Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“Funny fucker,” I muttered. “Sayla doesn’t have that in her.”
Mark just raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Let’s just hope she doesn’t mess up your pretty face too bad. You know, so we can have an open casket.”
I scoffed. “Joke’s on you, I’m getting cremated. It’s in my will, and I’ve made sure my family knows it.” I shuddered at the thought. “Knowing my luck, snakes would get into my coffin, and I’d be stuck in purgatory with them for the rest of my bony afterlife.”
Mark pretended to salute me. “Got it. You want to be buried in snakeskin. Bit pimpy for my tastes, but whatever floats your boat.”
A full-body shiver wracked through me. “You’re a sick man.”
Mark just laughed as he jogged to his car, waving over his shoulder as he climbed in.
Shaking my head, I turned to head back inside, ready to feed the ‘kids.’ But just as I grabbed the door handle, the low hum of an engine reached my ears.
Expecting it to be Mark coming back for something, I turned and raised a finger, ready to let him know exactly where he could shove his snake jokes—only to lock eyes with Sayla.
And judging by the absolute fury blazing in her dark eyes, I was about to have a whole new set of problems to deal with.
Two
Sayla
The soft chime of the salon door opening pulled my attention away from my client’s hair, and when I turned around, my heart nearly melted on the spot. Evie stood in the doorway, cradling a tiny bundle—her brand-new daughter, Elora.
She and Alex had spent months navigating the adoption process, and today, they had finally brought their daughter home. The moment was already enough to steal my breath, but seeing Evie standing there, glowing with happiness as she held the little girl close, made it feel even more surreal.
“Sorry, Alex had to run to the store to grab some stuff for dinner,” she said, adjusting Elora slightly as she stepped inside. “So, we figured we’d come by and introduce ourselves to everyone.”
The second I laid eyes on that baby, it hit me like a freight train. It wasn’t just love at first sight—it was overwhelming, all-consuming, and so unexpected it nearly knocked me off my feet.
The past two days had been a whirlwind of emotions after learning who my new neighbor was. Roque Edwards, the one person I’d sworn to be done with and the one I had no intention of ever seeing again, let alone living across the damn street from. Under any other circumstances, if it was anyone else, I’d have vented to Evie. With everything she and Alex had been through and with the joy they were experiencing, I couldn’t bring myself to dampen their moment with my frustration.
Besides, I’d found out from Layla—who had heard it from Mark—that even Evie hadn’t known where Roque had bought a house, which made it easier to keep my mouth shut. Usually, I wouldn’t bring him up to her anyway. Dragging her into my issues with her brother would have been unfair, not to mention petty. Still, I probably would’ve indulged in at least a five-minute rant about my new neighbor being an asshole if it weren’t for the tiny, beautiful baby in her arms.
But standing there, looking at Elora, I realized something. Letting Roque’s presence ruin this for me would give him power, which was the last thing I would do.
Telling my client I’d be back in a second, I made my way over, unable to take my eyes off the baby watching me intently. “God, Evie, she’s just beautiful,” I whispered, taking in every tiny feature. Her face was framed by a wild mess of dark brown curls, her cheeks were soft and round, and her deep, soulful eyes seemed to hold a wisdom far beyond her eight months of life.
Before Evie could respond, Elora suddenly lunged for me, nearly giving me a heart attack as she reached out with surprising force.
Evie laughed, steadying her before she could fully launch herself into my arms. “Well, I think she likes you.” Then, looking down at her daughter, she smiled. “Elora, this is your aunt, Sayla. Sayla, meet your new niece.”
Something shifted inside me at those words, a warmth spreading through my chest that I hadn’t expected. I’d always loved kids, but this was different. This wasn’t just any baby, this was my best friend’s daughter. My niece. I felt the same way about Heidi’s kids, too. I loved them more than the clouds in the skies had raindrops.
“Hey, Elora,” I breathed, completely entranced as we stared at each other. She studied me momentarily as if deciding whether or not I was worthy before breaking into a wide, toothy grin. Well, almost toothy—one tiny tooth was barely poking through her bottom gum, and as she smiled, a thick drop of drool made a slow descent down her chin. And just like that, I was absolutely done for.