Free Overflow: The Carpino Series by Brynne Asher

yesterday.”
    “Yesterday!” a couple of them scream at the same time. 
    “Well, yeah,” I repeat. 
    “Why he is acting like he’s with you?” Charlotte joined in.
    “He’s not with me,” I insist.
    “Girl,” Audrey starts.  “I have been married for fifteen
years and have seen a lot.  That man not only thinks he’s with you, but he’s with you, if you know what I mean.  He seems to have the ability to watch you like a
hawk while drinking beer and shooting the shit.  Trust me, we know.  We’ve been
watching him like a hawk all night!”
    “I wanna know where you found him,” says Paige.  “I want one
just like him!”
    “Ohmygoodness,” I whisper again. Finally, I decide enough is
enough.  “You can sit in here and talk about Jude Ortiz all night.  I’ve had a
freaking long day and didn’t sleep last night.  The bottom half of my house is
wet, I’m tired and I need another beer.  I might need a lot more beer to get
through the rest of the night with all you people.  I’m going to watch
Enchanted, appreciate Patrick Dempsey’s hair for the beautiful lushness that it
is and drink.  Don’t ask me anymore questions!” 
    “Tony told us about your basement, that sucks,” Paige says
offhandedly, who obviously isn’t a homeowner, otherwise she would describe my
basement flooding as the catastrophe that it is.  
    I ignore them all and turn to walk out of the room calling,
“Chloe, get the movie!”
    “I’m Giselle!” she yells back as I make it to the fridge for
another beer.  I get to the sofa and my Pop is stretched out on one end with
his feet up on the coffee table with a glass of red wine in his hand.
    “Do you mind if we put in a movie, Pop?” I ask.
    “Anything, Gabby,” he replies, giving me a small smile. 
Kicking off my flip flops, I settle in the other corner of the sofa with my
beer and tuck my feet under me.  Chloe puts the movie in and snuggles in front
of me.  I take a swig of my beer and settle in.  I don’t even make it through
the animated part of the movie to ogle Patrick Dempsey’s hair. 
    I am out like a light. 

Chapter 5 - Cut Me To The Quick
     
    "Gabby," I hear my name being called softly while
something equally as soft whispers across my face.  I'm so tired, I just
want to sleep.   "Gabby, sugar, wake up," I hear again. 
The word ‘sugar’ clicks in my brain and my eyes pop open.  My head is on a
pillow, I'm covered with a soft blanket and Jude's melty eyes are super close looking
right into mine.  I feel his hand pushing my hair away from my face and he
whispers, "Draft is done, babe, time to take you home." 
    I push up on one arm quickly, putting myself even closer to
Jude since he doesn't move back one little inch.  "I fell asleep,"
was all I had to say. 
    "Yeah, it's late, let’s get going," he returns.  I
start to move and realize Mia is snuggled up in the crook of my lap.  I
give her a nudge and she jumps down.  Getting up, I see my cousins
carrying sleeping kids out the door one at a time.  Jude sees me looking
at the train of sleeping kids and turns back to me saying with a grin, "Do
I need to carry you?"
    "No, I think I can walk," I respond, with a bit of
a glare.
    "Here's your purse, Gabby," Lizzie says, bringing
me my things.  "Your bowl and platter are clean by the door."
    "Thanks Aunt Lizzie, and thanks for dinner," I
return.  I take my purse as Jude is offering his own gratitude and handshakes
for the evening.  I make my way through my family giving my own goodbyes and as
we are moving toward the door when my phone rings in my purse.  Still in a daze
from my late evening nap, I slide my thumb across the screen without checking
the Caller ID and answer, “Hello?”
    “This is Protection One, I’m calling for Gabrielle Carpino,”
the attendant on the other end says.
    “This is Gabrielle Carpino,” I answer. 
    “Ma’am, the alarm at your home has been triggered.  What is
your password on the