Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 18476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
I swore to them both I wouldn’t let this outing fuck that up for us.
And I’m a man of my word.
Even if it means Kolby has to shell out an ass load of cash for a Lyft to take him back to Tom’s.
Cash my ass won’t be reimbursing him for.
“Stop him!” a feminine voice suddenly screams at the same time I’m preparing to put the last of the paid for purchases in our cart. “Security! Security!”
Everyone in the area turns the direction of the yelling just as a young, almond beige skinned male sprints around the corner with a child tucked under his arm like a football.
“Anyone!” the woman’s pleading increases in desperation. “Help! Help!” My eyes shift to the long-legged mother frantically chasing after him. “Stop him!” She begs at the top of her lungs, my younger brother trailing closely behind. “That man has my son!”
There’s no hesitation to drop the bag in my possession or to take off running. “I’m on it!” Despite his seemingly fast pacing, tracking the target isn’t difficult, and due to the kicking boy in his possession, catching up will be even easier than if he were empty handed. “Kolby, get her ass somewhere safe!” I command over my shoulder without bothering to check if he’s still following. “Somewhere with lots of witnesses!” The kidnapper dips around another sweater display hoping to throw me off his trail. “Now! I’ll get the kid!”
Because I’ve done this shit before.
Because I can and will always do this shit.
Doesn’t matter where I am or when it is. If I can prevent someone from going through what it is I went through, then that’s what I’m gonna do.
No exceptions.
I just hope trying to spearhead this holiday rescue doesn’t have me needing one of my own.
After all, how mad can my family really get at me for doing the very thing they all wished someone would’ve done for them way back then?
Chapter 2
Arley
“We’ve got on our yogurt pants!” Lair Bear exclaims, tiny turquoise blue Christmas sweater arms flying victoriously into the air. “We ready to do this!”
Hearing her quote one of our favorite Christmas movies gets me snickering but her twin pouting.
“What if they not nice?” Lu braces her arms defensively across her chest looking like the spitting image of her father. “What if they not safe?”
And sounding like him too.
As much as I wish I could say one was like me and one was like him, they’re actually a pretty good mixture of us.
Or more accurately a frustrating mixture of us both.
Who is taking after who varies from day to day – fuck, sometimes hour to hour – and no matter how many different algorithms I run or try to concoct to better prepare myself for which twin is going to out stubborn the other one, none of them are ever accurate enough, further proving my Cowboy’s point.
Humans can be very unpredictable creatures.
Especially little ones.
Thank sweet little Rudolph and his bright red nose that the operatives I’m in charge of assessing are much easier to evaluate than these two.
“Abuelo wouldn’t buy us pets that not safe,” Lair Bear insists, blue words having the same calming tint her dad’s usually carries.
You know.
When he’s here.
“Abuelo didn’t buy you two pet reindeer, princess,” I lovingly correct while dangling both coats from the tips of my index fingers. “Abuelo and Abuela just happen to have reindeer on their ranch now.”
“Mm,” Lu hums in obvious rebuttal at the same time she peers up at me. “They bought us horses.”
“Okay,” I concede as Lair Bear grabs her outerwear first, “yes, they did buy you each your own horse.”
And continuously pay for time with a trainer too.
“They bought us moo cows,” Lair Bear points out during the process of wiggling her arm into a sleeve.
“Abuela let you name the moo cows.” My claim feels flimsy, but I won’t admit it. “After they randomly decided to buy two.”
Which did come post the twins whining about not getting to hug one of Tom’s neighbors’ cows long enough.
“They bought us aldacas!” Lair Bear huffs in tandem with stuffing her appendage in the opposing hole. “Two, Mommy! Two!”
Huh.
Come to think of it…Slater’s Ma and stepfather do buy two of every animal.
I used to think maybe it was a whole Noah’s Ark thing; however now…now I’m starting to wonder if they really are buying these girls furry friends every time they ask!
Not sure I can continue to make the argument with the mounting evidence against me, I swiftly switch gears, “Lu, your sister’s right-”
“I already know they bought us pet reindeers, Mommy,” she acknowledges prior to pulling her coat on.
“Not that-”
“They did,” Lair Bear whispers out in such a way I feel she’s been spending too much time with her Uncle Blu.
“Abuelo and Abuela wouldn’t let you be around animals that were knowingly going to hurt you,” I state to my daughter that’s still getting dressed as I motion to my oldest to zip up her clothing. “That’s also why anytime they get new animals, they hire professionals to teach you safety measures, procedures, and vital information. Those grownups are there to assist in the process of protecting you and keeping you protected.”