Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“And this way my sunglasses can stay home with me.”
The color that flushed Finn’s cheeks high on his face, just below his eyes, was sweet to see. “You knew what that was about?”
“I hoped I did.” Kola grinned kindly before taking him into his arms and hugging him tight.
It was very gratifying to witness Finn closing his eyes and leaning into my son. To know that he was absolutely, a hundred percent, in love with my child and saw him for the gift he was made me happy deep in my chest. Watching Jake look at Hannah with besotted eyes did the same thing to me.
When Kola eased back, he walked to the front door, opened it, and then yelled at Hannah to get her ass inside and show him what she wanted done with the stupid leaves.
Finn was fiddling with the pendant and then tucked it under the collar of his henley and glanced at Jake, who had cleared his throat. “What?”
“That’s quite the gift,” Jake said simply. “You gotta take good care of that.”
“Yes,” Finn ground out. “Of course.”
“So do you have Hannah’s blessing on the astrological front? Are you two trining?”
Instant scowl. “None of those words made sense.”
“I have her astrological blessing with Wick,” Harper told Jake, breezing into the room to get the basket of leaves, only to turn and walk back out.
“Oh good.”
“Her what with what?” Finn raised his voice to Harper.
“Astrology,” Harper reiterated, talking over his shoulder before he opened the front door. “I know you know what that is.”
“Yeah, but her bles”—the door closed—“sing?”
“It’s like when she explains that you and who you’re dating has absolutely not a snowball’s chance in hell of working out or if you’re soulmates,” Jake offered.
Finn looked suddenly as though he was going to vomit. “What?”
Jake scowled at him. “That’s why she asks all those questions, right? What day were you born? What time were you born?”
“What’s happening right now?”
“Like she doesn’t know how to create a birth chart or look at the two signs of people and figure out if they should make a go of it or not.” Jake grumbled. “Please.”
“I don’t know when I was born.”
“I’m sure she called your mother.”
“No, she wouldn’t,” he said to me.
I smiled at him.
“Who are you people?”
“It’s fine. I’m sure it’s fine,” I soothed him.
He glanced at my husband, who was pulling different things out of the refrigerator, clearly about to make himself a sandwich.
“Sam,” I said.
Eyes on me, and mine flicked to Finn and back.
“What?” he asked Kola’s boyfriend.
“Astrology?”
“What about it?”
“You believe in that, sir?”
He stopped what he was doing, thought a moment, and then took a breath. “I think whatever tools you can have to help you in a relationship are good,” he reasoned. “And the way she explained it to me, it all makes sense.”
Hannah appeared in the kitchen then, striding up to her father.
“I need fishing line for the leaves.”
Years ago he used to question things like that. Not anymore. “In the basement in my orange tackle box.”
“You’re sure?” She grimaced.
“What’s with that face?”
“The last time I opened the wrong box there was that smell.”
He shook his head at her. “Orange, not blue. Never blue.”
She chuckled and turned to go.
“Wait,” Finn rushed out. “Are me and Kola, uhm, trining?”
Quick squint from her. “Of course. You’re a Gemini and he’s Libra. That’s bedrock.”
He smiled wanly.
“I would have never let my brother waste his time otherwise.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes,” she said flatly. “And you have a Capricorn rising, which is awesome, and Kola has a moon in Pisces, which makes him even more gentle, so yeah—you’re good.”
He took a breath as she headed for the basement. Almost to the door, she turned, walking backwards, to look at him. “I mean, you’re not an Aquarius, but what can you do?”
Jake whistled at him, and when Finn was looking at him, he grinned huge. “Guess who’s an Aquarius?”
Finn’s face when he was back to staring at Sam made my husband smile.
“Capricorn rising is a very good sign,” Sam declared, walking over to me and kissing my forehead. “But just plain Capricorn is my favorite.”
“Hey,” Kola called from the front door, “what’s taking so long on the fishing line?”
“Finn was worried you guys weren’t trining, so he had to ask B about it,” Jake answered.
“Astrology?” Kola said, like it was painful. “Dear God, it’s not even a soft science.”
And finally I saw Finn breathe. It was good. Moving air through one’s lungs was helpful.
The kids were all invited out to several parties, so there would be no Halloween soiree at our house this year. It turned out even better because it rained, so that would have been craptastic for the backyard. They did all convene at our house before they went out, and I have to say, as the Justice League, they looked pretty good.