Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
MERRY
“We need to bring the dog.” Legend made this sound like the most reasonable request of all time. However, while Barney did go many places with us, I wasn’t sure about taking him to the Bells’ house.
“We do not.” I tried to sound stern in the presence of three pleading faces lined up near the front door of our apartment.
“He spends all week waiting for us.” Ryder stuck his chin out, secure in the knowledge that his pout usually worked on me.
“We’re going to be guests at the Bells’ house,” I countered, sweeping my hands wide. “We don’t need to show up with our dog.”
“Please.” Ryder added a whine that made my teeth grind.
“Fine. I’ll text Nolan.” Nolan had thoughtfully provided his number yesterday, and I figured a fast no from him would shut the boys up. However, Nolan’s lightning-quick response resulted in me groaning.
If he’s well-behaved, sure, bring the little guy along.
Barney wasn’t all that little and behaved might be pushing it, but I knew when I’d been beaten.
He is probably better behaved than the twins.
Be there in fifteen minutes.
“Okay, he said we can bring the dog. Let’s load up, and please remember, I’m supposed to be working on the Lights Festival with Mr. Bell. No pranks, no problems.”
The Bells lived in a medium-sized house near the school and the base that I’d expect from an officer’s family. It was a two-story with a newer stucco-look in a neighborhood of well-kept homes. The front door had a cutesy sign next to it, similar to ones all over the island, asking for shoes off in the house. The boys were already kicking theirs off when Nolan answered the door with a big smile and a teeny baby strapped to his chest in the sort of contraption I remembered all too well from when the boys were babies.
“Hello! Oh, that is a dog!” His eyes went wide as he took in Barney standing next to the boys. “He’s rather…large.”
Compared to apartment dogs and the sort of purse-dogs theater people inevitably owned, Barney probably was slightly overgrown and hairy.
“But friendly.” I shrugged because the dog was way more enthusiastic about this meeting than I was. Barney was busy sniffing Nolan’s bare legs and looking for pets.
“Well, I suppose he can hang out with the kids. The pool area is this way.” He led us straight back from the tiled entryway to a living area with wide sliding glass doors that looked out on a small kidney-shaped pool with various toys and rafts already floating in it. “And Cara is napping, so let’s keep our voices down.”
“Okay!” Ryder bounced along, decidedly not whispering. “I like your pool.”
“Now the dog can stay—” Nolan gestured toward the patio area to the side of the pool only to cut himself off with an alarmed noise as Barney splashed into the pool, headed straight for a purple raft. “It swims?”
“And surfs,” Legend bragged.
“Badly.” I laughed as Barney hauled himself onto the raft, more out of experience than grace, with much splashing. “He loves to swim, but he’s lacking in coordination.”
“Like me.” Nolan gave a humble sort of chuckle. I doubted Nolan swam much. He looked more like the lounging type, what with his designer swim trunks with a crinkly texture and a crisp peach button-down. He looked like he’d searched what to wear to a Hawaiian pool party and then bought exactly that outfit, undoubtedly put together by someone who’d never left the mainland.
As the boys cheered Barney on, Stella arrived in a startlingly orange swimsuit to join them in the pool. Once the kids were settled, Nolan led me to a small patio table. We sat with Nolan bouncing in his seat slightly to keep the sleeping baby happy.
“I remember that dance.” I nodded at the baby. “There were plenty of times I wanted to sit so badly and almost dozed off bouncing one or both in a carrier on an exercise ball.”
“The twins must have been adorable.” Nolan smiled fondly as he glanced at the pool where the three kids played with pool noodles as swords.
“They’re lucky they were so cute because they were also toddler demons.” I laughed as Nolan opened a Christmas-patterned folder.
“I’ve added to my plan since yesterday.” He shuffled a huge stack of papers, which included drawings, program notes, scripts, and more.
“I see.” I nodded slowly, my brain already whirring with questions of feasibility.
“Don’t say no yet.” Nolan passed over a sheet labeled Master Plan with several bullet points and a table of contents.
“I’m not saying anything.” I was silently thinking it, and likely rather loudly. I thumbed through Nolan’s various sketches. “Are those dancing Santas in board shorts?”
“Yes! It’ll be darling!” Nolan clapped his hands, which made the baby make a fussy noise, so he lowered his voice. “Especially when the flying fairies—”