Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“What the hell is going on over here?” Shane barks, making me jump.
“You need to teach your daughter how to speak properly to adults,” Pamela hisses.
“No, you need to learn when to keep your mouth shut,” Taylor argues. “She just accused Kinsley of killing her husband and baby and told her that you and Mom used to hook up and everyone thought you guys were going to get back together.”
“What the fuck, Pam?” Shane hisses, just as an older gentleman walks over and steps between Shane and Pamela.
I think he’s Shane’s boss, the firefighter battalion chief or something.
“I’m so sorry,” the gentleman says, glaring at Pamela. “My daughter has been going through some personal stuff, but that’s no excuse.”
Pamela huffs and stumbles away.
“I love this department, and you know I respect you,” Shane says to the man, whose name I can’t remember to save my life. “But if I ever see that woman at this station or near Kinsley …”
“It won’t happen again,” the man says. Then, he looks at me. “I’m truly sorry. I don’t know all that was said, but I’m sorry. I’m working on getting her the help she needs, but it’s still no excuse.”
“No, it’s not,” Shane says before taking my hand and stomping away from everyone back to his truck with Taylor following behind.
The ride back to their place is quiet, and I consider asking if he can drop me off at home, but I don’t, not wanting to be alone.
When we pull into the driveway, Shane glances at Taylor and says, “Can you give us a moment, please?”
Taylor nods and then leans over and kisses my cheek. “Fuck her,” she says to me, making me choke up and smile at the same time.
Once she’s inside, Shane sighs and turns toward me. When he sees the silent tears sliding down my cheeks, he reaches out and wipes them away with his thumb.
“While I don’t condone the language my daughter used, I agree one hundred percent with what she said.” He tips my face to look at him. “I don’t even know where to start.” He shakes his head.
“There’s nothing to say,” I tell him, leaning into his hand. “She said things out of spite, and you don’t owe me any explanation. We all have pasts, and I wouldn’t judge you for yours, especially since you’ve never judged me for mine.”
“There’s nothing to judge. And the shit she said was …” He sighs in frustration, trying to find the right words.
“Mean? Vindictive?” I finish for him. “Yeah, I know. And before I spent years in therapy, I probably would’ve let her get in my head, but I know that what happened was a tragic accident, and all she did was show me once again how amazing you and Taylor are.”
“We love you,” he says, leaning in and kissing me.
“And I love you both.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Shane
Want to order in Italian for dinner tonight?
Sour Patch
Rain check? I’m meeting with a realtor after work. But I can come over afterward if that’s okay.
I stare at my screen, unsure of how to respond. How is it that I’ve been spending damn near every minute of my free time with Kinsley, yet she’s never once mentioned moving out of her parents’ pool house or buying a place of her own?
I start to type a response, but delete it. Then stare at her message.
“Why are you looking at your phone like it just offended you?” Taylor asks, plopping into the seat across from me.
“Kinsley’s house-hunting,” I grumble, setting my phone down since I have no idea how to reply to her message.
I should probably ask what houses she’s looking at or if she needs a second opinion, but I’m kind of annoyed that she didn’t bring it up to me in the first place. We’ve talked about the renovations I’ve done to this place, so she knows I’m knowledgeable about houses.
“Why?” Taylor asks, scrunching her nose up in confusion. “She should just move in here. She pretty much already has anyway.”
She’s not wrong. Since Kinsley and I started dating, she spends more nights here than not. Even on the nights when I work my shift, she’ll come over and watch movies with Taylor.
“You’d be okay with that?”
I already know she would be. She’s made it clear when she told me she’d love for me to marry Kinsley, but this is her home, too, so before I consider asking Kinsley to move in, I want to make sure my daughter is completely on board with it.
“Dad, seriously?” she scoffs. “You already know I love Kinsley.”
“I know, but hanging out with someone and talking books is different from her moving in and living here permanently.”
“I’m not a kid,” she says. “I know how it works, and I’m one hundred percent okay with Kinsley moving in. I’d even share my library with her. She’s awesome, and she makes you happy, and if you guys want to move in together and get married and give me a cute little brother or sister, I’m okay with that. But you’d have to do it soon if you want me to babysit because I only have a year until I graduate and move to the city.”