Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 603(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 603(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Cordelia went ballistic the second she saw King, springing up from her little dog cart—correction, stroller—and erupting into a barking fit.
King jerked back, terrified of the tiny terrorist, and Jocelyn laughed.
Soren gave the leash a tug when King tried to bolt to safety. “Don’t be afraid of that little pest. It’s just a rat.”
But King wasn’t convinced. He pulled back, dragging Soren with him, as far away from the gremlin-toting stroller as he could get.
“Your rodent is upsetting my purebred.”
“It’s not my fault your dog’s a big baby.”
Cordelia leapt out of the stroller and charged King. The Unicorn hoodie made her look like a deranged marshmallow set to attack a loveseat on legs. King jerked the leash, and Soren had to lock his knees to prevent being dragged across the green.
“Jocelyn, your dog!”
“For the love of Odin. Cordelia, come!”
The scraggly chihuahua continued to bark as she marched back to her mother’s lap, where she landed with the regal authority of a peeved princess.
“Man, she really hates you.”
“Me? She’s an asshole. She hates everyone.”
“Not true.” Jocelyn’s smile bloomed as she looked over Soren’s shoulder. “Hey, guys, when did you get here?”
Soren turned to find Wren and Greyson staring at King.
“What the fuck is that?” his brother asked.
“This is King. My new dog.”
“Aw, Soren, he’s beautiful!” Wren dropped to her knees and nuzzled King’s muzzle.
“Wren, careful,” Greyson moved closer. “You don’t know what kind of disposition he has.”
“Oh, please. Anyone can see he’s just a big softie. Aren’t you, King? Yes—Oh! And he gives kisses.”
Soren chuckled as his brother scowled. “Jealous of a dog? Really, Grey?”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Greyson helped Wren back to her feet. “When the hell did you decide to get a dog?”
“About twenty minutes ago,” Jocelyn joked.
“Well, I love him,” Wren said, holding her pregnant belly and radiating maternal beauty. She looked so happy since marrying Greyson. Turning her stare to Soren, she smirked. “This might be the most expensive accessory you own.”
His brother laughed. “Seriously.”
“You’re all hilarious.”
Cordelia stopped barking and leaned into Wren’s hand as she bent to pet the little demon. Then it jumped off Jocelyn’s lap and wandered back to King.
Soren kept a protective eye on the dogs while the others talked. This time, King bent to sniff the rodent, only pulling back slightly when Cordelia growled. Soren tsked when King stilled, deferring to the smaller animal. King froze as the chihuahua inspected his undercarriage.
“You’re supposed to be the alpha, King. Don’t submit to her crap.”
“Aw, they’re buds,” Wren observed. “How adorable. Cordelia’s the size of his paw.”
Soren’s gaze dropped to King’s feet, which were huge. “That reminds me, your father wanted me to tell you something.”
“What?”
“He said to put your feet up.”
“That’s the message?”
“That’s it.” He glanced down at her feet, which were puffed to twice their usual size. “Does that hurt?”
She shrugged. “Only when I finally sit down. But Greyson gives excellent foot rubs.”
He looked back at his brother, ready to break his balls, but his expression fell the moment he saw Olivia approaching. “Shit.”
Wren, Greyson, and Jocelyn all followed his stare as Olivia and a woman who looked like an older version of her approached.
“Soren, what an unexpected surprise.”
“Olivia. Hey.”
She smiled and glanced at his friends. “You remember my mother, Elizabeth.”
Snapping out of his shock, he reached forward to shake her hand. “Pleasure to see you again, Elizabeth. You remember my brother, Greyson, and this is his wife, Wren, and that’s Jocelyn. Grey, you remember Olivia Aldrich.”
“Oh, yeah. Hey, how you doing?”
“Wonderful. And you?”
Soren’s gaze darted to Jocelyn’s. Her expression remained unreadable as Olivia made small talk with Grey, asking about the baby’s due date and offering overdue condolences on the loss of their dad.
The condolence didn’t sound rehearsed. She shared that she lost her grandmother the summer before last, and for a moment her polished exterior showed something real underneath. Wren’s brow softened as a soft, empathetic pout transformed her face.
Jocelyn’s gaze lowered as the conversation seemed to thicken around them. He could only register her discomfort.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one.
Olivia stepped closer. “I’m sorry, I missed who you were. Jacqueline, was it?”
Her eyes narrowed. “It’s Jocelyn.”
“Jocelyn’s a famous author,” Wren proudly informed. “Maybe you heard of her. Jocelyn Collins?”
“Oh.” Both women’s faces lit with interest. “What do you write?”
“Viking smut,” she said with little inflection.
“Viking…smut?” Neither woman seemed to know how to respond.
Soren was suffering some sort of out-of-body experience.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I can’t say I’ve ever met a famous author.” Olivia laughed as if tickled by the experience.
Jocelyn’s nose momentarily scrunched as if sniffing a soggy diaper, then a fake smile overtook her face. “I’m just your average small-town celebrity. Is that Shalimar I smell?”
Fuck.
Olivia smiled. “It is.”
Jocelyn’s lips twisted into the tightest smirk. “I thought I recognized it.”
He met Greyson’s stare and gave a slight shake of his head. His brother was the only one who knew about him and Jocelyn, but it wasn’t like they penpalled about it. Grey caught them creeping out of the powder room at his dad’s funeral a year and a half ago and never said another word about it. For all his brother knew, that little foray was good and buried.