Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Allie’s kindness after the day she had was almost her breaking point.
“It’s more than okay. You don’t know how much it means to me you’re taking care of Glory and the girls.”
The young woman shook her head. “I’m the one who owes you. If you hadn’t hired me, I’d still be working for Ivo.”
“It works out for both of us.”
“Yes, it does,” Allie agreed. “Since you’re home, I’ll take off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night,” both Glory and Sage told her.
Holding on to the arm of the couch, she waited for Allie to leave before getting up. Carefully walking around the girls, she slowly made her way to the kitchen.
“Why are you limping?” Glory asked.
“I was nearly run down by a car at the crosswalk.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish.”
She reached the fridge and took out the lasagna, then slid it in the oven. She then gathered the makings of a salad before, pulling frozen Texas Toast out of the freezer to go along with the meal.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m sore; that’s about it.”
As she explained what had happened, she pulled on a pair of disposable gloves and started chopping the lettuce, when the doorbell rang.
Placing the knife on the chopping board, she removed the plastic gloves.
“Allie must have forgotten something,” she said, coming from behind the counter.
She walked to the door and opened it without checking the peephole. Upon seeing Kent, she instinctively started to shut the door in his face.
His hand came out, preventing it from closing. “I want to talk to you.”
“You want to talk?” she hissed at him, barely keeping herself from screaming at him. “Go talk to Livvy! I don’t want to talk to you ever again!”
Proud of herself that she didn’t use the profanity storming through her mind, she was still inwardly screaming. If she weren’t afraid there was a chance the girls would hear, she would have.
She jerked off the bracelet she had bought and threw it at him. “Take it!” she whisper-screamed at him.
Kent caught it in his hand.
“The only memory I want of you is you walking out the door!”
THIRTY-FIVE
There was no way he could leave after seeing the ravaged expression on Sage’s face. When he barged in further, she instinctively took a step back. He closed the door behind him, then crossed his arms over his chest.
“We are going to talk—”
Kent broke off at seeing Sage’s nieces running down the hallway, coming within earshot.
“Kent, we missed you!” the children squealed at him.
Unashamedly picking up Tinsley when her arms came up to be held, he felt a compunction of guilt until he saw the loathing Sage was directing toward him.
“How are my girls?”
Both girls giggled at him.
Not wanting Colby to feel left out, he picked her up, too.
“Why am I not surprised you’re not playing fair?” Giving him a snide look, Sage tried to take Tinsley from his arms.
He dodged her hands and moved around her, heading toward her living room.
“What time are you taking the girls back home?” Abruptly, he stopped, seeing a woman sitting on the couch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize Sage had company.”
“Glory isn’t company. My sister and the girls live here with me.”
Giving her a surprised look, Kent put the girls back on their feet before walking toward her sister.
“Hello.” He extended his hand. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your evening, but I really need to talk to Sage.”
Glory briefly shook his hand, looking back and forth between them before settling on him as she released his hand. “I don’t think my sister wants to talk to you.”
“I admit Sage is right to be upset with me.” Kent felt a surge of sympathy for the frail woman sitting next to an oxygen machine. There was no way to know if the girls resembled her or not; her face was a mask of burned scars. The pain she must have gone through had to have been horrendous. “I tried to call, but she didn’t answer.”
“I turned my phone off when I got home. I didn’t see your call, and I wouldn’t have answered if I had.”
“I think you should go,” Glory said.
Kent could hear the wheeze in her voice, despite her being on oxygen. He wasn’t a medical professional, but even he could see how seriously ill Sage’s sister was. If he hadn’t felt bad enough already, Glory added another level of guilt to his conscience. He couldn’t have the discussion with Sage he wanted to have with her sister within hearing distance. Kent didn’t want to make the sick woman upset by discussing this afternoon in front of her.
“I’ll leave.” Turning to Sage, he nodded his head toward the doorway. He still wanted a private word with her before he left.
Glaring at him, she started down the hallway.
He narrowed his eyes on her and asked, “Why are you limping?”