Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
I nod. “Sooooo… we still don't know if you're having a boy or girl?”
Lucas groans. “No, and she’s determined that it’s going to be a surprise for all of us.”
Issi laughs as Lucas pulls her into his arms. “It’s going to be a huge surprise for us all.”
I’m about to agree when I feel someone brush up against me. I know who it is before I even turn and look. “Hey,” I say, way more breathlessly than I mean to.
Beau smiles down at me. “Hey, wifey. I saved you a seat.”
I nod, but before I go with him, I turn to Lucas and Issi. “What about you guys? You sitting down?”
Issi shakes her head with a groan. “Those metal seats are too uncomfortable for me. I’m good standing.”
I hug her one more time before waving at them as I follow Beau. He climbs the stairs to the bleachers, moving in and out of people down the aisle until we get to the top row. “Have a seat,” he says, pointing at two empty places.
I look around. “Where are Ford and Lilian?”
He points down to the field. “Ford paces the whole game and can’t sit. I think Lilian stays with him to keep him calm. Austin was working on an order, so I’m not sure if he’ll make it, but Huddy and Elle were going to stop by.”
I nod as he mentions each of his brothers. “What number is Ollie?” I ask as I look out at the field. From this distance, they all look the same.
Beau points out to the field. “He’s number twelve.”
I search the field until I find my nephew. “He’s a goalie?”
“Yep, the coach let him play there a few weeks ago, and he did so well that they keep him there now.”
I nod and watch as the teams go back and forth on the field. When Ollie blocks a goal, I stand up and cheer, screaming Ollie’s name. I swear he hears me as he looks up at where we’re seated, waving wildly.
When I sit down, I’m covering my mouth with my hands, excited. I turn to Beau. “Oh my God, do you think I embarrassed him? I was too loud, wasn’t I?”
Beau chuckles. “No way. That kid is eating it up.”
I look out on the field, and sure enough, Ollie is pointing up here with a big smile on his face. I wave at him again and then hold my hands in my lap. I take a deep breath, enjoying being outside, watching my nephew play with his friends, sitting in the stands next to Beau. We are watching the game when I see two women sitting in the aisle below us. They’re both looking toward Beau and me, and I try to ignore them and focus on the game being played in front of us.
One of the women puts her hand on my knee to get my attention. “Hey,” she says.
I smile, about to say hi when she leans past me. “Hey, Beau.”
His hand goes to my thigh and squeezes. “Hey, Marlene. This is my wife, Natalie. Natalie, this is Marlene. Her son and Ollie have had a few playdates.”
I nod with a smile fixed on my face. “Oh great, yeah, it’s nice to meet you.”
She nods, and her smile tightens as she looks at me before brightening up again when she looks at Beau. “So I’m thinking about the next playdate, and I think we should go to the new pizza place across town. They have the video games, and we can sit and talk while the boys play.”
I tense. Did she really just ask my husband out on a date in front of me?
Beau coughs. “Uh, yeah, that would be fine. Nat and I would like that, wouldn’t we?” he says, sliding closer to me.
Dumbfounded, I just stare at the woman and try to process it all. Has my husband been out with this woman before? Have I been a fool? After all this talk about the guy at the gym flirting with me, has he been with someone else?
I know women like Marlene, and when she sees that I’m now looking at her curiously, she smiles even more. “Hey, I haven’t been, but are you the one that owns Work It Out?”
I nod, forcing a smile to my face. “Yes, that’s me.”
Marlene tilts her head to the side, lifts her glasses up on her head so I can see her eyes, and makes a big to-do of looking me up and down. Without her saying a word, I know exactly what she’s thinking. It’s not like I haven’t dealt with it before—heck, ten years ago when I started teaching workout classes, I thought it myself. I’m a plus-size woman that teaches fitness classes. I now own a gym. I help people get in shape, and that look she’s giving me is that she thinks I’m not fit for what I do.