Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
It was colorful and had a fancy name.
“Does your mom like wine?”
“She likes something called beer.”
I laughed. “That’s not wine. Maybe we should stop by the liquor store.”
“This place doesn’t sell it?”
“Not the good kind,” I said. “Do you remember what kind she likes?”
“The kind with the Clydesdales,” Wendy replied confidently. “I only know this because she said she likes Clydesdales. She cried at the last commercial they made about the baby.”
As we made our way through the supermarket, we started to fill our basket higher and higher.
Three-quarters of it wasn’t for dinner or dessert.
They were just things that Wendy had asked for and I hadn’t had the heart to decline.
Fruit chews—the healthy kind.
Brownies from the bakery—the really unhealthy kind.
Pre-made tacos—healthy if you don’t add all the ranch they sent with them.
Chocolate milk.
Little Debbies.
I hadn’t gotten so much junk food since I’d gotten my first paycheck in high school.
I was slightly embarrassed by how much junk I’d allowed when we ran into Janet and Israel.
Our buggies almost collided.
But that had a lot to do with the little girl who screamed at the top of her lungs, “Grandpa!”
I tensed and immediately relaxed when I saw who it was.
Janet glanced down at our spoils.
Her lips twitched. “Glad I’m not the only one that can’t tell her no.”
My freakin’ cheeks flushed. “Haven’t eaten like this since high school. Sadly, I was not one of those people blessed with the type of body that tolerated eating whatever I want. I have to work to maintain.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Me neither. But she’s young. She has a great metabolism. Just find the balance.”
Another box hit my cart.
This time it was a coffee cake.
None of us said anything.
“Where are you going after this, Grandma?” Wendy asked.
“Your grandfather and I are headed to the movies. We stopped for some snacks. You know how ridiculous the prices are for popcorn and candy.”
“Ohhh,” Wendy’s eyes went wide. “Are you going to see the alien movie?”
Janet shook her head. “Nope.”
“The one about superheroes?”
On this went until Israel said, “The one about the natural disaster. Can’t remember the name of it.”
“Tides!” Wendy declared. “I wanted to watch that one. Let me know if the ending is good. Odin and I are shopping for dinner. We’re going to go home and cook together. Then we’re going to have ice cream.”
“Sounds like a good night,” Israel said as he studied me. “We have some new dogs visiting. Make sure you stay away from them. They’re not very nice yet.”
“Okay.” Wendy nodded solemnly. “We gotsta go. Odin’s meeting the sheriff.”
Israel’s brows rose. “That so?”
I nodded. “He’s got some news on a case I’ve been working for him.”
“The teens?” Janet guessed.
“The teens,” I confirmed. “Hopefully we just caught a break.”
Janet let out a relieved breath. “Thank God.”
I ended up spending over two hundred bucks at the grocery store.
Then we stopped at the liquor store to buy beer.
Wendy was a freakin’ hit.
And I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t have taken her in there.
Was it appropriate to bring an almost six-year-old to the beer barn?
I didn’t know.
It’d have to be something I talked to Constance about.
Speaking of Constance, she and Black were on the porch drinking a beer when I arrived with Wendy and Peanut.
Peanut leaped over Wendy and ran around in circles, smelling all the smells.
“Mama!” Wendy screeched. “We went to Odin’s house. He has a big ass bathtub. And a Big Ass Fan. The Big Ass Fan is actually the name of the fan. Can you believe that?”
Constance’s lips twitched. “No, baby. I can’t.”
“Then we got Peanut’s food. And we stopped at the store. We bought literally everything.”
Constance’s eyes sparkled. “Is that so?”
“That’s so,” I confirmed. “Half the store will need a restock.”
Black tilted his head. “You bought junk food?”
“All the junk food.” Wendy stopped in front of Black. “Who are you?”
“The sheriff,” he answered, holding out his hand. “Black’s the name.”
“You’re not wearing a uniform.”
“I’m off duty.”
She eyed the beer. “That explains the beer.”
Black’s brows rose. “Are you sure you’re five?”
“I’m six in a month,” she assured him. “But I’m smart. I have an excellent vocabulary. And I was supposed to be moved to the third grade, but Mama said I needed to experience kindergarten. I think I’ll stay. I like my friends.”
Black’s lips twitched.
Then went really sad.
Which had my heart going out to him.
A long time ago, Black had a child of his own.
The child’s mother had taken off with his little girl, and he hadn’t been able to find her since.
I think she’d be around thirteen or fourteen now, if I remembered right.
She was around Wendy’s age when she went missing.
“Are you staying for dinner, Mr. Black?”
“If you’ll have me.”
“We’ll have you.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re sad.”
“I have a little girl that looks a lot like you.” He tugged at her hair. “Minus the red hair.”