Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“Newport?” I echo, a little worried. Cold Springs is my home.
“With you, Hazel. Temporarily,” Wyatt says, relieving me. “I’m not going anywhere without you, but it would be nice to get a few things. I only packed for the wedding when I came, and I’d like to get some clothes and some of my tools.”
Before I can agree, the door in the kitchen opens and Etta calls out, “Getchur clothes on, kids! I wanna hear what happened with Mayor Ford. Your mama’s already on her way, too, bringing some Slutty Brownies. Told her that seemed appropriate given your current position.”
While she talks, I can hear her opening and closing cabinets, helping herself to plates and forks to get ready for Mom’s arrival. Thankfully, Etta doesn’t open the bedroom door, which allows me to sigh dramatically and look up at Wyatt. “Your place is out in the middle of nowhere, right? No parents, no siblings, just the two of us?”
He pushes a lock of my messy hair behind my ear. “Just you and me.”
“Can we leave now?” I ask eagerly.
He pops me on the ass playfully, grinning. “After we talk to your family.”
I groan but agree. “Fine. Let’s get dressed then. I don’t trust Etta not to come in here to try to get a peek at your dick.” Getting up, I yell, “Aunt Etta, I hate you right now.”
“Love you, too, baby!”
From the living room, Lester calls out, “Bawk! Cockblock, cockblock, cawwwkblawwwk.”
At the kitchen table, Mom and Aunt Etta look at Wyatt and me with barely concealed grins. They might as well be singing, “We know you had sexxx!”
Yeah, that’s not awkward at all with your mother and pseudo-mother figure.
And when I take a bite of a Slutty Brownie Mom brought, I can’t help but moan obscenely. “Ermagawd, Mom. These are sooo gud.”
Mom sips her coffee with a smile of appreciation. “How’d everything go with your dad, Wyatt?”
He swallows his own bite of brownie, somehow not making any vulgar noises, and answers, “Surprisingly well. We’ve got some work to do, but I think we’re in a good place to restart things. And Dad wants to fix the damage he’s done with this whole subdivision thing. He never wanted to destroy Cold Springs or its community.” He looks to Etta, who nods agreeably before glee washes over her.
“And Jed?” Etta asks, looking like she wants to hear that he’s nursing his wounds in a pit somewhere. Preferably with acid dripping onto them.
Wyatt shrugs. “I think he likes being a big fish in a small pond, and Dad said he probably has a plan B, or more accurately, a site B, for the subdivision. Somewhere outside Cold Springs, which makes sense to me, but he’ll have to get funds. According to Winston, those people in suits at the hearing were investors, and they walked out pretty angry.”
Mom asks quietly, “Is it wrong if I hope the contract he signed with them is ironclad in their favor?”
Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good. “Did you hear back from the lawyer about your lease?”
Mom’s nod is resigned. “Yes. The bad news is, Jed can change my rent because the term of the lease is up. It’s part of the renegotiation, fair and square.”
Etta adds eagerly, “Tell ’em the good news.”
Mom’s grin is pure devilment as she says, “I’m going to have to raise prices across the board, just a little. Probably twenty-five cents on everything. I’m going to call it a Jed Ford Fee.”
Etta laughs. “Hell, it’ll bug him more to have the menu redone with every item listing the price plus a Jed Ford Fee. Bad publicity will irritate him more than anything. I can’t wait!”
Wyatt laughs. “You women are evil. I love it.”
I can’t help but smile happily. Most men, hell, most people, would be terrified of the crazy ideas we come up with and run for the hills. But Wyatt not only isn’t scared, he approves and laughs along with us.
Aunt Etta leans my way, talking behind her hand, but keeping her typical volume so that everyone can hear the “secret” she’s sharing with me. “I like this one, even if his last name is Ford and he’s kin to Jed.” She fakes spitting on my clean floor as she says Jed’s name, and I suspect that’s going to be a new habit.
I look at Wyatt, who’s grinning easily as he eats, and tell Etta, “I like him too. Maybe one day, he’ll make me a Ford too.” I wink and Wyatt chokes on his brownie.
Mom and Etta laugh loudly. “Good job, girl. You gotta keep them on their toes.”
“She definitely does that,” Wyatt agrees. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Epilogue
WYATT
This morning was like most others, with Lester scaring the shit out me. He must have escaped from his cage, and he’s decided my morning wood is a mighty fine place to perch to wake up Hazel, and though I’ve switched to sleeping in boxers, it hasn’t deterred him in the slightest. You think an alarm clock is bad, try bird claws on your dick. He’s also taken to mimicking Hazel’s sounds of pleasure with eerie accuracy, which is not welcome in the slightest when I come in from my workshop out back and have that split-second thought of what the fuck is she doing? and then find a mouthy bird, not my woman jilling off.