Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
In that same downward stare, I stalked to the bed of the truck, needing out of here as soon as possible.
“Want these on the porch, Whitaker?” Scout called out with a chuckle.
My humiliation was on full display for everyone to see.
I bet Lori set me up to be here. From the corner of my vision, I saw Lori watching me, her knowing smile curved her lips. I finally lifted my head to see everyone focused on me and Slade.
Time to get the hell out of here.
From the side of the truck, I hoisted the heavy chair out of the bed, swinging it around to hold differently, barely missing Slade who had come up behind me a-fucking-gain.
“Mace,” my sister yelled at such a close encounter to knocking Slade out.
“Sorry,” I muttered, taking quick steps up the porch to place the chair there.
“Did you really build these by hand?” Gray asked, bringing the second chair out of the bed and to the porch.
“Yeah,” I said, stuffing my hands in my front pockets, staying on the porch many feet away from Slade.
“He’s always been really good with his hands,” Lori stated proudly.
My stunned expression swung toward my sister. When had Lori ever been proud of me over anything? What was happening?
I didn’t know if I could take much more of this.
“I bet my mom would like a set of these. Do they ship well?” Gray asked, seeming serious.
“Yeah, I guess. Where does she live?” I answered. “I feel I’ve heard you guys are from around here.”
“She lives about an hour and a half north of here,” Gray said. “If I could get two to my mom before Christmas, I might win the best gift this year.” Competitive delight sparked a wicked glare as he glanced at Bryce.
“I’ll give you double whatever he plans to pay to make the card read, ‘with love, Bryce . The one making her a grandmother,’” Bryce said, flanked by everyone else in the circle drive.
“Yeah, I’ll have ’em ready by November,” I said, ducking my head, and bulldozing my way past Gray, down the stairs, to my truck. I glanced at Lori on my way past. “We gotta go. They’re havin’ dinner.”
“Why don’t you guys stick around for dinner? We have more than enough. Numbnuts made sure of that at your butcher counter,” Slade asked.
I instantly shook my head, but he wasn’t looking at me, instead at my sister and brother in-law.
Lori, say no. Say no. I willed her to cooperate.
The way all the heads shifted from one direction to the other made the air seem to move with them. By the round of looks of astonishment, none of the guys were prepared for Slade’s offer. And based on the looks I received, I might have actually said my internal thought aloud.
“Oh, we can’t. We have to pick up the kids,” Lori said, like a boss. A moment of relief shot through me until her next words. “But Mace should stay. All he does is work. He needs a night away.”
Fuck her. She was doing it on purpose. Traitor. “I can’t stay. I’ve got things to do,” I said, digging my truck keys out of my pocket.
“Like what?” she asked with all the sass she usually used with me.
“I have a life you know nothin’ about.”
Her burst of a cackle might as well have been nails on a chalkboard. Max’s hand slid down over her face to keep whatever words she planned next from escaping, understanding we were on course for an epic showdown.
“Stay. I can get you home if you have a drink,” Slade offered and again all the heads turned his way. We were in a verbal ping-pong match.
“Thanks, but I don’t wanna intrude. We’ve already been here too long. I gotta get the doorbell workin’.”
“Do it in the mornin’,” Lori said. She shook her head and tossed out a hand. “They have beer and red meat. All your requirements for a good time.”
Warmth locked on my face as at least two of the guys chuckled at the implication.
She reached for Max’s door handle, hoisting herself inside the passenger seat.
“I think you should stay,” Scout said from the porch. “I’m the grill master. Wyatt has a couple of cases of Heineken. We’ll have dinner on the back porch. You think this view’s good, wait until you see back there. Stay.”
The shackles locked around me. Fuck. Out of nowhere, Max clamped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, “Looks like you’re stayin’, buddy. Call if you need a ride.”
All right. I was here. Okay.
God officially hated me.
=♥=
Slade
I didn’t miss the astonished then frustrated expression Mace wore as he slowly climbed back up the porch steps, or the obvious confusion of at least Bryce and Gray as to what was happening.
I also didn’t take the mental minute to find out what was driving me to invite this guy into the first night of my vacation with my friends. By having Mace here, I was breaking well-established rules of no spouses, partners, or dates for these three days.