Total pages in book: 203
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
I raise my hands. “It’s not my business. I’m sorry to interfere.”
“You’re a member of our family now, Bailey,” Valerie speaks up. “So, I’d say it’s our business.”
Jase’s jaw muscles flex as he looks away. And my chest goes cold at his body language.
I shouldn’t have barged in here. And I should try to find a filter for my mouth instead of creating extra tension.
“Is Joel okay?” I ask.
Jase’s expression loosens marginally. “Shook him up, but yeah, he’s okay.”
My eyes bounce between the three of them. “Is there anything I can do? I can run to Roxy’s and get breakfast and coffees for everyone.”
Jase quickly says, “I’ll do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I need air anyway,” he mutters.
Jase seems mad at me. I should go.
“I’ll go home then,” I say. “If you need anything, Val, Robert… please let me know.”
“Keep us company for a while?” Val asks.
I nod. “Absolutely.”
“Can you get everyone’s breakfast order and text it?” Jase asks, leaning in as if he’s about to kiss me but changes his mind, I guess, as he turns and leaves.
“Excuse me,” I say to Jase’s parents and slip into the bathroom, needing a minute alone.
When I emerge, they’re looking at me, and so is Amie, who leans against the doorframe of the procedure room, looking about ready to burst with questions.
The door opens and Taylor and Gwen both rush in.
Taylor rushes to Robert and Gwen to Val.
Neither sister went straight to Sherry’s bedside, and I’m sure by the way Amie’s looking at me with her eyebrows up that she’s taking note of that, too. Or maybe she’s just trying to get a read on me.
While Val updates her girls on their sister’s situation, Amie jerks her chin up in question and I take it like her asking how I’m doing.
I tip my head from side to side to show the uncertainty.
She tips her jaw to the side, showing me her mate mark, I think.
She subtly mimes as if to scratch it with her eyebrows up.
I shrug.
“Hey, Bailey. How you doin’?” Taylor asks.
“I’m okay, thanks, Taylor. Sorry about Sherry.”
“Not your doing,” she says, turning to Amie. “Go ahead. I’ll watch Sherry while you two chat.”
“Sorry?” Amie checks.
Taylor says, “I trained to be a healer, interned here with Cat for a year before I mated and had kids. I can hold the fort so you two can have a gossip. Go ahead.”
“Thanks,” Amie says with a smile.
“We gonna be welcoming you to the family officially any time soon, Bailey?” Taylor tacks on.
“Um…” is all I can manage.
“Why didn’t it happen last night?” Gwen asks.
“Sounds like my son has developed a will of steel,” Robert quips with twinkling eyes. “But I expect it’ll get sorted within the next day or two.”
“Good. We need some good news around here,” Gwen says. “Hopefully I get it before I leave to go back to school.”
“We sure do,” Valerie says softly, giving me a kind smile. “I’ll send Jase that text with the breakfast orders while you chat with Amie. What do you want for breakfast, Bailey?”
“Oh… nothing thanks.”
“Amie?” she checks.
“Strawberry shortcake crepes and a big honkin’ piece of chicken fried steak with white gravy. Thanks, Valerie. Oh! And home fries.”
Valerie smiles wide while thumbing it into her phone.
Amie explains, “The crepes are for me. The rest is for Puppers.” She rubs her belly.
“Best throw a fried ham steak in there, too, Val,” Robert quips. “Alpha fetuses love ham steak. Valerie ate one almost every day when she was carrying Jason.”
“Not every day,” Val rolls her eyes.
“Mm. Yum,” Amie replies. “But I’ll pass this time.”
I feel all kinds of awkward when Amie grabs my hand and pulls me away, taking us into the stairwell that leads up to Cat and Stan’s apartment.
“You didn’t cave. I’m shocked,” Amie says. “That moon stuff last night was pretty powerful.”
I stumble toward her and she understands my unspoken request by catching me and hugging me tight.
“I tried,” I whisper into her hair. “Turned up at Tyson’s cabin last night and jumped his bones. But he turned me down.”
Amie gasps in shock. “That’s so… so…”
“Mortifying?”
“Gallant! Romantic! He didn’t do it because it wasn’t really your decision.”
“I thought it might be Fate trying to nudge things along,” I tell her. “But he told me I was moon drunk and said he didn’t want me to hold it against him afterwards.”
She grabs my shoulders and jiggles me kind of hard. “Oh girlfriend! You should reward him immediately by letting him give you the business!”
Her face changes and she gives me a look of sympathy. “But… that must have been awful to be needing him like that and getting nothing.”
“Between you and me?” I ask.
She leans in, ready.
I add, “And Ivy, because I’m sure you’ll feel like you have to tell her.”
“Oh totally. She’ll redrum me in my sleep if I try to keep a juicy Jailey secret from her and I suspect you’re about to give me one.”