Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84114 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84114 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Winnie turns back to the stove, sliding on oven mitts. “Okay, team—lasagna coming out. Maddie, sit. Feed your girl. Atlas, grab plates.”
We all take our spots—Lucky at the end, me adjacent to Maddie, Winnie moving like she owns the kitchen. The house smells like garlic and tomato and a kind of comfort I don’t usually let in.
Lucky flashes me a look. “Saw the bracket mock-ups. If the standings hold, round one’s gonna be spicy.”
“Spicy I can handle,” I say, keeping my voice even. “It’s the back-to-backs I’m not thrilled about.”
Winnie snorts, dishing salad. “You love back-to-backs. They make you dramatic for interviews.”
“Untrue,” I say.
“Extremely true,” Lucky counters. “He gets that gravelly ‘grind’ voice. Reporters eat it up.”
They’re teasing, and I play along, but my gaze keeps drifting to Maddie, who’s quiet, eyes on Grayce. She’s here but not. A shadow sitting in my kitchen.
Winnie notices. She sets a slice of lasagna in front of Maddie like it might break if she doesn’t place it gently. “Maddie, what do you do? Atlas said you were a social worker?”
Maddie blinks like she forgot we can see her. “Yeah. Child protective services. At least that’s what I did. I had to quit to move here.”
I wince internally, even though her tone isn’t combative. More matter-of-fact.
“Do you want to try that same type of work here?” Lucky asks.
She nods with a wistful smile. “As soon as I can.”
“Sounds like you love it,” Winnie muses, and I’m struck by more guilt that she had to give up her life to come here.
“I really do,” Maddie says, and there’s a sparkle in her eye I’ve never seen before. “It’s so hard but really rewarding when things go right.”
Winnie leans in, her lasagna ignored. “What kind of cases do you see?”
“All kinds.” Maddie’s voice steadies as she talks, like a muscle remembering how to move. “Neglect, custody disputes. I try to be a bridge. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does, and you hang on to those.”
Lucky nods, thoughtful. “You must have the patience of a saint.”
She huffs a humorless laugh. “I have a good bullshit meter. That’s probably more useful.”
“God, I like you,” Winnie says, grinning. “If you want to borrow my houseplants for stress relief, I have seventy-two.”
Lucky points his fork. “Not to mention, an emotional support bunny.”
Maddie’s mouth twitches. “That sounds like stress too.”
“It is,” Winnie admits cheerfully. “But neither the plants nor the rabbit talk back.”
I realize at this point, I’d been stuffing my face, but Maddie hasn’t taken a single bite yet. I set my fork down and nudge her shoulder. “Here, let me feed her for a bit so you can eat.”
“I’ve got it,” she says automatically, and I can tell this is going to be a thing. Her trying to take on all the burden.
The only way I know how to handle that is to give Maddie a little of her own acerbic medicine. “Quit being so stubborn. Hand her over.”
Maddie blinks in surprise and I use the opportunity to pluck the bottle away. Grayce’s face screws up, she lets out a warbled cry, and Maddie forfeits the load.
I tuck Grayce in the crook of my arm, slip the bottle back into her mouth, and smile victoriously at Maddie. A quick glance over at Lucky has him staring back with wide eyes. He doesn’t understand the full dynamic, of course, but he can see the battle lines.
Also, I can see he’s stunned over how easy it’s become between me and Grayce over the past few days and he’s looking at me for the first time as a father.
I drop my gaze back to the baby and watch as she makes a grab for my hoodie strings. It’s one of her favorite things to do, and I find myself wearing them more just so she has something to play with. One hand on the bottle, her other fingers open and close with single-minded purpose on the string.
“Strong grip,” Lucky observes. “Future winger?”
“Or a percussionist,” Winnie says as Grayce thumps her heel against my forearm in a steady beat.
And then Grayce squirms, going rigid with that unmistakable face. I don’t smell the delivery, yet I know it’s there.
“Someone needs a change,” I say, standing from the table. Maddie stands too, but I wave her off. “I’ve got it. Stay and eat.”
Maddie stares at me warily, although she slowly sinks back into her seat. “Are you sure—”
“Crash course the last five days,” I quip with a wink. “Consider this my first solo mission.”
I slide around the table and hoist Grayce against my shoulder. She grabs for my hoodie strings again like she’s clocking me in for duty. I press a kiss to the top of her head before I can think better of it and head for the stairs.
Winnie takes up the conversation again. “Where are you from originally, Maddie?”