Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
My sister rolled her eyes. “You and your food.”
“Me and my food,” I agreed. “But you damn well knew that the Rao’s spaghetti is much healthier and tastier.”
She reluctantly nodded her head. “I just hate spending all that extra money. The store brand is cheaper.”
“And the store brand is highly processed. A good noodle should only have flour, maybe egg, and water if that’s what you’re going for,” I said. “It shouldn’t have a bunch of names that you can’t pronounce.”
Searcy sighed. “That’s why you’ll be the best guardian ever.”
I flipped her off. “Let’s not talk about that anymore. It’s Christmas, and I don’t want to be depressed.”
Pane reached for a carrot and chomped into it, luckily not from the Crock Pot but from my hand, and I shook my head. “Weirdo.”
He grinned, pieces of carrot between his teeth. “Yes!”
Jasper stayed on the couch with Dalton for two hours, holding him and napping himself.
It was only when Dalton woke up starving that Jasper handed him off to Searcy and announced, “Gunner’s probably wondering where the hell I am. Gotta go back to work now.”
“Thank you, Jasper.” Searcy cuddled Dalton close. “It was very helpful.”
He smiled at her, then turned to me.
He studied my face for a long second before he said, “Stealer.”
With that, he left.
“Stealer?”
“I might, or might not have, taken his food delivery order the last two nights,” I admitted. “And he’s mad at me because I ‘switched’ the sign that delineates my house from his. But to be honest, when I did it, I wasn’t paying attention. I was cleaning the bird shit off of it because the delivery drivers couldn’t see our addresses. I was being a nice neighbor. I didn’t mean to switch the sign. But he thinks I did.”
“Jesus,” Searcy snorted. “You’ll have to replace it.”
I was already shaking my head. “I’m planning on it. I have an order already placed to be delivered tonight. Though, I didn’t order Mexican food again. The man needs to broaden his horizons.”
“I heard that his taste buds are different,” she said. “That his tongue was burned somehow. Or something was affected. He can’t taste the same things that most people can. It has to be super spicy or it just tastes bland.”
“Oh.” I paused. “I guess that makes sense why he’d order the spiciest thing on the menu there. And why he would continue to order from there.” I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “I’ll have to revise my order then. I want to apologize with the food, after all, not remind him of his downfalls.”
She snorted. “You’re awful.”
I winked at her and gathered my things. “Do you have it?”
“Yes.” She tilted her head. “You’re okay with going to get Anders?”
“We’re good,” I said. “I’ll drop her off at home when I take her to get Chick-fil-A.”
“Why are you taking her there?” she asked.
“Because she hates pot roast, and I do, too,” I pointed out. “Pay attention, Searcy.”
She groaned. “I can’t make this many people happy, Calli!”
I winked. “No, you can’t.”
Thirteen
I take super-hot showers to remind me of what burning in hell feels like.
—Jasper to Audric
JASPER
Dru:
Good news and bad news. Good news, I remembered to sort the Secret Santa participants. Bad news, you get Calliope.
Dru, Apollo’s wife, was in charge of our club Christmas party this year.
I wasn’t sure how I got added to the Secret Santa, but I knew that it likely had a lot to do with Dru, and her unwillingness to leave anyone out.
Me:
I didn’t realize I signed up.
Dru:
You didn’t. And neither did Calliope. So that’s why y’all get each other because I forgot to check to see if everyone added their names to the list. Sorry not sorry. One gift. Twenty bucks. It’s not that big of a deal.
She was right. It wasn’t that big of a deal.
And I could handle a twenty-dollar gift.
But, since I liked giving gifts that people would actually use, I wouldn’t half-ass it no matter how much I spent. Or who I got.
Which was why I stopped at the Dollar Store on the way back to work after holding Dalton for two hours.
I picked up several bags of chips and took them into the break room with me when I got back.
Since no one was here, I started on my twenty-dollar gift, and had the fourth bag of chips almost sorted out when Gunner walked in carrying a to-go drink from the gas station down the street.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Gunner had a frown on his face, but I knew it wasn’t due to me not being here earlier. I hadn’t been expected until after lunch anyway.
“I’m sorting out the folded chips from the non-folded ones,” I mumbled as I continued my task. “Why?”
I thought about not answering truthfully, but I saw no point in lying.
“It’s for Calli’s gift…and birthday,” I murmured.