Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
I step toward her, touching her elbow. “Knight knows you’re in love with Dad.”
“How?” Her red-rimmed eyes flare in alarm. “Did you tell him?”
“Um, no.” I give her a look. “You aren’t very discreet about it. I mean, you look at him like he found the cure to cuntiness.”
“He probably could. For your mom.” A twinge of disappointment touches her tone.
I smile ruefully. “Probably, yeah. But since she isn’t here anymore…”
She looks up, looking miserable and hopeful at the same time.
I smile. “It’s time for plan D.”
Two hours later, Dixie is long gone.
Knight and I hugged her and comforted her and told her she is pretty.
Now my brother and I are sitting in the second living room, knocking back beers (Knight’s is alcohol-free), arguing about who was hotter, Yasmine Bleeth or Tiffani Thiessen (you’d be surprised to learn they are not, in fact, the same chick).
The front door slams shut and Dad enters the room, looking like he ran a fucking marathon in his three-piece Armani. All in all, I live in an extremely normal family, as you can see.
“Did you go jogging in your work suit?” Knight snorts into his beer bottle.
“Yeah,” Dad answers matter-of-factly, falling into a recliner and pushing his wet hair off his forehead. “Yeah, I did.”
“Great!” Knight says cheerfully. “That’s not strange at all.”
“We need to talk.” I put my drink down.
Dad looks between us, scowling. “Why do I have a feeling I’m about to be grounded by two people whose credit cards I foot the bill for?”
“Because you are,” I say at the same time Knight wags his finger.
“Now, this is fake news, Pa. I’m financially independent.”
“Only because there’s a billboard of you in a thong in Times Square, showing a high-definition imprint of your erection,” I remind my older brother.
“Please.” Knight tosses his head back, laughing gravelly. “That was half a chub, max.”
Dad turns to Knight. “You done licking your own balls?”
Knight sighs dreamily. “I wish. No matter how many yoga classes I attend with Luna, I can never quite get there. Can you imagine the freedom in doing that, though? Endless possibilities. And Luna could sleep in too.”
As you can see, TMI runs in the family.
Dad snaps his fingers in front of both of us now, becoming increasingly agitated. “Focus. Anyone gonna explain to me why this looks like an intervention?”
I turn to look at Knight. Maybe he should start this topic, since he’s closer to Dixie.
“You’re being shitty to my mom.” Knight throws him a levelheaded, deadly serious glare.
Okay. Maybe not.
“Watch your mouth, Son.” Dad’s expression bleeds ire now. He’s no longer confused—he is pissed. “I gave your mother everything I had. I sacrifi—”
Knight cuts him off, “Not Mom-mom. My birth mother.”
Dad stares at him like he’s crazy. “What?”
“I overheard Dixie talking on the phone after you ran away.” I lean forward in my seat.
“I didn’t ru—”
“Don’t even, Dad.” Knight brings his palms up, shaking his head. “You look like the Ridiculously Photogenic Marathon Guy meme. Sans the inner light. Ever since Mom died, you have the aura of dry cement.”
“Em, thanks.” Dad narrows his eyes at him.
“Look.” I sigh. “She’s in love with you. Doesn’t take a genius to see that. She wants to have a baby, and she’s…what? Forty-two? Forty-four?”
“Thirty-eight.” Dad squirms in his seat like a schoolboy in trouble. “She still has time.”
“Yeah, but you seem to be an expert at making her waste it on your ass.” Knight stands up, sauntering over to Dad. Dad shoots up to his feet. They’re almost toe-to-toe now. This looks way too confrontational, and I realize Knight actually likes Dixie a lot.
Maybe even loves her.
And that Dad does too. In his own unromantic way.
Knight raises his hand. Dad doesn’t flinch.
I suck in a breath, but Knight just wipes lint off Dad’s jacket. “Don’t be a douchebag, Dad.” His voice comes out soft, calm. “She wants your happily-ever-after, while you aren’t even sure there could be a post-Mom. Either you man up and give her what she wants or let her go. Give it to her straight—she has no shot. It’s never gonna happen. Have you ever told her that?”
By the way a muscle jerks in Dad’s jaw, I can tell the answer is no.
He’s never rejected Dixie outright. Just kept her at arm’s length. Knight continues.
“Don’t give her false hope just because it’s nice to have someone to take to charity galas and dinners. Either you take the plunge or you leave the pool. Dipping your toes every once in a while is damaging for both of y’all. Stop wasting her time. She spent most of her life missing out.”
I’ve never seen Knight stand up for Dixie like this before. It’s kind of touching.
Suddenly I’m filled with screwed-up jealousy because at least he still has some sort of mom.
Dad rubs the edge of his jaw, staring at the floor. “I’ll take nothing.”