Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon when everyone in the house was finally holding down food and water, as well as moving around. Declan, bless his sweet heart, called in an emergency cleaning crew to bleach the fuck out of every surface to kill any germs that were stupid enough to linger in the house.
As a result, Franks and Chef Donovan were sent away for three days to relax and recuperate at a spa somewhere in New England. My mom had initially suggested a trip to the zoo while the house was cleaned, but I had a feeling she was underestimating the size of the hills at the Cincinnati Zoo and opted for a lazy picnic lunch at Eden Park near the fountain. I figured if people had energy to spare, we could always take a turn through Krohn Conservatory—both pretty and a manageable walk for people recovering from a grueling illness.
Naturally, Mom had been waiting for such a quiet moment to spring on me. She’d bided her time for five long days, giving me and the rest of the house a chance to get better. But she had questions and would not be denied. Declan offered to take Joy for a walk in her stroller by the fountain, and I knew just what he was doing—giving my mom a chance to strike.
“Sooooo…” she drawled, making me cringe.
“Don’t be evil,” I muttered.
“Your mother is not evil. She’s concerned,” my father chimed in from the folding camping chair he was currently lounging in. My mother was in a matching chair beside him while I stretched out on a thick quilt, slowly picking at some fruit salad left from our lunch.
“Do you want to start with the fire you didn’t tell us about or the boyfriend you didn’t tell us about?” Mom prodded.
I took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “The fire sucked. I lost everything.” My head snapped up, and I narrowed my eyes at my parents. “You’ve still got that art I left at your house after college, right?”
“Of course! We haven’t touched it. It’s all wrapped up exactly how you left it,” Mom reassured me.
A second wave of relief unwound the tension that had suddenly gathered in my chest. I relaxed on the blanket and popped a dark red grape into my mouth. I stared out at the green park and the low-walled gazing pool with the single jet fountain that sprayed a geyser into the air. The wind caught the water, turning it into a white feather as the drops fell back to the pool. Summer was dragging its feet out the door. It was the middle of September, but it felt like June. The temperatures were still lingering in the eighties most days, and the trees had only tiny spots of autumn colors. People dotted the flat lawn, stretched out on towels and blankets as they sunbathed, read books, and listened to music, content to do nothing for a few hours before rushing off to the next thing.
A smile toyed with my lips to see blond and stern Declan pushing the ridiculously expensive black stroller around the fountain. Seriously, I made the mistake of looking up the price on that piece of hardware and it was the same as some small European cars. Of course, it matched him so well as he walked in his polo shirt and khaki slacks, seeming as if he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Not to mention the little girl he was pushing was also decked out in baby Chanel or something else insanely expensive, but there was no point in arguing with that stubborn man.
“Anyway, Joy and I were out when the fire started. We returned from a visit with Molly’s parents to discover the disaster, and Declan happened to call. He offered to help.”
“And Declan called because…” Mom broke in.
“Because he is a friend.”
“Just a friend?”
It was like the woman knew me or something. It wasn’t as if I were a total slut. I was like any healthy young man. I loved sex. What’s more, I loved great sex, and the sex didn’t get any better than with Declan Foster.
“Never mind,” Mom muttered.
I lifted my head to gaze at her. “What?”
“Good Lord, Park. That look on your face. I might be straight and old, but I still know what horny looks like.”
“Okay, yes. We were sleeping together and then became friends. Whatever. The point is, I was in a bad spot and Declan offered Joy and me a place to stay while I tried to figure out what the hell to do next. Since we’ve been living together, we’ve started officially dating.”
There was a long silence that followed, and I had to glance up at my parents. Dad was an easygoing guy. When it came to managing the kids, he wisely chose the course of following Mom’s lead. Unfortunately, my mother was staring at me with an anxious expression.