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)
I glance around and notice several more items that weren’t here before—Kinsley’s pink silk pillow, a HomePod that I saw on her nightstand, another picture of her and her cousin Natalia.
I walk toward the bathroom to ask when she brought this stuff over—I mean, I don’t care because I want all her shit here, but I’m confused as to when she brought it all over since she hasn’t been here—when my eye catches on the clothes in the walk-in closet.
I step inside and find that my clothes have been moved to one side while the other side contains hundreds of pieces of women’s clothing. I look down and find several pairs of women’s shoes next to my sneakers.
“Sour Patch,” I call out.
“Yeah?” she says, popping her head out.
When I meet her eyes, I can see the humor in them, and it clicks—why she and my daughter were smiling at each other.
“Tell me this isn’t some kind of joke,” I warn. “Did you move all your stuff in?”
“I didn’t,” she replies in a serious tone, making my heart sink.
Did I somehow misunderstand?
“But Taylor did while I kept you busy all day,” she adds, a smile spreading across her face.
“You moved in?” I ask, just to make sure.
“I did. Taylor apparently knows a lot of guys with big trucks, and they helped her move all my stuff in.”
“Taylor,” I call out.
“Yeah?”
“I owe you big time!”
“I know,” she shouts back, making Kinsley giggle.
“This is for real?” I ask, scooping her up into my arms and making her squeal.
She wraps her legs around me and nods. “This is for real.”
“No take-backs?” I joke.
“No take-backs,” she says through her laughter as I carry her over to the dresser and set her on it.
“Fuck, do you have any idea how happy you’ve made me?”
“Hopefully as happy as you’ve made me,” she says. “And I’m hoping as happy as Taylor will be when we tell her that she’s going to be a big sister.”
Oh shit. That’s right. Taylor’s waiting for us out in the living room.
“She’s going to be thrilled,” I tell her, giving her a quick kiss. “Let’s go share the good news.” I lift her off the dresser and set her on the floor. “And then, tonight, after she’s asleep, we’ll be celebrating,” I say as we walk out of our room in search of Taylor. “Not only is my woman pregnant with my baby, but she’s living here for good. Can life get any better than that?”
“Can life get any better than what?” Taylor asks, having caught the tail end of what I was saying.
“There’s something we need to tell you,” Kinsley says.
“Kinsley’s pregnant,” I finish.
Taylor grins and then laughs. “I knew it!” she exclaims, hugging Kinsley and then me. “When we were moving your stuff, I found the prenatal vitamins, but I didn’t want to assume. This is so awesome! When are you due?”
“December 16,” Kinsley tells her.
“Wow,” Taylor breathes. “I’ll be graduating, and you’ll have a new baby in the house.”
“Speaking of which, we never got to go on that tour,” Kinsley points out. “You should check when the next one is so we can go.”
Taylor nods, but doesn’t look very excited.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask her.
Taylor shakes her head, but her glassy eyes tell a different story.
“Tay, talk to me,” I insist.
“It’s nothing,” she says as tears fill her lids and fall. “I guess it’s just hitting me that this time next year, I’ll be graduating.” She sniffles. “It’s going to be hard to leave you, and now, with Kinsley living here and a baby on the way, it’s going to be even harder.”
“Yeah,” Kinsley agrees, “it will be hard, but you won’t be far at NYU, and we’ll come visit.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Taylor says, enveloping Kinsley in a hug.
“Trust me, we’ll be there so often that you’ll get sick of us,” Kinsley tells her. “Want to see a picture of your baby brother or sister?”
“Yes!” Taylor pulls back, and Kinsley pulls out the sonogram image.
“Check it out,” I say, pointing at the speckle on the paper. “That’s our Sour Patch Baby.”
Taylor laughs. “You guys are so adorable. Meet-cute, single dad, small town. I seriously hope, one day, I find love that’s fit for a romance novel.”
“You will,” Kinsley tells her. “Because you’ve seen firsthand what a good man looks like.” She glances at me. “And you won’t settle for anything less.”
“Damn right I won’t,” Taylor says. “Now, I just have one question. Because everyone knows that a good romance book has to have a happily ever after … when are you guys getting married?”
THIRTY-FIVE
Kinsley
Two Months Later
“Sour Patch!” Shane calls out, slamming the front door.
“In the bathroom!” I yell back.
I swipe some lip gloss on my lips, fluff my hair, and then head out, meeting Shane in the bedroom.