Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
His precious daughter wrinkled her brow and shook her head. “But I didn’t see these headphones. They’re Hello Kitty, Daddy,” she said, as if that explained everything. Little rays of her mother’s unreasonableness peeked through. How he hated that shit in Tena yet smiled at his daughter for doing the same thing.
“Start makin’ a list for your birthday. It’s six weeks away,” Dev suggested. He had to hold back a grin as Mae’s pinched up, frustrated facial features grew more severe.
“Fine, Daddy. I’m writing Santa Claus. He’ll bring ’em. I’ve been good.”
Dev shook his head. Abi came into view from the side of the screen behind Mae. “I told her that’s not how it works, but she won’t listen.”
Since Dev already shelled out the dough for a huge Christmas for his girls—all guilt driven purchases of course—he decided to stand firm.
“Santa needs time to pull the gifts together. You can’t go rogue on him. It’s not fair,” Dev answered, a phrase he’d repeated several times already this holiday season. Since Mae took her present selections as the most consequential decisions of her life, she wholeheartedly disagreed. He could see her mind racing for an answer.
“What about Cash? He doesn’t have my list.”
He turned to the man in question, sitting on his sofa, reading from a pad. His agent hadn’t yet flipped the switch off from work mode tonight. The workdays were getting longer and longer.
Seven days ago, Cash had officially moved in, and the pretty boy had to have put in over a hundred hours of work, combing through the legions of data that Joe collected this week alone.
“Mae baby, he’s got your presents here.” Dev turned the screen toward the batch of professionally wrapped gifts Cash had purchased for his girls and mother. He and Cash planned to sleep at his mother’s house on Christmas Eve, ready to go when Mae woke them up at four o’clock in the morning to start the day.
“Is Cash there with you?” Mae asked.
He cast another quick glance at Cash then whistled to gain his guy’s attention. The loud noise made Cash jerk his attention away from the screen. The crease between his brows slid into place, and he squinted as he stared at Dev as if only now seeing him inside the apartment. He hadn’t been quiet either.
“What?” Cash looked disoriented, edging toward frustration at being interrupted in such a way.
Dev turned the phone in Cash’s direction, lifting it to where he could also see the girls. They both liked Cash so much, asking about him every day. Cash visibly relaxed and lifted a hand, giving his girls a sweet grin.
“Is Daddy telling me the truth? Did you buy our presents already?” Cash looked to Dev for answers before slowly nodding. Dev appreciated Cash checking in before answering.
“She’s addin’ to her list and being a brat because Christmas presents have already been bought,” Dev explained. Cash continued to nod.
“Besides, y’all don’t want any more Christmas presents from Cash because I had to talk him down from buying y’all workout clothes…” Dev teased as he turned the screen back toward him and away from Cash who shook his head.
“You’re finished buying everybody Christmas presents?”
“Yes,” Abi answered for Cash. “That’s rude. You’re supposed to be happy that he bought you anything at all.”
Based on the expression Mae gave, that was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard.
“Daddy, I don’t like doing chores for money to buy presents,” Mae said, taking her attention in a new direction. Dev barked out a loud, hearty laugh. Cash chuckled too. Definitely her mama coming out in her.
“Well, that’s the way of the world, so get used to it.” Dev chuckled at her wrinkled nose. “I gotta go. Tell Momo I’ll call her tomorrow when I take a break. Be good. Tell her thanks and please and all that.”
“You always want us to tell her thank you,” Mae answered with sass, not wanting to let go of her current contrariness. “She always says not to thank her. She likes us being over here.”
“Mae’s being argumentative. That’s different,” Cash said, bending his head to see her on the screen. His concern was evident in his stare. He’d learn soon enough. “She keeps that up then she should go to law school.”
Such a better option than how he learned to release his anger. He lifted a hand to wave bye to the girls and ended the call with a push of his thumb to the screen. When he made sure the phone had disconnected, he tossed it on the end table. Cash watched as it landed haphazardly on the recently cleaned surface. All the surfaces in his place were now spotless all the time. Cash made damn sure of that.
“Does it need to charge?” Cash asked.
He could see Cash’s struggle with his phone being out of place but tried to hide it, giving a questioning look instead.