Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Royal Street,” Sam provided.
“Royal Street,” Ted relayed.
Once he hung up, Sam stood and introduced Hannah and me to Ted, who was very happy to meet both of us, and then he and Sam chatted with Jocasta until, from where we were, we saw lights outside from the patrol cars, and two security guys in suits came through the front doors ahead of a very frantic-looking couple, who were followed by two more men.
“Trix!” the woman, her mother, yelled.
The young woman, who had basically been lying across Hannah’s lap, sat straight up, hearing her mother call her name.
It was a very good sign, as was the fact that she hugged her mom as soon as she reached her.
Beatrice’s parents were so relieved to see her that her mother burst into tears after the hug and had to sit down, taking a seat between the girls so she could wrap her arms around my daughter. Her father, the senator, took a seat on the other side of Beatrice, and I noticed how hard his hands were shaking.
Once both parents had a moment to compose themselves, Sam walked over, introduced himself, and squatted down near the senator and explained what had happened and that Hannah had saved the day. She gave her mother, Adelaide, Beatrice’s stilettos, and Adelaide passed Hannah back her flats, thanking her lavishly. Sam told them that we were going to take Beatrice to the hospital, and the only reason we hadn’t gone there immediately was because she was talking and walking the whole way back to the hotel. The fact that she seemed more sleepy than anything else had made Sam think that it wasn’t alcohol poisoning, so she would probably be fine, but he wasn’t a man who took chances. Better for her to see a doctor just in case. Her father agreed. Sam then explained that the reason he hadn’t called the police was because there was no crime, again, thanks to Hannah.
The senator shook Sam’s hand, gave him his card, and thanked him again. His wife hugged Hannah some more, stood, and hugged Sam. Beatrice thanked Hannah, and then proceeded to explain to her mother that Hannah had saved her because she didn’t know the boys in the alley. Sam was there to catch Adelaide when she swooned. I got it. To hear how close your kid had gotten to a horrible fate, or an even worse one, was a lot to process. Senator Powell scooped up his daughter and carried her out the front doors of the hotel, and Sam was right behind him, carrying her mother.
“Yeah,” Jocasta told me. “That man of yours is a keeper.”
Ted rolled his eyes. “It’s just because he’s built like that. Anyone can be a damn hero if they’re built like that.”
I liked them both.
Hannah and I waited in the lobby until Sam returned, and then the three of us went up. Opening the door of our hotel room and stepping inside, Hannah announced that she was going to take a shower, but when she opened the door to go into her room—surprise!—there were boys on both queen beds.
“No,” she whined loudly, turning to me and pointing at the cackling intruders. “Pa, they’re not supposed to be here!”
As much as I wanted to be alone with my husband, the arrival of Kola, Jake, and Harper was cause for celebration.
“What happened?” I asked as I hugged my son.
“The first showers we took, we took here, a half an hour ago,” Kola informed me.
“Jake’s still in there,” Harper apprised us, shuddering. “But I get it. You should have seen the bathroom there. I was worried I was gonna get tetanus.”
“And our friends. Not in the dorms or in their homes—I mean, hygiene right out the window!” Kola was clearly horrified. “This is going to be the true issue during the zombie apocalypse. We’re all going to smell like we did during the Middle Ages.”
I couldn’t stop laughing.
“I am not made to share a bathroom with ten other people,” Harper informed me after he hugged Sam and then came to give me mine.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” Jake called from Hannah’s bathroom. “And I’m using your loofah and your pink shower gel.”
“Do not use my loofah, you heathen!” she yelled back. “Dad!”
“God,” Sam groaned, going facedown on our California king bed, having his son instantly lie down beside him.
“Hey, Dad, you hungry?”
Sam seized on this idea, pushing up excitedly and smiling. “I’m not hungry, but you could take the other musketeers, and your sister, and go get something.”
“Jake!” Hannah yelled, banging on the bathroom door. “I’m not even kidding. I’ve killed people for less than using my loofah!”
“No,” Harper whimpered, sliding under the covers of my bed. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to soak in the clean.”
“I’m starving,” Kola said pointedly. “I can’t look at any more fried food.”