his robe, got him back into bed, and said goodnight. “I’ll be in to wake you when it’s time for breakfast just like always, okay?”
“I don’t see why I can’t get up and make breakfast when I want to,” he said, sounding like a stubborn child and a cranky old man all at once. “If you’re not going to let me live in my real house, you could at least let me eat when I’m hungry.”
“This is your real house, Dad.” I spoke quietly but firmly.
“Bullshit,” he said cantankerously. “You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?”
I exhaled. Counted to three. “And what’s that?”
He thought for a moment. “Steal my money.”
“What would you do with money, Dad?” I asked testily. I should have been falling asleep with Maddie’s head on my chest right now, or trying to coax her into round two so I could make up for being a two-pump chump the first time.
Another pause. “I would get a new uniform.”
“A new uniform?”
“Yeah. That’s why they don’t let me play. Someone took my uniform, and I don’t have the money to buy a new one.” He pointed at me. “You’re trying to keep me from playing.”
In the back of my mind, I wondered if this was some kind of latent pushback against setting aside his college baseball dreams to stay here. For that reason, I didn’t have the heart to argue.
I softened my tone. “Right now, I’m just trying to get you to go to sleep, okay? We’ll discuss this tomorrow. Goodnight.”
He harrumphed, and I left his room, closing the door behind me.
In the kitchen, Maddie had put the pots and pans away. “Did we wake him up?” she asked, closing the drawer beneath the stove.
“Probably.”
“I knew I was too loud.” Guilt flickered across her face.
“It wasn’t just you. Pretty sure I made a decent amount of noise too. Not to mention the bed knocking against the wall.”
She nodded, eyes wide. “I’m surprised we didn’t wake Elliott.”
“Are you positive we didn’t?”
“Yes. I checked on him before I came down.”
“Good.”
We stood there a moment longer, our eyes locked, her arms crossed over her chest, mine hanging limp at my sides, when all I really wanted to do was hold her. But did she want that?
Maybe what happened tonight was going to be like that kiss beneath the maple tree, where we were going to pretend like it didn’t happen and go on with our regularly scheduled lives.
Or maybe it hadn’t been good for her. For fuck’s sake, I’d gone at her like a greyhound out of the gate.