Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Speaking of which,” Braxton said. “Brody told me he’s been doing work for you around the house and at your shop.”
With a nod, Sutton reached for a cube of cheese from a tray my mother had placed in the middle of the kitchen island. She popped it into her mouth and replied, “Yep. He’s doing it for nearly nothing except for food, compared to what Hank Mitchell was going to charge me. Who knew handymen made so much money?”
Palmer and I both smiled.
“You could have asked me, Sutton. I’ll fix anything that needs fixing,” Braxton added.
Sutton gave our brother a warm smile and a friendly pat on the chest. “Brax, you’re always working, and you never get time off. The last thing I want to do is ask you to spend what little time you do have to fix up stuff around my house and at my business.”
“So, how did you get Brody to fix everything?” I asked as I slipped onto one of the stools on the other side of the kitchen island.
Shrugging, Sutton said, “I ran into him at the hardware store. I had a question about fixing a light switch and he offered to come over and do it. Once he saw the state of the house, he cursed out Jack, then got to work fixing things. It was really sweet of him, actually.”
“I always did like those Wilson boys,” my father added, looking over at me and winking.
“How did he come about fixing things at the shop?” Mom asked.
Sutton smiled. “He stopped by the shop one day and saw me trying to figure out why an outlet wasn’t working. He asked me for a list of problems and said he’d work on them on his days off. After we agreed on a price, he got to work. He’s nearly got everything fixed up at the shop.”
My mother glanced in my direction. “Speaking of the Wilson boys…did you tell Gannon you were moving back?”
“Yes, I did tell him.”
She grinned and then let it slip away. “It’s such a shame you two didn’t stay together. You made such an adorable couple.”
“Mom,” I warned right before I slid off the stool and took the oven mitts from her so I could remove the pan of lasagna. “Gannon and I did the right thing by breaking up at the time.”
“Wasn’t he dating Olivia Newman at one point?” Sutton asked with a snarled lip.
Braxton laughed. “Yeah, they broke up a while ago.”
I tried to act casual as I asked, “Why did they break up?”
Braxton leaned over the lasagna and drew in a deep breath. “Mmm, that smells so good, Mom. And to answer you, Addie, she wanted more and Gannon didn’t.”
Okay. That definitely piqued my curiosity. “More? Like more what?”
“Marriage, kids. Gannon was up front with her when they started dating. No possible future.”
That little bit of info made me happy. “Wow.” I watched Palmer set the salad and some dressing in the middle of the island. At our house, everything was always laid out buffet style and you helped yourself. It had been that way for as long as I could remember.
“What about you, Addie? Why did you break up with that doctor? What was his name again?” Palmer asked.
“Joey,” I replied.
“That’s right. Doctor Joey,” Braxton said in a teasing voice. “What kind of doctor was he again?”
I shot my brother a dirty look.
“That’s enough, Braxton,” our mother said as she gave him a light tap on the arm. “Don’t make fun of your sister for dating a…what was he again?”
“Rectal doctor!” Palmer called out. “Looked at assholes for a living.”
I rolled my eyes. “He was a proctologist, and it was more of a casual thing between us, nothing serious. Truth be told, he was kind of an asshole himself.”
Laughter erupted in the kitchen while my mother waved her hands about. “Language, children. Language.”
“I can tell you one thing,” Palmer said, putting a piece of garlic bread on her plate. “Gannon isn’t an asshole. And you’re both single.”
I smiled, my tummy filling with those nervous butterflies again. “Well, we always did say we’d leave it up to fate, and this is where she’s brought us.”
We all sat down at the table and started to pass the food around.
“I, for one, am glad you’re home,” Braxton said.
“Aww, thanks, big brother!” I said with a giggle.
He looked at me and shook his head. “I’m glad because now Gannon will be off the market and all the women will stop flocking to him.”
“Braxton!” My mother called out as Palmer and Sutton both let out a laugh. Dad ignored all of us and added a little bit more lasagna on his plate while Mom wasn’t looking.
Gannon
Brody stood there and stared at me while I jumped onto the pilot boat so I could head out and meet a cargo ship that was coming in.