Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 82060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“We haven’t really decided yet,” I semi-lied.
I was definitely moving.
And it wasn’t about the wine cellar I still hadn’t seen, nor was it about the décor.
It was the fact we’d shared our first breakfast as a family in his kitchen, even if Liam finished eating well before Darius and me, and it might be weird, but now, that felt like home.
“Oh?” She sounded disappointed.
“But I’m doubling up on toiletries,” I blurted, because no one wanted to be disappointing.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Rock on!” she cried.
I couldn’t help it, I laughed.
She hadn’t changed one bit.
And that made me happy.
“I gotta call Ally and tell her. Girl, you can’t know how thrilled we are for you two. This is the best love story of them all.”
I couldn’t disagree.
“Thanks.”
“And glad to have you back. Missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Right, letting you go. We’ll catch up Saturday. Later!”
“Later.”
She hung up.
I was smiling as I finished driving to work.
And when I got to my desk, I programmed Indy’s number into my phone.
* * * *
The next call came when I was at the mall, dashing through the skincare and makeup sections, eating Wetzel Pretzel bites for lunch, multitasking.
It was another number I didn’t know.
“Hello?”
“Hey, chickie. Ally.”
“Heya, Ally.”
“Were you at?”
“At the mall, doubling up on toiletries.”
“I heard. Righteous,” she said. “Listen, I know we’re on for the party Saturday night, but you got some time during the day to meet me at Fortnum’s?”
Fortnum’s.
I’d avoided it for nearly two decades for fear Darius still went there, and more, because I couldn’t face the happy memories that had seemed so bittersweet, with emphasis on bitter.
Now they could just be sweet.
I felt something settle in me because I had Indy back, and Ally back, and I’d have Duke back, and Fortnum’s too.
“I can meet you, what time?”
“Eleven?”
“Works for me. And I didn’t get to ask Indy, but should we bring anything to the party?”
“Just you and Darius and Liam. The guests of honor don’t have to contribute. But get your recipes in order. We do this shit a lot.”
Why wasn’t I surprised?
“We’ll bring a bottle anyway.”
“Suit yourself. See you Saturday.”
“See you then.”
I hung up and the saleslady told me my total.
I then fought fainting (one never stocked up on it all, all at once, but doing so was sobering, it still wasn’t going to deter me from my products, because I made bank, obviously so did my man, and I deserved them), and I handed over my credit card.
While she ran it, I programmed Ally’s number into my phone.
When I got out to my car, I shoved it all in my trunk with a smile.
Because I had to lug it all out there.
But Darius would order Liam to go out and get it when I got home.
* * * *
That night, after going to my house and packing, I drove down the alley behind Darius’s house and used the remote for his garage he gave me that morning.
But even after the door was completely up, I didn’t pull in.
Because the Charger was in the garage, and the Silverado was parked in the spot beside it, open to the elements.
He gave his son and his woman his garage, and he was going to get into a cold car tomorrow.
I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t get caught by one of his neighbors sitting in my car in the alley sobbing, and I pulled in.
Since I’d gone gung ho, I opened the back door and heaved the massive suitcase out of it. No need to waste a trip.
That big case didn’t fit in the trunk with all my bags and the other suitcases.
Luckily, it had rollers, but still. I had some steps to get up, which wasn’t easy.
I made it to the back door, entered a mudroom/laundry room that looked like an advertisement for Crate and Barrel, and then Darius was there.
He looked to the huge-ass suitcase, to me, the suitcase, back to me.
“Jesus, babe,” he said, lips twitching.
“There’s more in the car.”
That’s when he started chuckling, and the light that hit his eyes was humor, for sure, it was also something else that I loved with every fiber of my being.
He then shouted, “Liam! Get your mom’s shit from the car!”
“On it!” Liam shouted from the bowels of the house.
Darius strong-armed me away from my suitcase and rolled it in.
I followed him into the kitchen then into the living room and stopped there to get a kiss on the cheek from my kid and a “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, honey.”
He kept going.
Darius left the suitcase at the foot of the stairs and came back to me.
“How much is out there?” he asked.
“You might want to help him.”
That look in his eyes came back, he wrapped a hand around the side of my neck, and he kissed me.
It was wet, and it was thorough, but it was far too short.