Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
It really had seemed like her visit with Remy had been a reset of sorts for her. It pulled her out of herself. Kids were like that. You couldn’t wallow in your own misery when a tiny human needed your attention for their very survival.
Remy would do that for Wes. He’d be able to put one foot in front of the other because that four-year-old was a sweet handful. Not that I believed he was going to sink into a fit of depression without me, especially after only a few days.
Although he had looked gutted when I kissed him goodbye. Or maybe it was because his daughter was going to be ripped from him.
Me, on the other hand? I didn’t know how I would go on living next door to the man I loved.
Yes, loved.
It seemed foolish to say that about someone I’d just met, but there was no way my heart could be breaking this badly if I wasn’t madly in love with Wes.
I’d had a fling or two in the past. This wasn’t it.
“Hi,” I said to my mom, dropping the suitcase in the hallway. “I’m going to stay here until my roof gets fixed. Is that okay?”
“Well, of course, honey!” she replied brightly. “It would be great to have you here. But I thought you were staying with Wes?”
My mom scanned my face with interest when she turned to face me.
She was excited for me after meeting Wes and Remy. Hopeful, for the first time in ages.
I was about to dash her dreams.
She wouldn’t be getting an adorable, red-headed step-grandchild, after all.
Maybe I wouldn’t tell her just yet. I was liking this version of her, and I didn’t want to be the reason for her to spiral down.
But her forehead creased in concern as she peered at me. “Something happened, didn’t it? Did you have a fight? He seemed like such a good man. Respectful and all that.”
My shoulders slumped, and tears burned behind my eyes again. I wasn’t going to be able to keep it from her. I couldn’t be cheerful for her tonight. I couldn’t even keep it together for myself.
I sank into a kitchen chair in defeat, sighed, then sniffed. “Not a fight. But we broke up.”
Her eyes widened. “Why would you break up if there wasn’t a fight?”
“He and Remy’s mom are involved in a custody battle, and it’s going to be better for his chances of keeping Remy if I’m not in the picture.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “What? That’s absurd. Having you around just makes his home all the more stable! It’s not like you’re a felon or addict or something.”
I dropped my head into my hands, my elbows resting on the table. “I don’t want to talk about it, Mom.”
I couldn’t talk about it. Not without explaining the whole wolf thing, which was a secret I knew Wes–or anyone else in the pack–didn’t want shared.
Mom sat down beside me and rubbed between my shoulder blades, like she had when I was a kid. “Sweetheart,” her voice was soothing. “I’m so sorry. I could tell you really care about both of them. And I admit, I really liked them too. Remy’s a… well, she reminds me a lot of you. Bright and intelligent. Busy, too.”
Tears dripped into my hands even as I laughed. “I do like both of them,” I said.
She cocked her head. “So, can you help me understand? Did Wes ask you to walk away?”
I shook my head. “No, but his ex doesn’t want me around Remy. She made that very clear. I’m… I’m triggering to her, I guess. It just would be easier for them to sort things out if I wasn’t part of the equation.”
“But you are part of the equation.” My mom’s voice was soft, but firm, setting her hand on top of mine.
“Mom, you’re not helping,” I snapped then immediately regretted it.
My mom stood up and kissed the top of my head. I heard her moving around the kitchen, working on dinner.
“I’m sorry.” I wiped my tears and stood to help her.
She put a hand out. “Sit down, sweetheart. I’ve got dinner covered.”
“No, I’d rather be useful.” I set the table and got us two glasses of ice water.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time,” my mom said after a moment, not looking my way.
It sounded like something Wes would say, which ripped a fresh hole in my chest.
“I know you took on too much responsibility as a young girl, after the divorce,” she continued. “I had such a hard time functioning with the depression. You sacrificed your adolescence for me.”
Wow. That was a heavy admission.
I was stunned by her words as I held the napkins. “No, Mom. We were in it together.”
She turned from the counter to face me. “We shouldn’t have been in it together. I was the grown up. I should have been there for you, and instead, it was the other way around.”