Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
“It’s really hot,” I note, grabbing my hair in one hand while I fan myself with the other. “I’m going to get some water,” I tell my cousins and my aunts, who are now all busting it up on the dance floor.
I make my way toward the bar, bumping into my Uncle Evan. “Why is it that my niece is here and she hasn’t come up to me and said hello?”
“One,” I say, getting up on my tippy-toes and kissing his cheek, “I haven’t seen you yet because there are about a million people here.” I look around the room, my eyes finding Jaxon with my brother and Maddox, laughing at something. “And two, I saw my aunt when I walked in.”
“She didn’t tell me.” He holds his hand up to cup my cheek. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”
I smile at the soft way he looks at me. “You have to say that.”
“Oh, please,” he says, his hand falling from my cheek. “See those two?” He points over to Matthew and Max, who are his brothers-in-law, as they walk our way. He leans in and whispers in my ear, “Those two are ugly as fuck.” I have to stop myself from bursting out laughing. “Hey, there they are, M&M.”
“That fucking nickname,” Max grumbles before smiling at me and leaning down to kiss my cheek. “Hi, sweetheart, how are you doing?”
“Get your mitts away from her.” Evan pushes him away, which gives Matthew a chance to give me a big hug. “Great, now the ogre has her.” I laugh as I give Matthew a kiss on the cheek. “Leave her alone, will you?”
“You know, we speak almost weekly,” Matthew informs him, “and we meet at least once a month for lunch.” He puts his hands in his pockets and raises his eyebrows. “Can you say the same?” he asks him with a huge smile on his face, because he can’t say the same.
“Why the fuck are the two of you having lunch once a month?” my uncle barks at him.
“I don’t have to answer that.” He smiles big, goading him on.
“As much fun as this is”—I look at them, seeing Max just shaking his head as Evan glares at Matthew, who just smirks at him—“I need water.”
I move around Matthew and head to the bar to grab a bottle of water. I walk through the crowd looking up at the pictures scattered through the room. I spot Jaxon in front of another picture of his father and my father. He looks at it and I can see him laughing to himself, memories. “What’s so funny?” He looks to the side where I’ve stopped and am standing next to him.
“Do you remember this?” He points his finger to the picture. “It was, I think, the second game in the playoffs. You wanted to catch a puck, so I thought it was a good idea to put you on my shoulders.” I gasp, now remembering the story. “And—”
“And you tilted forward a little too much and I hit my face on the glass,” I fill in the rest of the story. “I saw stars that night.”
“Why wouldn’t you hold out your hands?” he asks me, as if it was my fault I face-planted in the glass.
“I was holding on to the side of your head, trying to steady myself,” I defend my actions. “I spent the rest of the night in the kids’ room with an ice pack on my face.” I push his shoulder. “Thanks for that memory.”
“You had a lot of faith in me.” He moves his hands to his pants pockets, making his chest feel like it’s puffed out even more.
“I think me not putting my hands forward to block my face was me having faith in you, don’t you think?” I laugh as I close my eyes and put my hand to my head.
“Do you still have the puck I got for you?” he asks me and I shrug my shoulders. “Wow.”
“Do you know how many pucks I have in my house?” I cock my hip to the side. “I’m sure it’s there somewhere. Anyway, as much as I would love to go down this memory lane with you, I’m on my way to the bar to get some water.”
“Oh, as Tori would say, that’s deflection,” he jokes. “Besides, I owe you a drink anyway.”
“Really?” I move a step backward so I’m eye to eye with him.
“You bought me the last drink, so now I have to return it by buying you a drink.”
“But it's an open bar.” I put my hand to my chest and the smile on his face fills his whole fucking beautiful face.
“A wise woman once explained to me how these things work.” He takes his hands out of his pockets and holds one out toward the bar in the corner.