Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Usually, I felt butterflies in my tummy when I knew I’d see Murray because of my attraction to him. Now they fluttered wildly for multiple reasons. I didn’t know what to expect from Kelly, and I was about to meet Murray’s mom again but this time as my mother-in-law. We’d met at the mini Christmas market last year and she’d seemed lovely. Gentle and warm.
However, that was before I married her only child behind her back.
20. London
My heart thudded loudly in my ears as I shrugged out of my coat and hung it up in the mudroom. Slipping off my boots, I placed them next to Kelly’s shoes and let out a shaky exhale. As I wandered down the hallway, I saw Kelly’s bedroom door was ajar. A glance inside revealed she wasn’t in there, but there was a book opened downward on her rumpled bed like she’d been interrupted mid-reading.
I wondered how she was feeling today. Understanding that my parents were neglectful wasn’t something that happened overnight. It was a creeping realization, a slow-burn anger in my gut until I grew so resentful that I didn’t always succeed at masking that resentment.
At that age, the pain of knowing my parents didn’t love me was agonizing. There were so many times I could have gone off the rails searching for what they weren’t giving me. Fortunately, I’d had Nana, and I met Tierney and her parents, and their love and support saved me from the more destructive behavior I might have indulged in.
Kelly, thankfully, had Murray, and there wasn’t anyone who could ever argue that he didn’t show his little girl enough love and support. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t in extreme pain right now.
Taran’s kindness from earlier bolstered me. It wouldn’t be easy, but I wanted to help Kelly get through this. I wanted to be to her what Tierney had been to me, what Taran had been to me.
As I walked into the reception hall, I heard the muffled sound of music filtering down the stairwell. Stopping, I glanced up, the butterflies rioting. Not for Kelly but for Murray’s mom, Fiona. Her car was parked outside.
At the top of the stairs, I heard Murray’s deep chuckle and a warm bloom of feeling spread across my chest. The sound of a woman’s voice made me push myself forward, striding into the kitchen.
Murray was taking a pie dish out of the oven as his mom drained a bowl of veg at the sink. Kelly, seated on a stool at the island, was the first to see me enter.
I gave her a soft smile. She frowned and looked down at the countertop.
Great.
“London.” Murray drew my gaze as he placed the hot pie dish on a wooden stand. “Just in time.”
“Is there anything I can do?” I gave his mom a smile, but I felt the slight strain of it.
I think Fiona noticed because she put the bowl of veg down on the island, wiped her hands on a dish towel, and came over to me with a warm smile. “London, fàilte. It’s nice to see you again.” She drew me into a tentative hug, which I returned, relief suffusing me.
“You too.”
Fiona drew back, her gaze roaming my face. “I forgot what a bonny lassie you are.”
My cheeks heated. “Thank you.”
“Don’t embarrass her, Mum,” Murray admonished, but there was a teasing note in his tone.
“Och, it’s never embarrassing to hear someone tell you you’re bonny. Come, come, have a wee seat. We’re almost ready to eat.”
“I’d love to help if I can.”
“It’s all done. I just need to plate up.”
“What is everyone drinking?” I asked.
Fiona let out a little huff of laughter. “All right, you can get the drinks. Just water for me.”
“And me,” Murray threw in as he cut into the pie. The smell of it filled the kitchen, and I could see it was a steak pie.
“Kelly, what would you like to drink?”
She shrugged as she scrolled through her phone. “Whatever.”
“Kelly Fiona Shaw, you’ll put your phone away and you’ll answer politely when asked a question,” her grandmother said with a gentle sternness I admired.
To Kelly’s credit, she immediately put down her phone and looked at me. “Diet Coke.”
I busied myself getting everyone a drink. Soon enough we were all seated, hot steak pie, mashed potatoes, broccoli, sprouts, peas, and carrots all covered in a rich gravy and overflowing on our plates. It was quintessential hearty British food, and there was no way I could eat it all.
“Mum’s portions are generous,” Murray offered with a twinkle in his eye. “Just eat what you can.”
“Oh, aye, of course.” Fiona waved her fork at me. “Don’t feel like you have to clean the plate on my account.”
To my delight, the steak melted in the mouth like butter, and I told Fiona so.