Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“I don’t know.” She held a sweater up to her chest. “I’m afraid I’ll get hot, but it’s pretty cold outside.”
“Yeah, the sweater would be good, but you could always wear what you’ve got on.”
“I’m not wearing sweatpants to the clubhouse!”
I sat on the bed and watched with amusement as Maggie sorted through her suitcase. In a blink, my bedroom became a flurry of fabric as she tossed one outfit after the other onto the floor. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her indecision. She looked up at me with a scowl. “It’s not funny, Ronin.”
I appreciated her effort to make a good impression on my brothers, but she had nothing to worry about. I knew there would be no convincing her of that, so I just kept my mouth shut and watched the show. After several outfit changes, she finally settled on a pair of distressed jeans with a fitted sweater and boots, and she looked amazing. Maggie was still unsure and shot me a hesitant glance, seeking reassurance. “You look great, babe.”
“Okay, then let’s do this.”
With that, we gathered the kids and headed out to my truck. Once we were all loaded up, I drove us over to the clubhouse. The kids were talking back and forth the entire way, but the truck fell silent the second we pulled up to the gate. They shared a few apprehensive glances as they looked up at the tall, imposing fence.
I couldn’t blame them for being uneasy. There was an air of mystery and intimidation to the place, and having a guard at the entrance gave it an extra layer of formidability. Nathan’s eyes were wide as he leaned in for a better look. “Holy shit. This place is ginormous.”
“Nathan!” Maggie scolded. “Language.”
“Sorry, but geez.”
“It looks bigger than it is.” I parked, then opened my door as I told them, “Come on. I’ll show you around.”
Maggie was visibly shaken as she nodded and opened her door. Without saying a word, she and the kids followed me up to the door. Knowing they were all a little nervous, I stopped and asked, “Remember when I said not to judge a book by its cover?”
Samantha and Nathan nodded.
“Well, this is one of those times.”
I opened the door, and their eyes were filled with intrigue as they stepped inside. I took them down the hall to my room first. It was small, with just a bed and dresser, so the tour didn’t take long. From there, I led them down to the kitchen and family room. Just as I expected, the kids were stoked to see all the TVs and pool tables. Nathan made a beeline for the dart board as he gasped, “This place is awesome.”
“I thought you would like it.”
“Can we hang out in here for a little while?”
“Absolutely.” I glanced over to Maggie as I added, “That’s if it’s okay with your mother.”
“You promise to stay right here and not to wander?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they both answered.
“Nathan, do you have your cell phone?” When he nodded, she told him, “Okay, just call me if you need anything.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“The kitchen is to your left. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, and if you need either of us, we’ll be down at the bar... just down the hall on the right.”
By then, Samantha was racking the balls for a game of pool, and Nathan was searching for a cue stick. But they both managed to answer, “Yes, sir.”
Maggie hesitated for a moment but eventually looked up at me and said, “I think they’re good.”
“Yeah, I think so too, but I’ll come back in a bit to check on them.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
We both started down the hall and the second we stepped into the bar, Torch lifted his beer and said, “There he is. I was beginning to think you guys weren’t gonna make it.”
“Somebody had a hard time figuring out what to wear.”
“Well, I don’t know if I would’ve gone with that ugly ass shirt, but the jeans and boots are alright.”
“Fuck off, Torch.” I slipped my hand around her back, easing her forward. “This is Maggie. And Maggie, this is Torch, Q, and Savage.”
“It’s really nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
Q gave her the once over, then asked, “So, you’re Rooster’s ol’ lady, huh?”
“I really don’t know how all that works.” Maggie glanced over at me with a smile. “But yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Hmmm.” Q cocked his brow. “You look like a smart girl. I’d think you’d know better than to get tangled up with this guy.”
“I don’t know about that,” Maggie giggled with a shrug. “I happen to think he’s pretty great.”
“Ah, give it some time,” Q chuckled.
“Come on, brother. Don’t do me like that.”
“Awe, she knows I’m just messing around.”
Before he had a chance to say anything more, Londyn and Jules came over and introduced themselves. They barely said two words before they snatched her up and took her over to their table. They got her a drink, and in no time, the trio was carrying on like old friends. Seeing that she was good, I grabbed myself a beer and sat down with the guys.