Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80314 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80314 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“And things at the office are finally starting to get back to normal,” I tell him, and he reaches his right hand toward me. I cover it with mine. Touching him feels foreign. Fuck but I don’t even remember the last time I hugged my dad, and I wonder if I ever did when I was a kid.
“I….” The word is slurred, and his eyes squeeze closed like he’s frustrated. I’m sure he is; I would be. Hell, I remember lying in the hospital bed, feeling frustrated as hell after I was injured, and I could still talk and even walk with the help of crutches.
“Don’t worry about work. Just focus on getting better,” I tell him, and he meets my gaze before dipping his chin ever so slightly.
Even though he can’t talk or interact, I sit there while a game show plays on the TV, and Marla knits without even looking down at her hands. It’s quiet and depressing, but if I feel like that, I can only imagine how he’s feeling. When the overnight nurse, Deb, arrives to take over, I walk Marla to the door, then go in search of my mother.
I find her sitting in the library, not reading but drinking a glass of red wine alone while she stares out the window that overlooks the backyard. “Deb is here, and Marla left for the night,” I tell her as I step into the dimly lit room, and her eyes come to me. Studying her, I wonder what she’s thinking. She has that sweet Southern belle act down to a T, so I never know but tend to assume it’s nothing good. “Are you okay?”
“Do you have plans this Friday evening?”
“Why?”
“One of Kitty’s daughters will be in town for the weekend, and I’d like you to take her out.”
“I’m not going on a date with your friend’s daughter.” I cross my arms over my chest and lean back against the wall. Hell, even if I weren’t interested in May, I still wouldn’t take one of her friends’ daughters out on a date. My mother’s friends are all trophy wives, just like her, who I can only assume have raised daughters just like my sister, who all want the same life their mothers have, regardless if they’re actually happy or not.
“You need to settle down. You’re not getting any younger, and neither are your father nor me.”
“If you’re looking for grandkids, talk to your daughter who’s been married for two years.”
“Bridgett is traveling. She’s not ready for children, and I’m not looking for grandkids. I’d like for you to find someone suitable to spend time with.”
“Suitable?” I raise a brow, and she sighs.
“A woman who is educated and comes from a good family,” she says, but what she actually means is a woman who is educated enough to hold a conversation and not embarrass her, and who comes from money—lots of it.
“I don’t need help finding women to date.”
“As I’ve seen some of the women you’ve chosen to spend time with in the past, I beg to differ.” She picks up her glass of wine and stands from the leather chair she was sitting on, with her feet still in the heels she had on when I arrived earlier. “You’ve had plenty of time to sow your wild oats. It’s time for you to grow up.” With that, she walks past me. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow, and you can tell me what you’ve decided about taking Jennifer out.”
“I’m not taking anyone out on a date,” I call to her back, but she doesn’t respond, even though I know she heard me.
With a shake of my head, I go back to the office to say goodbye to my dad, but he’s sleeping, so I say goodnight to Deb and grab Dozer before I leave the house and head home to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day, and even if May wants nothing to do with me, I’m not that easy to get rid of when I set my sights on something I want.
Chapter 8
May
ARRIVING TO WORK a few minutes early, I walk into the staff room to put my lunch in the fridge, frowning when I find the room filled with most of the teachers and staff who work here. All of them are talking animatedly amongst each other.
Not sure what’s happening, I scan the room and find Toya standing with her back against the counter near the microwave, so I head her direction to find out what’s happening.
“What’s going on?” I ask her quietly when I’m close, and she lets out a long breath.
“Zach was hit by a car this morning when he was coming into the school.”
“What?”
“Apparently, he got here early to work out, and when he was walking across the parking lot, a car came out of nowhere and tried to run him over.”