Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 101(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 101(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
“It’s lovely. Thank you for having us.”
Grady bowed his head before letting me loose and stepping in front of Brady. He lowered down onto one knee so that he was at my son’s level. “It’s very nice to meet you, Brady.”
“Our names sound alike,” Brady said, making Grady smile brighter.
“They do. You’re a very smart boy.”
“Thanks,” my son beamed. Grady chuckled and ruffled his hair before standing upright again and stepping aside so that Hunter could continue with the introductions.
“That is Felix and his brother Enzo,” he said, pointing to two men who were obviously twins. But they weren't exactly identical; Felix has a slightly broader build while Enzo's beard was fuller and his eyes were more intense. But both men looked friendly as they smiled and waved.
"And this is Asher," Hunter said, motioning toward a man with a soft body, beard, and tattoos. He looked around and asked, "Where's Cedric?"
"His back was hurting so I put him in a hot bath," Asher replied.
"I hope he feels better soon," I offered, and Asher smiled.
"Thank you. I think it's stress from the baby coming soon."
"Hunter told me that you two are getting a baby. Do you know a date yet?" The adoption process could take a while and I wasn't sure how far along they were in the process.
"We've only got about six weeks left. I'm excited but nervous too."
"You'll be great," I assured him. "And once you have that sweet little person in your arms, everything will make sense." I looked over at Brady, who was still standing with Talon and Brandon, rifling through a box of comics. "They complete your world." Hunter put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. The simple gesture in front of his friends meant so much.
"Are you getting hungry?" he asked in my ear. "I can pack a picnic for us."
"Oh, Cedric already took care of that for you," Asher responded. "There's a basket in the kitchen."
I put my hand on my chest, touched by his kindness. "That was so sweet of him."
"That's my Cedric," Asher said proudly.
"I'm getting hungry too," Brady announced as he tossed a comic book back into the box.
Grady slapped his knee and said, "I'm not a great chef like Cedric, but I can make a pretty good grilled cheese sandwich."
"I love grilled cheese!" Brady cheered.
"And I can get a bag of chips out of the cabinet," Felix shrugged.
His brother huffed. "What would we do without you?" Felix narrowed his eyes at Enzo, but didn't say anything; probably because Hunter cleared his throat loudly. I got the feeling that the duo bickered a lot, and I kinda wanted to see it in full splendor.
"Let's get this little guy fed," Brandon suggested, and the guys all nodded their agreement before standing up and heading into the kitchen. It warmed my heart that little Brady had a whole team of men to look after him.
I gave my son a hug as Hunter grabbed the picnic basket from the table, and we stepped out into the crisp air of the afternoon.
I smiled when Hunter tangled his fingers with mine and led me down the porch steps and onto a dirt path between the trees.
"How much of this land do you own?" I asked curiously. I knew that most of the forest was inaccessible to the public, but I wasn't sure how property lines were drawn.
"My friends and I own a thousand acres. Our land stretches from the main road, past the falls, and far beyond the lodge."
"That's an impressive amount of land."
"We like to have room to run," he told me with a wink.
"If you don't mind me asking, did you inherit the land or something?"
"Ask anything you like, but no, we bought all of the land over time. We started out with nothing, but we worked hard, saved our money, and bought and sold several businesses until we were able to make our dreams come true."
"I'm so proud of you," I told him honestly. It took hard work and dedication to do what he'd done.
"That makes everything worth it," he replied with a squeeze to my hand.
We walked further into the forest, surrounded by beautiful colors and the sounds of nature. Before long, I picked up another noise; churning water in the distance. As we moved forward, the sound grew louder, the terrain beneath our feet became rockier, and a cool mist clung to the breeze.
"I've been so excited to show you this," Hunter said as we turned a corner. My jaw dropped at the magnificent sight of water cascading over a rocky cliff side into a clear pool. It churned and twisted into a creek that ran so far into the distance that it disappeared.
"It's incredible." And definitely worth the wait.
"Would you like to eat here?" Hunter asked, pointing to a flat rock before us. "Or is it too chilly?"