Total pages in book: 174
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
I shouldn’t feel so much joy. So much peace in the game as we rushed and ran through the meadow. But I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun.
The last time I felt so surrounded by comfort and wasn’t constantly looking over my shoulder, worrying that someone was going to come for us.
Running and running.
But this running was entirely different.
It was elation and glee and a thousand smiles from my children.
“Right here, Mom,” Addy urged under her breath.
The three of us ducked down behind a large bush that grew beneath an ancient tree. Its trunk cloaked us from behind and the lush leaves of the bush kept us completely concealed.
A giggle rolled from about fifty feet away, one that was unquestionably coming from Maci.
Eva let go of a tiny giggle too as we sat huddled in our secret place.
“Shh. You gotta be really quiet or Cash and Colin are gonna find us, and we have to make sure we get an ice cream party,” Addy scolded under her breath.
I was pretty sure that ice cream party was happening one way or the other, but I didn’t correct her.
A countdown rode on the swooping breeze, Kane and Otto’s voices booming across the lawn. “Ten, nine, eight, seven…”
Addy shook where she knelt beside me, biting her lip to subdue her laughter.
I curled my arms around my daughters’ backs as the countdown continued. “Six, five, four, three, two, one! Ready or not, here we come.”
“Day comin’.” Eva tipped her precious face up at me, her blue eyes wide.
I pressed my finger to my lips and gave a hushed, “Shh.”
She mimicked me.
Footsteps pounded across the meadow, and I peeked out to watch as the guys dispersed across the rambling lawn.
Kane, Otto, Theo, and River headed in different directions in search of their kids.
On the far side, I spied Cash and Colin. The man towered over my son, who trotted along at his side. Colin skipping and chattering nonstop. Pointing at all the different places where he thought we could be hiding.
Cupping his mouth with both hands, Kane hollered, “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
A wild giggle lifted from Maci’s hiding spot.
He acted like he hadn’t heard and went the opposite direction, grumbling under his breath but just loud enough that she could hear, “Where in the world did that Maci and her mommy hide? I can’t find them anywhere.”
Another giggle.
River was hunting along the big trees that grew along the stream. Nolan and Charleigh suddenly popped out of their hiding spot.
They went sprinting across the field, peals of laughter erupting from Nolan as he and Charleigh rushed for base.
River whirled at the sound. “Oh, no, you’re not getting away from me.”
A smirk took to his face as he bolted after them, the man flying across the field faster than I could even imagine. With each pounding step, he enclosed on them.
Charleigh and Nolan had just made it to the stairs when he caught up.
Nolan jumped on them as if he were the king of the castle. “We beat you, Daddy-O. You are fast, but not fast enough. My mommy and I are like jets.” He zoomed his hand through the air.
River scooped him up and wrapped an arm around Charleigh’s waist from behind. “Looks like you two are the stealthy ones.”
“Well, I had to learn it from you.” Nolan grinned.
“Found you!” Otto suddenly shouted from the farthest side of the field, acting like it’d taken him a whole lot of effort since Raven casually swayed on a swing that hung from a big tree. Using her feet to softly propel her with Baby Luna tucked safely to her chest.
“Oh, dang,” Raven drew out.
I could only imagine she was batting her eyes and imagining all the ways Otto was going to make good on his favor.
Piper and Finn suddenly burst out from the brush. They were only a few feet away from us. I hadn’t even known they were there.
She laughed as she ran with Finn in her arms. Theo jumped into action, running behind them.
Maci and Emery followed suit, the two of them racing for the stairs as Kane slowly turned around and started to lumber toward them, his arms swooping out and just missing them as he let Maci scamper onto the steps.
“I did it! I did it! I get an ice cream party! Woohoo, Daddy, you are too slow.”
We were the last left, and Cash and Colin were looping around, following the stream and getting close to coming up this side.
My pulse increased, a fluttering anticipation as I gulped at the sight of him talking quietly with Colin. That brash, hard body so gentle as he played along.
I glanced at the girls and whispered, “Are you ready?”
They both gave me big nods, and I quietly rushed, “One, two, three, go!”