Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“I did my best.”
I never thought of my mom as tough, but it took a strong backbone to throw a man out, knowing life would be hard in other ways without him. “Was it because of Laura?”
“Laura, and the others. Your father has always been an extraordinarily selfish man. Ray was always worrying about Ray. The funny thing is, our life actually got easier without him. There were no more surprise collection notices, no more missing paychecks. What we had, we earned, and I made sure we kept everything that was ours.”
My hands rested on my belly. “I think you made the right choice.”
“I hope so.” She pressed play and the drama on the screen continued.
That night, when I went to bed, I was still thinking about the things my mother said. Unlike my father, my mother had kept her word. She did her best to raise and protect me, always putting my needs before her own.
When I was younger and he’d stand me up, I’d cry and she’d say, “You don’t need him, Rayne.” It took me more than thirty years to realize she was right.
I never told my mom that I met Laura or that I had two half-sisters. Just like she wanted to protect me, I wanted to protect her.
As I lay in bed, I wondered how she managed. I was a frantic mess the first time Elara got sick, but Hale was always there to calm me down and help with the decisions, the way a true partner should. We had the financial stability to give our children everything they could possibly need. My mother had no such security, yet she still made sure my needs were always met.
I wondered how much she had to sacrifice to make that happen. I couldn’t recall her ever having her nails done at a salon or splurging on a pretty piece of clothing simply because she liked it. As a matter of fact, my mother was still wearing clothes she’d owned since my childhood.
Unable to sleep, I put on Hale’s robe and tiptoed down to his office. I logged onto the laptop and opened a search engine. An hour later and I had a list of addresses and names.
“There you are.” Hale appeared at the door, bare-chested and holding a bottle of water.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He came into the office and glanced at the computer screen. “What are you doing?”
“You know how you’re always telling me not to feel bad that we have money?”
“Yes.” He chuckled nervously. “Are you impulse shopping?”
“I haven’t bought anything yet, but I’ve decided you’re right.”
“Is that so?”
“Yup. I’m about to cost you a ton of money, sir.” I clicked open a tab and turned the screen so he could see what I found. “We’re buying my mom this house.”
A-B-C-D-E-F-You
By the time March rolled in, I was roughly the size of a planet. My cravings consisted of antacids, key lime popsicles, and the saltiest olives I could find. My weight was not to be discussed—at least not by anyone who valued their life.
I’d found the perfect gem for my mom, about twenty minutes from our house, in the center of the iconic Old Town. She loved to people-watch and talk to strangers, so this seemed like the perfect place. It was quaint and buttercream yellow, with a balcony on the front and a big porch for sitting and taking in the tourists.
The house also had a super cute attic loft. My plan was to get my mother settled then convince her to rent the loft to Tyler. Of course, I’d also have to convince him to uproot his entire life, find a new job, and move to the other side of the country, but those were minor details.
We had the property completely renovated, inspected, and furnished without my mom’s knowledge. She was set to fly out this Friday and stay until the baby was born. Little did she know that she could now stay as long as she liked.
“Don’t forget you have your ultrasound today.” Hale placed a plate of toast in front of me.
“I know. You’re picking me up at two, right?”
“Yes.” He sipped his coffee. “Andrew has Elara for the day, and I have a meeting with Xander in Miami.”
“Miami? He can’t fly out to meet you here?”
“I suppose he could, but I offered.”
I buttered my toast with obvious disapproval. “Seems to me that would be the thoughtful thing to do since you have a pregnant wife at home who could pop at any minute, and Xander’s perpetually single and living a less complicated life on account of being a prick.”
“You’re not due for three weeks, Rayne.”
“Says you. I could blow at any second, Hale.” I took a bite of my toast. “Which reminds me. We have to book Willow’s flight.”
“Are we still doing that?”