Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
“I hope the grandmas still bid,” Dallas says. “Helga Flourish sends me cookies every year for my birthday.”
“Didn’t she win a date your second year with the Terror?” I ask.
“Yup. Clearly I made a fantastic impression.” Dallas bats his lashes while Hemi rolls her eyes.
Ariel shrieks and tosses a handful of pico de gallo at Roman.
Hammer laughs. “Oh, this is precious.”
“It’s the onions, isn’t it?” Roman asks his youngest daughter in mock seriousness.
“N’onions!” Ariel shouts.
Pavin joins in by bashing his silverware on his tray, sending food flying in all directions.
Both Kellan and Quinn get hit.
“He’s all yours. I came out of the womb civilized.” Shilpa wipes salsa and corn off her cheek.
“He’ll be a drummer or a hockey player,” Ash says proudly, while picking chunks of taco meat out of his hair.
Tally hops out of her chair and rushes to wet a couple of baby washcloths. She tosses one to Roman and dances over to Pavin, distracting him enough that she can pass the cloth to Shilpa, who cleans off his hands.
I meet Dred’s gaze across the table. Her smile is soft, but also knowing, with a hint of concern. I’m sure she sees the way I look at Tally.
We eat and try to avoid getting hit with flying food. After dinner, Tally takes a quick call from her brother.
“Everything okay with Tally?” Dred asks quietly while we load the dishwasher.
“Yeah. She’s good. It’s been intense.” I don’t have to explain.
She nods. “You seem pretty intense about her.”
I rub the back of my neck. “I’m invested.”
“You both are,” she agrees. “Have you thought about when you’re going to say something to her?”
“I need things to settle down first.”
“Are you using that as an excuse?”
“Yeah. But no.” I need to confide in Tally the way she confides in me. “She’s under a lot of pressure. School, me, her family. I don’t want to put more on her. Not right now.”
She squeezes my arm. “Okay. Just know I’m here if you need to talk anything through.”
I can’t keep this secret from her forever, but telling her also means that I’ll have to tell the other important people in my life, too. Like my sister, and Tristan, and my parents. And it will hurt all of us.
“Everything okay, darling?” Connor glances between us.
“Everything is magical, my sweet villain.” Dred tips her chin up and he bends to kiss her.
Tally returns, wearing a bright smile.
“Things okay with Ties?”
“Yeah. He was offered a scholarship for Tilton next year. Full ride, plus his accommodations. He’s relieved and excited.”
“I bet.” I hug her. “Didn’t you help him with the application?”
“I just read over his essay. He did all the heavy lifting.”
“Who wants dessert?” Rix calls out.
Dallas groans and pats his belly. “Me, but I need to make some room first.”
“We could play a game and burn a little energy,” Tally suggests.
“How about the floor is lava?” Quinn says this straight-faced, with one hand tucked into his pocket. His eyes are finally back to almost normal, and he’s stopped carrying around the box of tissues.
“I used to play that with my brothers all the time!” Hemi says.
“Would have been a full-contact sport with those two,” Dallas grumbles.
Hemi nods. “Once they broke the coffee table.”
“That tracks.” Tristan snorts.
“Everyone in?” I ask.
Kellan raises his hand. “I’ve never played this game.”
“Oh, you are in for a real treat.” Rix does a hip shimmy.
We toss pillows on the floor while we explain the rules. The first person to make it to the churro cheesecake on the other side of the room gets to take home the leftovers. If there are any. I have my doubts.
Kellan tries to make a beeline for it.
“The floor is lava!” Hemi yells.
Kellan and Quinn fight over the same pillow, shoving each other around. “We gotta hug it out or we’ll lose, man!” Quinn wraps his arms around Kellan.
“You’re standing on my feet!” Kellan gripes.
“The churro cheesecake, bro.”
“Right. Yeah.”
Rix finds her own pillow, and Tristan comes in behind her, lifting her off her feet so he doesn’t end up out.
Dallas does the flamingo on a doily, and Hemi hops into the occasional chair. Connor fireman-carries Dred so they both stay in.
I’m left with the tiniest throw pillow on earth, and Tally jumps on my back, nearly setting me off-balance.
The next round, Dallas hops onto the coffee table, causing it to groan angrily under his weight. Tally finds one of Dallas’s crocheted doilies and adopts a dancer’s pose. I get knocked out of the game because I’m too focused on staying close to Tally. I don’t mind. She’ll share the cheesecake if she wins, and even if she doesn’t, the number of great photos I snap are worth losing the game.
Rix is next.
She comes to stand beside me while Tristan tries to fit his giant feet on a small pillow.