Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
His jaw unclenched, but the iciness remained until he regarded the hockey game happening on the floor in front of us. A visible thawing came over him until the little girl playing with a Joker’s doll waved at him. “Hi, Daddy! Look. This is Aunt Dylan.”
Rain went still, but she was watching the little girl.
“I know,” Dane said. “That’s my sister. Just like you have your two sisters.”
“I know! She’s awesome.” And it seemed she was done with Joker because she used him to bat the fake pancake in the air. It didn’t work except the doll itself went flying across the living room. The other girl, who was older and quieter, and was playing the goalie, blinked in shock at the sudden appearance of Joker. Then burst out laughing.
Little Dylan shrieked, but it was okay. It was also in laughter.
“Not used to kids?” Dane had been watching me steadily. There was a smirk in that question.
“Kids? Kids, yes. I have a niece. Three little girls under the age of seven? No.”
Lindy started laughing all over again. “He’s funny.” She motioned from Dane to me. “This is funny. Dane, you only had bad things to say about your high school rival.”
His expression wasn’t amused. “There are only bad things to say about him.”
“Except for the fact he’s going to be your brother-in-law,” she chided him, a knowing grin on her face. “You might want to start changing your tune.”
Dane didn’t respond, but he also didn’t tone down his glaring either.
“Daddy!” It was Little Dylan again. “Do you not like Aunt Dylan’s boyfriend?”
“No. I hate him.”
The oldest girl’s head jerked up. She exclaimed, “Dad!”
Little Dylan admonished him, “That’s a bad word. You can’t say that word. You can’t hate someone, Daddy. You said so yourself.”
He only grimaced before he said grudgingly, “I severely don’t like him. How about that?”
“But he’s Aunt Dylan’s boyfriend and she’s family so that means you can’t ‘srrvly dislike’ him.”
Lindy said under her breath, “That’s okay, sweetie.”
“What’s okay, Mommy?”
“Nothing. You’re adorable. Did you know that?”
“Mom!”
“What?”
She was giggling, but she managed, “What did you mean when you said ‘that’s okay’?”
“It’s nothing, but whatever it was, you get it from your father.”
“What do I get from Daddy?”
“Nothing, because you get all your adorableness from me. But since we’re talking about your dad, did you know that sometimes he struggles with this ability called communication. Do you know what that is?”
Little Dylan had migrated closer and she was serious as she took in their exchange. “Communeaon?”
“Yes. That.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
The older one was also following the conversation. “That’s what you do at church! That’s how Angela said she’s going to get drunk when she gets to eighth grade.”
I had completely lost the train of thought in this conversation, but Lindy bit down on her lip to keep from full-out laughing. Once she was under control, she squeaked out, “Yes. Your dad struggles with that too.”
“That’s because he doesn’t go to church,” Little Dylan said, matter-of-factly, moving back to pick up a Penguin doll. It had been next to the Riddler and Two-Face. I was noting the theme of villain dolls in the room.
“How did this conversation turn around to me?” Dane asked.
Lindy finished her wine and stood from the couch. “Don’t worry about it, honey. It’s just called good battle tactic. And now that I’ve won this round, it’s time you and your sister have a talk.”
Rain had been silently listening to everything with a faint smile on her face.
Lindy said to her, “Want another glass of wine before my hubby takes you into the hockey dungeon?”
Rain looked alarmed before she scrambled to her feet. “Yes, please.” I noted how she adverted her gaze so she wouldn’t meet her brother’s gaze as she passed him. Once they were in the kitchen, I studied Dane and saw he had his eyes closed.
“Preparing yourself?”
Dane opened his eyes, gave me a nasty look, but let it fade as he glanced at his girls. They were now in a shoot-out. The Batmobile was parked in front of the goal as Penguin was throwing things at it. Little Dylan was making exploding sounds so I was certain those were pretend bombs. So far, the Batmobile was winning because it hadn’t exploded.
“You are such a pain in the ass. Did she have to fall for you?”
“Yes, because it’s called karma. You’re due.”
He went back to glaring at me until Little Dylan called out, “If you keep looking at him like that then Mom is going to put you in a time-out, Dad.”
Dane went from glaring to his eyes going wide and a bark of laughter ripped from him before he covered his mouth and stifled his laugh. “Jesus Christ,” he said under his breath so they couldn’t hear. “Their time-outs are where they have to go to bed. My girls hate going to bed.”