Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Thatcher motioned toward the black Cadillac Escalade he was driving. “You’re going with me. Our dads are waiting on us at the Atlanta house. The plan is being put in place now.”
I glanced back at the house. “How long are we going to be gone?”
“A week, maybe more. Depends on if things get interesting or not.”
Only Thatcher would think this could be interesting. Deadly, yes. Not the kind of interesting I enjoyed. Unlike him.
“Thanksgiving is in eight days.” Even as I said the words, I knew it didn’t matter. Not in our world.
The family came before all else. Holidays didn’t rank.
Thatcher just stared at me as if I hadn’t spoken.
“I’ll go tell Oakley it could be longer,” I finally said.
He nodded. “Yeah, you do that. I’ll wait in the vehicle.”
I pointed at Oakley’s car. “If you could unload all the shit in her car first, then it would make things faster.”
He didn’t reply, but headed in that direction. Sighing, I turned and walked back into the house. Explaining that I might miss Thanksgiving was going to be hard. Sarah needed me this year. Especially this year.
The laughter in the kitchen was mingled with the Christmas music playing. Sarah was stirring a bowl of something while Oakley stood behind her, singing along loudly in her ear. Belladonna was on the floor, chewing on some toy I hadn’t seen before.
All three looked up at me and stopped what they were doing. Oakley’s smile fell.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, picking up on my mood without me saying a word.
I dropped my gaze to Sarah. “Can I talk to Oakley for a minute?” I asked her.
She shrugged, then glanced up at me. “Sure. That’ll stop the torture she was doing to my ears.”
Oakley tickled her, making her giggle. “My singing isn’t torture,” she teased, then wiped her hands on the Rudolph apron she was wearing before heading toward me.
I nodded my head to the doorway, then left the room, hoping she was following me. When I heard her footsteps on the hardwood, I continued to the living room. I didn’t want to chance Sarah overhearing anything that she didn’t need to.
Finally stopping, I turned around to see Oakley looking concerned. She even looked stunning when she was worried. Not that I cared. I was just a man, and it was hard not to notice all the small details with her. Which was not the reason I needed to speak to her.
Focus, dammit.
“Work is going to take longer than I thought,” I told her. “I can get Ms. Maynard here.”
“Absolutely not,” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at me.
“Okay, that’s fine. Sarah will be happy with you here. I was just checking because Thatcher said this could go into next week, Thanksgiving even.”
Oakley narrowed her eyes. “Thatcher? What does he have to do with your company? Since when is he into anything to do with media marketing?”
I stared at her. What did I say to this? I was leaving her here in my house to take care of my kid. She knew things. She’d heard enough. She might not have all the facts, but she wasn’t an idiot.
Her hands dropped to her sides, and she studied me as I mentally scrambled for a good excuse. Lying was typically easy when it came to my work. Why was I having a hard time doing it now?
“Wilder,” she said in a whisper. “Are you telling me that you … work with the Shephards? Do you also work with the Kingstons?”
I tensed. Fuck. I didn’t have time for this. “Yes. Our families have always worked together,” I replied tightly. “Can you stay with Sarah that long? I need to go. Thatcher is waiting. My car will be here while I’m gone. The keys are by the garage door. Use it. It’s safer than that thing you drive.”
I saw her flinch, as if I’d slapped her. I hadn’t meant it as an insult. Just a fact. I wasn’t crazy about Sarah riding around in a car that could break down at any minute.
“My car is fine,” she said between her teeth.
“My car is better,” I replied. “Please don’t make this a fight. Just take care of Sarah. Drive my car.” I grabbed my wallet out of my pocket and pulled out my Amex. “Take this. Stop using your money on things for Sarah’s entertainment and this house. I’ll pay for it even if it’s shit we don’t need.”
Oakley looked at the card, then back at me, her eyes like blue flames. Damn, she was sexy when she was angry. Who was I kidding? She was always sexy.
“I can afford to entertain my niece. Keep the card. We will be fine.”
Frustrated, I dropped the card on the table beside me. She drove a piece-of-shit car that should have been hauled to the junkyard years ago and sold shit on Etsy. She did not have the money to be spending on all this holiday stuff.