Fulfillment by Golland, M. (best large ebook reader .txt) 📕

huffed and put her hands on herhips, frustrated that reading was a skill she was still learning atschool.

Nate slowlyread the note out loud. “Your first clue is feeling unfit. You canfind it on the place where you exercise while you sit.” He screwedup his face, then instantly realisation dawned on him. “Theexercise bike,” he yelled, and then he took off.

“Wait for me,”Charli called out after him.

Bryce and Ifollowed. “So far so good,” he whispered as he placed his hand atthe small of my back while walking out onto the balcony followingthe kids.

Nate hadalready torn the envelope from its sticky-taped position on theexercise bike. He ripped it open and pulled out a photograph,looking at it strangely.

Charlisnatched it from his hands. “It’s you and Bryce, Mum. It’s apicture of you two.”

“Give thephoto to Bryce and he will give you your next clue,” Nate read,from the instructions that were attached to the picture. Charliskipped over to Bryce and handed him the photograph, he in turnhanded her another card. She passed it to Nate who again read itout loud. “Go and play pool...but don’t get wet.”

Charli walkedover to the swimming pool and looked into the water for the nextclue. “How do you play in the pool without getting wet?”

“Not thatpool, the pool table,” Nate explained as he grabbed his sister’shand. They hurried off into the man-cave, only to come back out towhere we were standing in the lounge area shortly after entering,Charli now holding a wooden letter R. She gave it to Bryce, whoonce again handed over another clue. Bryce placed the letter R nextto the picture of the two of us. I smiled.

“Your thirdclue is hungry and wants something to eat. Go to the place whereyou’ll find something sweet.”

This timeCharli took off heading straight for the kitchen, yelling,“Lollies. The treasure is lollies.”

Nate ran afterher. “Wait, we have to share.”

“Do not. Notif I find them first,” she teased while looking over her shoulderand screamed, noticing that he was gaining on her.

Bryce laughedas I took a seat on the couch.

“They’re goingto be disappointed when they realise the treasure is not edible,” Isaid, suddenly feeling like maybe I should’ve organised some formof tangible-treasure.

They both cameback into the lounge looking a little glum. I laughed at them. “So,what did you find?”

“A stupid wordthat says HAVING,” Charli sulked as she passed Bryce the cardboardcard with the word having written on it. He placed it down next tothe letter R.

At this pointI thought Nate would catch on by reading the clues placed next toeach other—but he didn’t. Instead, he moved right along and readthe next card.

“This clue isin a hurry and doesn’t want to go slow. You’ll find this cluewaiting for a ride on the Crow.” Nate threw the card and spunaround heading back outside. Charli grumbled and sat down.

I gentlysqueezed her knee. “What, Sweetheart? Don’t you like thisgame?”

“Yes, but I’mtoo slow.”

“Don’t worry.I reckon you’ll find the next clue before Nate.” I winked ather.

Nate camerunning back in, puffing and out of breath. He passed Bryce thewooden letter A.

Charliscratched her head. “Another letter?”

Bryce handedNate the final card then came and sat next to me, leaning back onthe couch in that sexy position that I love. I stared at him andlicked my lips. Crap! That was involuntary.

“Starlight isasleep. Go wake her.” Nate took off again toward theObservatory.

I fell backinto Bryce’s side. “I told you he’d go there.”

Charlifrowned. “You said I’d find the next clue, Nate probably alreadyhas it.”

“No, hedoesn’t Charli. What did Nate just read out?”

“Starlight isasleep. Go wake her.”

“Yes, nowthink about it.”

She screwed upher face, then her eyes widened and a large smile appeared.

“Ahhh, see? Goand wake her up.”

Charli laughedand ran upstairs to her room. She came back moments later holdingher baby doll, Starlight.

“I found itNate,” she called out as she handed Bryce the baby. Nate camebounding down the stairs, and I cringed as I watched him,predicting a stumble and one or two broken bones.

“Please don’trun down the stairs, little man. You’re giving me a heartattack.”

“What was it?”Nate asked, ignoring my plea.

“Starlight, mybaby,” Charli answered. She looked from Bryce to me. “So where isthe treasure?”

“Read theclues,” Bryce suggested.

I waited withbaited breath as Nate read the clues out slowly, trying to piecethem together.

“Photo, R,word having, A, Starlight,” he said. “That’s just dumb.”

Shit! Crap!Balls! That didn’t work.

“Who’s in thephoto?” I asked.

“You andBryce.”

“What’s theletter?”

“R,” they saidtogether.

“What’s theword say?”

“Having.”

Nextletter?”

“A”

“What isStarlight.”

“A doll.”

Bryce crackedup laughing.

“No, she’s ababy. Now read those all out again.”

“Mummy andBryce, R, Having, A, Baby,” they both said together.

Nate’s eyeswidened, and I held my breath.

Charli said itagain still not quite catching on.

“Mummy andBryce, R, Having, A, Baby. A Baby...really? A real baby?”

I stood up andrubbed my belly. “Yes. There’s a baby growing in here; your babybrother or sister.”

Nate smiled.Oh thank fuck. Charli stepped closer and touched my tummy.“Can she hear me?”

“I think so,”I answered.

“Hi, I’mCharlotte, your sister,” she yelled like a banshee into mystomach.

Bryce and Ilaughed, and a tear of joy rolled down my cheek. Bryce leanedforward and gently rolled up my top a little. I still wasn’t overlyshowing, but when I was standing there with nothing to cover mybump, it was visibly protruding—a little bit.

“You don’tneed to yell, Charlotte. Just talk like this.” He placed his lipsto my stomach and gave it a soft kiss. I swear I felt a littleflutter.

“How do youknow it’s a girl?” Nate questioned. “It could be a boy.”

“Are you agirl or a boy?” Charli asked in a lower voice, smiling at Bryce asshe spoke into my belly. For some reason we all stayed quiet,appearing to be stupidly waiting for an answer.

“We will findout in just over a month if you have a baby sister or brother.”

“A month? Isthat when she’ll be born?” Charlotte was pirouetting in front ofme. “I can’t wait. Can I pick her name?”

“Settle,Petal. No, we will find out if the baby is a boy or a girl whenMummy has an ultrasound, then you can help pick a name.”

“What’s anultrasound?”

“An ultrasoundis a special camera that can look inside your tummy.”

Nate walkedover and hesitantly touched my bare stomach. “I can’t feelanything.”

I placed myhand on his head