Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Or that Walker might actually be dating that Chloe person.
Three
SLOANE
Walker texted me later that night to tell me a Hyundai would be in my parking spot behind the cottage come morning, and he’d posted the keys through our letter box. He told me not to worry about insurance because I was covered. How he got my details to insure me, I’d rather not know.
And sure enough, there it was. When I asked him about my car, he said the mechanics were looking at it and he’d get back to me. When I asked how much I owed him, he said nothing.
Part of me wanted to seethe with misdirected anger and hurt pride.
But I didn’t have time for that. I had to drop Callie off at school and get to work.
Callie had a ton of questions about the new car, none of which I could answer, except that Walker had left it for us. I could only assume the car was one of his and he’d added me as a secondary driver to his insurance while he loaned it to us. I refused to question that supposition or the fact that Walker probably didn’t need a second car when he drove a Range Rover.
I also would not admit to myself how much I enjoyed driving the newer-model SUV.
Instead, I focused on getting my kid to school. Callie had assured me that her new teacher, Mrs. Hunter, seemed okay. She wasn’t Monroe, but she wasn’t as strict as rumor had implied. Mostly, Callie was excited to tell Lewis that she’d be attending tae kwon do classes with him. I had given it the go-ahead. My hair would have to suffer the consequences. And I’d need to increase the cake orders I fulfilled per month.
I’d left Callie with Lewis in the lineup outside the school, told Regan I’d get the money to her for the first class, and hopped back into the pretty blue SUV. My phone rang through the car as I drove away. Monroe’s name lit up the cool screen in the middle of the dashboard. I hit the Answer Call button on the steering wheel, telling myself not to get used to the car and its modern stellar ways.
“Hey!” I answered brightly because we hadn’t talked in a few days. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m fifty months pregnant,” Monroe grumbled in her cute Scottish accent. “Otherwise all right.”
I chuckled, remembering that feeling. “That means you’re getting close.”
“Eight months. I don’t know where those weeks went, but I can feel them,” she joked. “In all seriousness, I’m fine. Missing the kids. How was Callie’s first day?”
I told her about her new teacher.
“Ellen Hunter gets a bad rap. It’s unfair. She’s a good teacher. She’s just a wee bit less warm and fuzzy than I am.”
Grinning, I nodded as I followed the long stretch of road toward Ardnoch Estate. “Well, my kid misses you, that’s for sure.”
“I miss her too. I know you’ll be busy baking this weekend, but I thought I’d pop round for a visit.”
“Of course, we’d love that.”
We talked a little more about her pregnancy and then as I approached the staff entrance to show the security guards my ID, Monroe said, “So, Walker told Brodan that Callie wants to attend tae kwon do classes in Inverness.”
I reached out of my car window and flashed my ID. The security guard, Jamie, tapped it and smiled at me. “New car, Sloane?”
Between Monroe’s words and the reminder of my fancy borrowed car, I pasted on a smile to cover a frown. “Just a loan.”
“A loan for Sloane,” he teased. “It suits you.”
“Thanks.”
“Go on in.” He waved at his companion at the guard station, and the gates swung open.
“Sloane?” Monroe asked.
“Hey, yeah, sorry, I’m at the estate gates.”
“So, tae kwon do?”
“Yeah,” I answered, holding back my annoyance with Walker for telling people my business. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“It is,” Roe agreed. “You know what’s also a great idea … to let Walker sponsor her. I don’t know if you know this about Walker, but he’s very protective of women. He’d love to see Callie learn self-defense and, as a martial artist, he’d make a great mentor and sponsor.”
Since I knew Monroe wanted only to help ease my financial stress, I didn’t snap at her. I’d accepted her help with the cottage because I was still paying rent and thus felt like I was paying my own way.
But accepting money from Walker for my daughter … no. The last time I’d forsaken my pride to get money from a guy to help raise Callie, it blew up in my face.
“I can handle it myself,” I assured Monroe lightly. “We’re all good.”
“Are you sure, because Walker mentioned your car—”
“Roe, I’m late for work,” I cut her off. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. Can we talk later?”