Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Breaker clears his throat, trying to get everyone’s attention. He grabs my hand and holds onto it so tight that it is on the verge of being painful. I don’t say a word, however. I know he has to feel on edge right now in a way he never has before.
“What the fuck?”
This comes from the man standing beside the girl that I assume is Thea. I wince as Tinny says, “Mommy, that man said a bad word!”
“Does this whole damn family forget to watch their mouths when there are kids around?”
Tinny looks at me and scrunches up her nose. “Mommy, Bwaker said a bad word, too,” she whispers.
I start giggling, unable to stop it, and Breaker looks at me and rolls his eyes. “I’m sorry, Tinny.”
“It’s okay, Bwaker,” she says, patting his shoulder. She’s still in his arms, her head even with his as we look out at his family.
“Matthew? Is that really you?” the older woman whispers. My throat clogs with emotion as I take in the way she trembles, then slowly walks toward Breaker.
“Mom, Mattie can’t really remember anyone or anything yet. He hit his head when his bike crashed,” Skylar explains, tears running down her face, too. Suddenly I’m ashamed that I didn’t demand to go to Kentucky from day one with Breaker and meet his family. Then, again, if I had, maybe he and I would never have fallen in love.
“Matthew. I thought I’d never see you again,” the woman breathes out. Her words sound as if they are being cut from her heart. It’s almost painful to hear. She reaches up and touches his face gently—reverently. I think she’s afraid he might disappear. “I never thought I’d see you again,” she repeats as the tears steadily increase and she falls against him. Breaker awkwardly takes the woman in his arms. I hastily get Tinny out of his arms to allow him more freedom. He holds his mother and gives her a few minutes to get herself together. “You really don’t remember anything?” she asks, eventually.
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you seen by the best doctors. I have my son back and that’s all that matters. You’re back, thank you God,” she exclaims. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
She hugs him again as his father moves from behind his mom. I see Breaker straighten, looking at his father, studying him. “Fuck, son, I thought I lost you.”
“Dad,” he says, and I might be mistaken, but I hear emotion in that one word.
Bull turns his head to study Breaker. I think he hears the same emotion that I do. “Yeah,” he says.
“I remember your face and your voice. I think … I think I remember you.”
Bull wraps his big, beefy arms around Breaker. Bull is this enormous man with lines on his face and a body that I’m sure has stories to tell. He looks like a brick house. I’m pretty sure he’s the only man on the planet that could make Breaker look small. So, when he cries and squeezes Breaker into his body, I’m shocked. “Missed you so fucking much, Matthew.”
“Mattie?”
Our attention turns to Thea. Bull pulls back to give her room to see her brother, but I notice he keeps a hand on Breaker. I think he’s afraid he might disappear, too.
“Hello,” Breaker answers.
“Do you remember me?” she asks, sounding hopeful.
“I’m afraid not. I can’t really remember anything. But Dad’s face and voice are definitely familiar.”
“It shouldn’t surprise me you’d remember Dad over all of us. He’s always been your hero.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” his mom agrees.
Skylar walks around to me and Tinny. “They’re not wrong. When I was small, I remember Mattie would wear clothes that were identical to Dad’s. It was hilarious. He also would only look at red heads because that was the color of my mom’s hair and he said that he and Dad had the same taste.”
“It appears the new Mattie has a taste for blondes,” the guy beside Thea answers. I frown at him. I’m not sure why, but his response irritates me.
“Don’t mind Dom. He’s recently had his head pulled out of his ass and his brain hasn’t quite acclimated to the change yet,” Skylar stage whispers.
“Baby—” her man Tor grumbles, but she just grins at him.
“What?” she replies with a shrug.
“Matthew, do you have someone you need to introduce us to?” his mother prompts and Breaker smiles, turning to take me and Tinny back in his arms.
“This is Indy and Tinley. They saved my life and stole my heart,” he says.
“I don’t steal, Bwaker. Mommy says that’s not a nice thing to do,” Tinny responds, making us laugh.
“You’re right, kiddo. I was just joking.”
“How about we all go into the living room and talk some more?” his mother suggests, linking her arm in mine, practically pulling me with her. Now it’s my turn to panic, but when I look at Breaker for help, he just winks at me and goes back to talking to Thea, Skylar, and his dad.