Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Lucas glances at me, and I shrug. He then looks in the mirror at her. “Wow, lots of feelings. Did you take your meds today?” Lucas asks, and Emery groans.
“No. I packed them before I took them, and I don’t feel like getting them.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing as I smack his thigh.
Around his laughter, he says, “I can help you find them.”
“Oh my God, Dad, you are so funny,” she calls to him, and then she disappears under her blanket. I look at Lucas as he looks back, and we both shake our heads. No one prepares you for the transition from teenager to young adult. With the first three, it seemed a lot easier. But with Emery, it’s a struggle. She doesn’t talk to us or tell us what’s going on. It took a family dinner for us to know she was sleeping with Quinn Adler.
Oh. My. God.
“Are you in a bad mood ’cause you have to see Quinn?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. From under the covers, she growls, “Quinn Adler has no control over my emotions, and I will not dignify that question with an answer.”
“You kinda did,” Lucas pokes, and I smack him again. “I really don’t know why you’d be upset over him. You are the one who ghosted him.”
We found that out from Stella. “I hate my sister.”
“Emery, it’s been six months. I’m sure it won’t be awkward.” She grumbles something, and Lucas laughs. Calmly, I add, “Or maybe he’s still into you, and you get a second chance?”
“There wasn’t even a first chance, Mom. We had sex. We were best friends, he ruined that, I ghosted him, let it die,” she growls, and Lucas looks at me, wide-eyed. I know he’s asking me how Quinn ruined it, and I sure as hell don’t know.
“Do I need to kick his ass?”
“Oh my God, let it go!” she begs, and I press my hand to his thigh. Then she says, “Stella and Wes are there and wondering when we will be there.”
I glance at the GPS as Lucas says, “Six minutes.”
And we ride on in silence, both of us concerned for our daughter—and now our holiday.
Because Emery Brooks upset means no one will have a good time.
“Good God, Elli, you outdid yourself,” I gush over my longtime friend as I take in the gorgeousness of our chalet. Elli smiles proudly at me. I just adore her. She has such a huge heart and loves making things special for everyone. Elli has always been like that. I have watched her care for her hockey team like she does her kids. She goes out of her way to make everyone feel like they’re at home. When players haven’t been able to afford to go home for the holidays, she sends them. She has given housing to the players, and her philanthropy is out of this world. She is a great mother, a great grandmother, a great wife, and makes all of us look bad. You can’t hate her, though; you can only love her.
“Thanks. I am so happy and so excited. A bit gassy from the nerves, but I am so excited to have everyone under the same roof.”
I laugh as Emery comes in with her blanket over her head, only showing her eyes. Elli turns to her and, to my surprise, gets a wide smile from Emery. “There is my sweet girl. How are you? How’s the development of EMQUINNY coming along?”
The way she says that makes me feel like Emery named it after her and Quinn, but surely that’s not the case.
Emery nods as she says, “Real good. We’re working on the tech side right now, but it should start rolling out to Nashville Metro and some surrounding precincts starting in May. I got an email on the way up that California and Arizona are wanting to be a part of the trial, but of course I’m doubting myself and thinking it’s not a good idea to go that wide yet.”
I shrug. “Sometimes the risk is worth the reward. If they know there might be bugs and they can be patient, what’s it going to hurt?”
She stares at me with a deadpan expression. “There will be no bugs. The only thing that can go wrong is user error, which stresses me out because people can be so damn dumb,” she complains and then looks to Elli. “I’m hungry, and as my dad so kindly put it, I need my meds.”
Elli smiles, tapping Emery’s cheek. “Food is out on the counter, and drinks are in the fridge.”
Emery turns and leaves as Elli looks at me.
I roll my eyes. “She’s in a mood.”
She chuckles. “I can tell. I’d say let Quinn take care of it, but he told me Emery isn’t returning any communication.”