Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
As I get into my car, I think about her pause after I asked her if she wanted to invite anyone to our wedding celebration. I know she’s been estranged from her dad for a while. He left her mom for another woman, and Lucy kind of connects the two. She told me once that her mom was madly in love with her dad, but he cheated on her constantly. Finally, he ran off with one of his mistresses. Lucy’s mom got sick, and Lucy attributes it to a broken heart.
It could be that.
A person’s will to live can power them through some tough times, and when they give up mentally and spiritually, they can lose the ability to heal themselves. But maybe Lucy needs her dad back, too. If there’s some repentance and acknowledgment of wrongdoing, Lucy won’t be so scared of our relationship. Last night, after we made love and I was holding her in my arms, it occurred to me that Lucy has shied away from moving past our friendship because friendship is safe and love is dangerous, heartbreaking, and may actually kill you.
Her natural inclination is to not allow people inside of her heart. She’s doing what she can to protect herself, but I don’t want her to live in fear that I’m going to stray. Sometimes I’ll have to travel to a different city to try a case or meet with clients, and she won’t always be available to accompany me. I don’t want her sleepless in our home imagining scenarios that feature me stepping out on her. I wouldn’t do that. The only woman who exists for me, the only woman who turns me on, gets me hard, makes my heart beat, is Lucy. It’s been that way since she walked into my life. There never has been and never will be anyone else.
Over time, she will see that I’m steady as a rock, but how long will it take her to reach peace of mind?
Uncle Cristoff is sitting outside of The Daily Drip in his Rolls Royce when I arrive.
“Why are we meeting at this dump?” he huffs as he climbs out of the back of his car.
“Because it’s not a dump, and the coffee is good. Don’t embarrass me when we go inside. I stop in here every morning.” I jerk open the door to the coffee shop. It’s possible I made a misjudgment setting the meeting here, but it’s close, and I didn’t want to go into the office where I would be sucked into doing a thousand things unrelated to loving Lucy.
“I swear I raised you better.”
“You raised me? Since when?”
“I’ve been the man in your life since you were ten, son,” Uncle Cristoff declares.
I turn to Eden at the counter. “Give me a double shot. I’m going to need it.”
Uncle Cristoff has been the man in my life harassing my mother and every woman who comes within a ten-foot radius. He leers at Eden. “I see why you come into this place. You’re a fine piece, young woman.” He hands her a twenty dollar bill. “My number is on the back. Give it a call, and there are plenty more where this comes from.”
Before Eden can throw a pot of hot coffee at his head, I grab the bill and shove it into Cristoff’s breast pocket and then steer him toward a table. “Sit. I’ll get your order.” Back at the counter, I tuck a hundred dollar bill into the tip jar. “Sorry about that,” I say.
Eden arches an eyebrow. “You’re asking Lucy to marry into that?”
“She knows all about Uncle Cristoff. I swear. Two coffees, extra cream and sugar in his and a bearclaw.”
“I’ll bring it out to you.”
“Great and I am sorry, Eden.”
“I’m not holding it against you.”
I return to Uncle Cristoff, who frowns at my empty hands. “I’m hungry.”
“They’re making the coffee. It will be here in a minute. Do you have the contract?”
“I’m having second thoughts.”
“About what?”
He steeples his fingers together. “I know I wanted you to get married before you took over the firm and that I convinced the board that it was necessary, but I didn’t realize you’d select someone so unsuitable. I want you to marry someone within our circle, not a girl who just got fired from a party planning job. She’s not good enough for you even if you are faking it.”
“I’m not faking a damn thing.”
Uncle Cristoff shakes his head. “Son, you can’t fool me. You’ve been friends with this girl for years, which means you have no real interest in her physically.”
“I don’t really care what your opinion is on my relationship with Lucy. Give me the contract. I fulfilled my end of the deal. Time for you to come through.”
He drums his fingers on the tabletop. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. You can always divorce her later. Ah, here is our breakfast.”