Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
This man. This amazing, beautiful, kind man.
A few short steps bring me to the hallway leading to the two spare bedrooms and home office. When Johnny mentioned me getting pregnant, a part of me was crushed to think about outgrowing our home. While some women dream of having a big house, a yard of their own, and living in a neighborhood, I never have. I’ve always wanted this to be ours to live in, to raise our family in, and to grow old in.
The way this side of the house is set up, at the end of the hall is Johnny’s office. On paper it’s a den, but he’s got a desk, bookshelves, a couple of chairs, and it has access to the outdoor patio. The other two bedrooms are on either side of the hallway. One has an attached bathroom, and the other shares with what you’d call the guest bathroom but can be accessed from inside the bedroom, too.
“Johnny?” I say his name when I realize the door is open to his office, but there’s no light glowing softly like he’d usually have it on. Instead, the bedroom on the right side of the hall has the door flung open, the overhead light on, and a whirring noise meets my ears.
“Sí, mi esposa.” I walk until I’m standing right outside of the room. My knees go weak, my heart beats rapidly, and I’m stunned speechless. I should have come home the minute Sebastian was born, took him away from Melanie and raised him without the traumatizing events he’s been through since he was conceived. All I can do is stand there and take everything in, my husband, my everything, and he’s doing more than he ever has to.
15
JOHNNY
“Aunt Winn, I help Uncle Johnny build things.” We did more damage at the store than I ever thought possible—five shopping carts full—having no ungodly idea what all a little boy would need until Lennie and Kenny went down a list that seemed to be a mile long. The only hiccup we ran across was shoe sizes for both Sebastian and Winn. None of us had thought to ask, and when Mom responded, we were already checked out. I decided I’d either order them online or Winn could brave the store with the girls again. I’d been cured from shopping for the next millennia.
“I see that. When did you get home?” Winn’s eyes are going from mine to Seb’s. Asher and Lennie helped me lug everything in, his pregnant wife only carrying the bags that were light enough for Asher’s standards. The service elevator made it a hell of a lot easier to load the big stuff in it, and then the other one, which opened into the foyer we put all of the bags in. From there, Asher helped me bring everything into the apartment before begging off. They had plans with his mom and stepdad. They’d given me plenty of their time, and I couldn’t ask for more. Tysen called while we drove to the furniture store, mentioning he’d meet me at my place to help with whatever I needed. I told him I had it covered but appreciated it all the same. Winnie was still asleep when I left, and with my phone near me at all times staying silent, minus Mom sending a text here and there, I wanted her to get as much sleep as possible, especially with the news Matthew handed over an hour ago.
“A while. It’s after lunchtime,” I reply. Sebastian is sitting between my spread legs. I’ve got my hands on top of his, helping him hold the drill, and we’re working on the bookshelves. Everything else was put together, but at the last minute, when Asher pulled up with a stack of books, mentioning that kids love to read, I veered off to the furniture department.
“You sleep a lot, and she snores.” Sebastian looks over his shoulder at me with a goofy grin on his face, big and toothy.
“I do not,” Winn tells the room, pretending to be offended at being called out. I can see the lifting of her lips as she attempts not to laugh.
“Seb, bud. Love your bluntness, but we gotta be nice to the ladies in our life.” I take my hand off the piece of wood to tousle Sabastian’s hair. “Besides, she doesn’t snore; she breathes, loudly, but only when her favorite nephew has her take him to the park all day.”
“See, Uncle Johnny knows what’s up,” she replies. I watch as she crosses her arms over her chest, hiding the fact she’s braless. Can’t help that her legs are bare, though. I lick my lips. Winn’s gaze snaps to mine, and if not for my eyes taking her in, I’d have never seen the way she presses her sweet-as-fuck thighs together.