Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 155775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
“I’m not very good at all this social stuff,” she confessed. “I’m not that used to talking to anyone other than Dotty or Monroe.”
“You can ask me anything. If I don’t want to tell you, I’ll just say that, all right? I won’t think that you’re being nosy or pushy, or anything like that, okay?”
She nodded.
“I was just thinking about my other job and the things that I might need to go do.”
Oh, of course. She hadn’t thought of that.
“Does Bonnie need you?”
“Not at the moment. This has to do with something else. But I’m here with you right now, so let’s not worry about it. Now, Hack should be here soon to look at your throat.”
Hack? The doctor that she’d met at Callahan Security? She guessed he seemed nice enough, but she wasn’t really sure she wanted to see a doctor.
She frowned. “No.”
His eyebrows rose. She guessed he hadn’t considered that she might argue. But her Little side could be far more stubborn than Big Addie. Big Addie was a people pleaser. Little Addie didn’t always want to do as she was told.
“No arguments,” he told her. “This is a decision for your health, which Daddy is in charge of now.”
Well, rats.
“Anything major, we’ll discuss together,” he told her.
Jeez, was he the bossiest man ever? Well, at least he seemed to be happier. He was smiling now and not looking so pensive.
Maybe ordering her around put him in a better mood.
Well, she guessed if that was the case, she could sometimes let him order her around.
Like you have a lot of choice.
“After Hack comes we’ll spend some time together playing.” Cash put his hand over her lower belly. “How are your period pains? Do you need the heating pad on? It’s a few hours until you can take some more painkillers.”
He’d made sure to give her painkillers at breakfast.
Addie blushed and hid her face in his chest, shaking her head.
“Is that a no? You don’t need the heating pad?”
She nodded.
“All right, you’ll tell Daddy if you do. I just want to take care of you.”
Lord. Those words.
They were imprinting themselves onto her soul and she didn’t think she’d ever be able to remove them.
39
“Hi, Addie. Do you remember me? I’m Hack, Greer’s fiancé.”
She nodded as she sat on a chair at the kitchen table.
Dotty was on a video call and Monroe and Butch were outside. She wasn’t sure where Ralen had gone, he’d muttered something about going to see his archnemesis.
Whoever that was.
Hack was a very interesting name for a doctor, and she wasn’t sure that it inspired much confidence, but she took the hand that the friendly-looking man held out and shook it. He gave her a gentle smile.
“You’re wondering how a doctor ended up with the name Hack, right?”
Oh dear. Could everyone read her face?
He let out a small chuckle. “It’s all right. Everyone wonders. It’s just the nickname the Iron Shadows members gave me. It’s nothing about how good I am at my job.”
Iron Shadows? Who were they?
Hack shot Cash a look. “Oh, I can see you haven’t heard of the Iron Shadows. We’re a Motorcycle Club. A bunch of good guys, nothing illegal.” Was there a weird note to his voice when he said that? Was Cash in it? She turned to him.
He shook his head. “I can’t join. But my brother is a member. So is Ink. And Stone and Butch. They’re all good guys. Well, maybe not Butch.”
Addie rolled her eyes at him. There was nothing wrong with Butch. Well, except for the fact that he was a bit of a grump.
“Now, I heard you’ve got a sore throat.”
“She struggles to speak when she’s anxious,” Cash said as he hovered behind her. “But the last few days she’s had a sore throat and her voice has gone croaky.”
“Before we start, I just want to be clear that I can be a doctor to adult Addie or Little Addie. It doesn’t worry me either way. Although sometimes my Daddy side just does come out around Littles. I can rein him in.”
“Can you?” Cash asked.
“Of course, I have excellent control,” Hack replied as he opened up his doctor’s bag. He pulled out an envelope with his name on the front. “Now, what is this?”
As he opened the envelope, all these small sparkly shapes and glitter spilled to the floor. What were they?
Reaching down, she picked one of the sparkly bits up and held it up. Hmm. That was weird. It kind of looked like a rocket ship with thrusters.
And then it dawned on her what she was holding, and she let it drop with a small squeak.
“Okay, seems like somebody’s been playing a prank,” Hack said as he stared down at the floor. “Hope you guys have got a vacuum cleaner here.”
“Did you just throw glitter dicks everywhere?” Cash asked.