Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
I danced across the hardwood. “Shake that ass, shake that ass, shake—”
“Mommy?”
“Shit! I mean, shoot!” I bleated, spinning around and slamming the laptop closed.
Lily stood in the entrance to the kitchen, smiling innocently at me. “What are you doing?”
“I was... uh... I was just dancing, sweet girl. Dancing and cooking.” I clutched my racing chest. “I didn’t know you were home. Daddy Alex said you were having a hotel sleepover.”
She shrugged. Skipping inside, she hopped on the barstool. “We were, but the bear people called and said they took the bear away. So we came home.”
“Well, that’s lucky. I would’ve missed you if you were away all night.”
Lily giggled behind her hands, her bright eyes dancing.
“Where’s Daddy Alex?” I asked.
“Bathtime.”
“Okay,” I said simply. Thanks to Courtney, I got all the info I couldn’t get directly from the source, because they’d have me committed.
She told me that after selling GloryBoi, the guys stopped working together, and split up and did their own things. Rhodes started an investment firm-slash-hedge fund. Micah became a corporate consultant, and Alex was planning to go to med school when Lily arrived. Instead, he became a stay-at-home dad, and was now beginning to look at schools again since Lily was in school herself.
Courtney got all of that from their socials, proving that people really do put their entire life story online. I tried myself to hit up their pages through Sue’s account, but nothing came up.
Every single one of them blocked her.
“What are you making, Mommy?” Lily asked, snapping me out of it. “Can I have some?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m making bulgogi. Have you ever had that before?”
She shook her head, making me grit my teeth.
Dammit, Sue. Talk about outsourcing passing down your heritage. What had you been teaching your daughter about her culture for the past six years?
“Well, it’s very yummy. Every time Omma and Appa took us—me,” I quickly corrected, “to Korea, the first thing I’d make them do is take me to the nearest convenience store for a bulgogi roll.”
Nari stared at me like she didn’t understand a single word I just said.
I laughed. “Don’t worry, baby girl. I’m going to teach you everything you need to know before your first trip to the ROK.”
“We’re going on a trip?”
“Yes, we are,” I told her, and who the hell knew why. It was all just tumbling out of my mouth. “We’re going to visit Korea, and you’re going to meet all the family you have there. I’m even going to teach you Korean.”
She nodded, her two pigtails bouncing against her cheeks. “Is it hard to learn?”
“Not if you start when you’re young.”
“Am I young?”
I chuckled. “Yep, afraid so.”
“Did you learn when you were young?”
“I did.” Pulling out the cutting board, I started chopping the onions and green peppers.
“Did your mommy teach you?”
I shook my head. “I had a Korean tutor who taught me.”
“Were they nice?”
Smiling, I flicked her cute little nose. “You know, they were very nice. I think that’s why I liked learning Korean so much. It’s so much more fun when you have a nice teacher.”
“My teacher is nice,” she mused. “He let me have allll the cotton candy I wanted.”
“Mmh, yes, I know. That’s why I got all the cotton candy you wanted all over the backseat.”
That set off another round of giggling.
“So, I was thinking,” I began. My knife blurred across the cutting board. “I can’t deliver on that brother or sister, but what do you think about a cousin?”
She cocked her head. “Cousin?”
“That’s right. What do you think about an adorable little cousin named Taylor? She’s five years old, loves puppies and horses, and she can’t wait to play with you. Interested?”
“Hmm.” Lily scrunched up her face, looking up to the ceiling. “I’m not sure. I’ll think about it.”
I almost choked stifling a laugh. “Yes, ma’am. Take all the time you need.”
Onion fumes stung my eyes. I turned, rubbed away the tears, then turned back. “But what— Ah!” I shrieked, startling Lily, but only raising Alex’s brow.
He appeared out of nowhere, strolling into the kitchen to fall in beside Lily. The sweet, woodsy scent of his body wash filled the kitchen—tickling my nose. He was dressed simply in a plain black tee and shorts, and still my heart skipped a beat like the silly mare I was. Why did this guy have to look good in everything?
Even a sneer.
“Who is Taylor?” he demanded. He put his arm around Lily like I was a threat to her. “She’s not Lily’s cousin, so who the hell is she?”
Lily giggled at the slight swear.
“Why do you want her to meet this kid so badly?”
I met that guy’s eyes and sneered right back. He may be hot, but this was the same jerk who locked me outside with a bear. I wasn’t too fond of him right then either. “Not for whatever nefarious reason you’re inventing in your head.