Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Lou sees my expression and laughs. “God, you two.”
Dane hands Lou a beer. “Six thousand square feet. Five bedrooms, five baths. Jacuzzi tubs, stainless steel everything, and five hundred feet of beachfront. Primo property and a mile from our family beach house.” He leans in and stares at the burgers. “Knox had to get one bigger than Dad’s. Showoff.”
That is not true and my eyebrow tells him so.
Since I graduated four years ago and took over some of Dad’s investments in the Nashville area, I’ve worked my way up from a desk job to executive vice president, and it has little to do with impressing my father. It’s about me and Ava.
“The one next door is for sale,” I tell him slyly. “Maybe your fiancée would like it?”
Ari, the girl in question, lights up and turns to Dane. “Oh, yes, let’s go check it out tomorrow!”
Dane rolls his eyes. “Great. We aren’t even married yet and here you are, putting the pressure on.”
“He’s just a happy sonofabitch and wants us all to be,” Wyatt says, settling in on a chair next to Jagger and handing him a beer. The two of them have been inseparable since Vandy days. Ava has already told them our beach house is theirs if they want to get married here. She and I were married at my dad’s place down the road right after I graduated.
Piper sticks her head out the French doors. “Okay, okay, Knox, I know you’re busy with the guys and all, but do you have a moment?” She gives me a wide-eyed look. “Ava—”
I toss the spatula on the countertop and dash inside.
“Why don’t you run that fast when I need something?” I hear Ari ask Dane.
I walk into an empty kitchen. Piper points down the hall to the master bedroom, and I head there.
Ava sits on the big bed, a crying baby on each leg. Leland Knox and Persephone Tulip are officially two years old this weekend. My eyes search her. She looks okay, maybe a little scattered, and her hair needs brushing, but hey, when you’ve got two toddlers—
“Ugh, I told Piper I was fine, told her they cry in tandem all the time. Doesn’t matter who’s mad or happy, the other wants to be part of it.” She huffs out a laugh when Leland burps, his face un-wrinkling at the relief then focusing on me. His pudgy hands reach for me. “Dada!”
Ava shakes her head as I take him in my arms. “I thought the walk on the beach might have worn them out, but nope, not a single eye shut. You might as well get ready—”
“My dada!” Persephone cries until I pick her up too, managing to bounce them on my hips.
“They’re sleepy and here we are trying to have a birthday party.” Ava stands next to me, her fingers curling under their chins as she hums a song. “Beautiful babies.”
Leland reaches back for her, like he usually does, and I know he only picked me to rescue him from sleeping. Ava’s an incredible mom, soft and easy and patient, everything she always wanted from her own. Having a baby was part of the plan; twins, not so much, and while it’s slowed her down some during her medical training, she’ll be completely done soon and wants to work in research.
Leland wipes his nose. “Nap bad,” he tells his mom sternly as he pulls on her hair.
“Tyler!” Persephone chimes in.
“Domestic bliss?” Tyler says on a laugh as he comes in the open door. My dad is with him. They left earlier for a movie while the rest of us chilled out this morning.
Persephone wiggles her fingers for Tyler, and he takes her and settles her on his hip.
“Guess what, little P? Grandpa let me drive today!” he says.
I start and sputter as I glance at Dad. “You let him drive? He’s not even fifteen yet!”
Dad looks a little pale, and I stop and chuckle. I recall well him teaching Dane and me to drive, featuring lots of yelling and cursing every time we braked too hard.
Dad blows out a breath. “He asked and I thought, Why not? Not sure my car will ever be the same—”
Tyler coos at the baby on his hip. “He’s not telling you about the pedestrian I nearly mowed down—”
Ava’s eyes flare.
Dad exhales. “They have bike lanes here and she was very pretty, and I saw exactly where your eyes were—”
“She wasn’t. I just got distracted—” Tyler huffs.
“Did he cuss at you?” Dane says, walking in and immediately swiping Leland from Ava. My son smiles, giggling at his uncle’s long hair.
“Pretty,” he gurgles then spits up on Dane’s shirt.
He blanches, his eyes widening. “Gross! Gah, I hate the smell of milk.” But he doesn’t let him go, even when Wyatt and Piper come in, each of them holding out their hands and vying for his attention.