Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“The one about you leaving, it’s going to push out numbers to a whole new level,” she says without looking me. “I just posted it.”
“Course you did.”
“It’s good, Dad.” She glances up, one second, no more. “It’s really good.” Then she’s back in her phone, and that’s how I know she meant it.
Josie’s asleep on the couch when I get home. Her reading glasses are still on, a book open and tented on her chest, one bare foot hanging off the cushion. The lamp lays warm light across her face.
I crouch by the couch and take her glasses off first, careful at the ears. I close the book over my thumb to keep her page, set it spine-up on the table. I pull the blanket off the back of the couch and lay it over her legs.
She stirs without opening her eyes. “Hmm. You’re home.”
“Go back to sleep.”
Her hand comes up, finds my collar, and pulls. I let her bring me down. She kisses me slow and three-quarters asleep, her mouth soft, no hurry in it.
“Show’s good. I miss spending the evenings with you though.”
“I’ll always be waiting for you.”
I sit down on the floor beside the couch, my back against the cushions, close enough that her arm drapes over my shoulder. Her fingers find my hair. I close my eyes and let her keep them there.
NINE
Noah called me over because a rail on the crib is loose, which means he could have fixed it himself in ten minutes but wanted the company instead. I didn’t say so. I grabbed the toolbox and came.
Peyton lets me in, sleeves shoved to the elbows, a baby smell coming off her. “Nursery,” she says, already heading back the way she came. “I’ve got Jace and Juniper playing bumper cars in the kitchen. Noah’s with Maverick and a screwdriver. Go help him.”
I take the stairs two at a time and find Noah on the floor with Maverick on one knee, a hex key in his free hand, scowling at the rail. Two of the screws have backed themselves halfway out. It’s Jace’s bed, and I don’t remember exactly when Josie said the boys stopped sharing, but this one definitely has more wear and tear than Maverick’s.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey,” I say, as I drop down across from him and open the toolbox. The boys’ room is a nice size although I think they’ll outgrow it by the time they’re in middle school. Through the bathroom, Junie has her own princess palace.
Instead of building a brand new house, which I expected them to do, they remodeled a craftsman. When the house next door went on the market, Noah and Peyton purchased that as well, had property lines adjusted, and turned the other house into a rental.
“Hand me the long one,” I say.
He passes me the screwdriver and holds the rail steady with two fingers while holding a squirming Maverick against his shoulder.
“How come you don’t buy a new crib?”
“We did,” he says. “Peyton ordered it but it’s on backorder for six months. She wants their cribs to match.”
I nod and figure it’s a twin thing since Juniper’s crib doesn’t match the boys’.
“How did this one break?”
“Uh . . .”
I hold the screwdriver to the screw and look at my son. He smiles sheepishly. I shake my head and go back to work. I don’t really need to know what my son was doing while putting his son’s crib together. At least he was there to do it.
“Mom says the show’s getting bigger.” Noah changes the subject quickly.
“You haven’t been listening?” I glance at him again. He looks down at the floor as his cheeks turn red.
“By the time it comes on, it’s bath time, bedtime, Peyton time,” he says.
I put the screwdriver down and pat him on the shoulder. “As it should be. I don’t care if you listen. What I do care about is you taking care of your family and being there for Peyton.”
Noah beams, his grin spreading from ear-to-ear. He’s doing the right thing by putting the kids and Peyton first.
“Yes, the show took off faster than I ever thought. Bex knew what she was talking about when she pitched the idea.”
“Mom’s really proud of you.” Noah holds another bracket up. “If she hasn’t told you, it’s because she doesn’t want it to go to your head.”
“It’s already gone to my head. The callers saw to that.” I never expected to get one call, let alone have my board fill up for the duration of my show.
Peyton comes in with Jace and Juniper. She sets them in Maverick’s crib and goes into the bathroom. Water starts running. Along with the water are the cries of my grandchildren. I stop what I’m doing and scoop them both up and bring them to where Noah and I are working.