Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“But you’re not alone, Mom. Elodie, Evie, and I are here. We want to help you. We just don’t know the best way to do that.”
“There’s nothing you can do other than answer the phone when I call.” Her grin wobbles when footsteps come down the stairs behind her. She takes a ragged breath and looks over her shoulder, clenching the armrests of her chair. “I thought you were in bed, Edward.”
“I could’ve sworn I heard Drake.” He rubs the top of his head as he rounds the corner. The moment his eyes land on his son, his entire being changes. “Drake. Hey. What are you doing here? Is it morning?”
“No, no, Dad. It’s not.” Drake gets to his feet, crossing the room to hug his father. “I just came by to talk to Mom. You doing okay?”
He takes in the room like he’s recalibrating his surroundings. “Yeah. I’m good. A little confused. But it’s always nice to see you.”
Edward shuffles to the brown recliner, his slippers swishing across the hardwood as he moves. He’s a burly guy, every bit as tall as Drake but much heavier. His hands are thick and scarred. I bet one day, not too many years ago, Edward was a handful. I can’t imagine what it’s like for little Barb to manage him now.
Drake returns to his seat beside me, and that’s when his father’s gaze turns to me.
“Who are you?” he asks, cocking his head.
“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Gianna. Gianna, this is my dad, Edward.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say.
“A girlfriend, huh?” He narrows his eyes, assessing me. “How come I ain’t ever seen you before?”
“We just started dating a couple of weeks ago,” I reply, because the question was directed at me. “And Drake’s always talking about his dad and how great he is, so I had to see for myself.”
Edward puffs up, proud. “He was, was he?”
“I think you’re a little smaller than he let on. Otherwise, you check out so far.”
He lets out a loud, roaring chuckle. His burly chest shakes with amusement. Drake and Barb exchange a surprised, but pleased glance as Edward seems to come alive.
“Don’t let him talk shit about his old man,” Edward says, teasing Drake. “He knows I’ll still whip his ass.”
Drake tries not to laugh. “I’d hate to have you prove that tonight.”
Barb watches their interaction silently but tears well up in her eyes. What is she thinking, and how does this feel for her? But the love in her eyes is unmistakable.
I bet she is a terrific mother. The way she embraced Drake, then me—a woman she just met. She made me feel more welcome here than I ever did with my own parents. How is that possible?
Who are these people? I didn’t think people like this existed in the real world.
“What do you do?” Edward asks me. “For a livin’, I mean.”
“I’m a podcaster.”
“All right. What’s your show about?”
Drake subtly reaches for my hand and folds our fingers together.
“It’s about a little of this, a little of that,” I say. “Mostly, it has to do with relationships. People call me for advice.”
“So you’re a modern-day … what did they call that, Barb? That thing in the newspapers?”
“Dear Abby?” she offers.
“Yes. You’re a modern-day Dear Abby,” he says.
I laugh, not sure that comparison is fair for Abby. “I think she was probably a little more proper in her responses than I am. I just … say stuff.”
Drake cuts in. “Don’t let her fool you. She has one of the highest-rated podcasts in the world.”
“What’s your podcast called?” Barb asks. “I’ll have to tune in.”
Please. Don’t. The thought of Drake’s mom listening to me talk about men and sex is enough to make me never want to sit in front of the mic again. “Gianna Knows Things.”
“Evie is a huge fan,” Drake tells his mother. “She’ll be pissed that you got to meet Gianna before she did.”
“Well, Gianna, what do you know?” Edward asks. “Tell us something.”
“Dad …”
“No, it’s fine,” I say. “What do you want to know?”
He thinks for a moment. “Who’s going to win the baseball championship this year? Can ya tell me that?”
Drake smirks, waiting patiently for my answer. He’s probably wondering how I’m going to talk my way out of this one. I feel his gaze on my face but ignore it. Instead, I nod as if I’m really into this conversation with his dad.
“I’ll tell you who it’s not going to be, and that’s the Bobcats,” I say, hoping to hell that’s right.
Drake recoils in shock. “How do you know who the Bobcats are?”
“The Bobcats have two pitchers, and no one can get on base. I doubt they make it to the postseason. My money would be on the Oilers, but they’re going to have to fix that hole in their batting lineup, or they’ll get exposed.”