Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
“Having a bad day?” Sage asked her quietly.
Her sister shook her head. “Not at all.”
Reaching out, she touched her sister’s pale hand. “Don’t lie to me,” she said softly so the girls couldn’t hear. “Do you need me to get your pain medicine?”
“No, they make me sleepy. I’ll take it after dinner.”
Knowing it was useless to argue, Sage dropped the subject.
“I had lunch out today. I brought the sandwich and fries home. I’ll heat it up for you while I make the girls dinner.”
“You have it. I’ll eat what the girls are having.”
“I’m going to fix them fish sticks and tater tots. You hate fish sticks. I love them.” Releasing her sister’s hand, she rose from the couch. “I’ll get dinner on.”
She walked to the small kitchenette and took out the small box of fish sticks crusted with vegetables and tater tots. Placing them in the oven, she took the half steak sandwich and fries and placed them in the air fryer. She then set the table while keeping watch over her nieces and her sister, who was beginning to doze off. She started talking to keep her awake.
“I finally met the new lawyer Hollingsworth hired.”
Glory’s pain-filled eyes opened. “What did you think of him?”
“He seemed nice.” She shrugged, setting three forks on the table on a pretty napkin, which she had bought at a Dollar Store.
“Was he good-looking?”
She turned back toward the kitchen to check on the fish sticks. “He was passable.”
Curiosity brought life to Glory’s gaze. “What kind of answer is that?”
Closing the oven door, Sage leaned against the kitchen island to face her sister. “He had thick brown hair, blue eyes, tall. He was just average.”
Her sister stared at her. “Has his picture been added to Hollingsworth’s site yet?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t checked.”
Giving her a disbelieving sound, Glory reached for her laptop on the small table next to her. Her sister had been curious about what Kent Bryant looked like since she had started working at Hollingsworth.
Grinning, Sage pulled out the leftovers from the air fryer and placed them onto a plate. Then she took out the fish and tots. She placed the food on the table, as well as homemade applesauce she had made during the weekend.
Satisfied that her sister had perked up, she went to the couch. “Ready for dinner?”
Glory looked up from the laptop. “His picture isn’t on the website. I can’t find it anywhere on the Internet.”
“Hmm.” Reaching out, she closed the laptop before holding out her hands. “I guess Mr. Bryant is camera shy.”
Her sister took her hands and slowly rose to her feet.
“I want to see what he looks like. That way, when you talk about him, I can picture him in my mind.” Her grin slipped. Living through Sage vicariously was one of the true pleasures Glory still had.
When she saw her sister was stable on her feet, she dropped her hands. “Then I’ll make sure not to talk about him anymore until his picture is posted,” she teased through a tight throat.
As her sister slowly walked toward the small table, Sage followed her with the oxygen tank on wheels, maneuvering it around the girls’ toys. How she wished she could afford one that was smaller. Buying the oxygen machine, which her sister’s insurance deemed an unnecessary luxury, was just one of the many reasons she was so desperate to gain more hours.
Once Glory was seated at the table, she wound the oxygen tube around the handle so the girls wouldn’t trip over the tubing.
“Or you could take a picture of him for me.”
Pouring her a glass of water, Sage made a face at her sister. “No, thanks. With the way my luck is going, someone will see me taking a picture of him and Livvy would find out.”
Glory raised curious eyes to her. “Why would she care?”
“She seems to consider Mr. Bryant her personal property.”
“Oh …” Glory drawled out. “Livvy is aiming high, isn’t she?”
Sage plucked up Tinsley as she toddled past her and placed her in highchair on Glory’s other side. “Come eat, Colby,” she said before returning her attention to her sister. “Seems she has a thing for men in power.”
At the mention of food, Colby deserted the stroller to climb onto a chair at the table. Taking the remaining chair, Sage started putting food on Tinsley’s suction plate then gave her a sippy cup filled with milk while Glory filled Colby’s plate.
After seeing the girls were taken care of, Sage started serving herself, only taking a couple of fish sticks for herself before she scooped out a spoonful of applesauce.
“Is that all you’re going to eat?” Glory asked, raising her eyes from the plate.
“I had a big lunch. I’m not going to be able to eat this.”
When Glory hesitated to eat the food she had given her, she gave her a serious frown. “Eat.”