Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“No, you don’t.” She’d been steeling herself for this conversation for weeks, ever since the moment she’d realized this relationship no longer worked for her and Lou. It never had. Not really. She’d been scared to lose what little she had, but now she knew she deserved better. It was time to show her daughter how to stand up for herself. “You don’t have a right to know the details of my life. I appreciate everything you’ve done for Lou, but you’re not my mother.”
“No, I never said I was,” Amelia countered, her gaze filled with disdain. “I believe your mother abandoned you. I’m the one who stayed even when you failed my son.”
Daphne felt her shoulders come up. “Excuse me?”
“He would never have been on that road at night if he’d been happy at home,” Amelia said in a hushed tone. “I know how miserable you made him. He needed a proper wife. You couldn’t keep up with him academically, and that’s why you’re trying to hold Louisa back. My concern certainly isn’t for you. It’s for my granddaughter, who you seem incapable of handling properly.”
“Hold Louisa back?”
“You don’t make her focus. You’re allowing her to run wild, and it’s going to come to a bad end. You’ve already moved her to a bad part of town when she would have everything she needs if she lived with us,” Amelia insisted.
“Why would she live with you?” Daphne was floored at the thought. “She’s my daughter.”
“And she’s my granddaughter, and you can’t give her what she needs. You’re practically a day laborer, Daphne. How can you understand a genius? And if you think I don’t see what is going on with you, you don’t know me very well.” Amelia’s genteel mask had slipped, and Daphne was shocked at the fury she saw there.
“My mom understands me very well,” a quiet voice said. “That’s all that matters.”
Daphne forced her shock down and managed to plaster a smile on. The rest of this argument would have to wait. “Hey, baby. Are you ready?”
Lou had her little suitcase in her hand, that stupid beret she hated perfectly tilted on her head.
She half wanted Lou to tell her she’d changed her mind, that she wanted to stay. Daphne would let her. She would tell Amelia to go to hell and lock the door on her way out.
“Yes.” Lou’s smile was back on her face, but there was no way to miss the tension in her eyes. “We should go, Grandmother. We wouldn’t want to be late. Mom, I’ll see you on Friday.”
“We’ll be there for you.” Once she told him this story, Boomer would take off work if he had to. “And we’ll have that talk over dinner.”
That got her smiling—a big Lou smile. “I’m glad.”
The bell rang again, and Lou took off to answer it, throwing it open with enthusiasm. “Boomer! I’m going to miss you.”
Her big, gorgeous guy wrapped Lou in a bear hug, lifting her up and making Daphne’s heart damn near melt. “Ah, kiddo, I’m going to miss you, too. So are the dogs and the cat and Molly.”
“Promise me the birds won’t hatch,” Lou demanded as he set her on her feet.
Boomer winced. “That I cannot do. Life makes its own decisions, but I think we have a few days.”
“And who is this?” Amelia was looking at Boomer like he was a piece of trash that had found its way inside.
Boomer finally realized they weren’t alone, and he got the sweetest blush. “Oh. I’m…I’m her next-door neighbor. I was coming by to…”
“He’s my boyfriend.” She moved in and threaded her arm through his. “Amelia, this is Brian Ward, though everyone calls him Boomer.” She frowned and looked up at that gorgeous face of his. “You never told me why.”
“I blew a couple of things up accidently. I’d never worked with explosives before,” Boomer admitted, his lips kicking up. “I don’t do that anymore. I let Deke handle the C-4 and I just shoot things from a distance.”
“Louisa, we should go.” Now Amelia was looking at Boomer like he was dangerous trash. “We’re going to be late, and that is unacceptable.”
Lou stepped between Daphne and Boomer, one arm going around each of them. “I’ll see you on Friday, and I’ll send you lots of pictures. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Daphne’s heart skipped a beat because she hadn’t said those words. He had. She had to fight back tears because somehow Lou and Boomer had bonded in this incredible way. Somehow they’d become a family, and she hadn’t been looking for it, hadn’t even dreamed about it, but they were here, and she couldn’t imagine life without him now.
“Love you, baby.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead.
Amelia picked up Lou’s suitcase. “Let’s go. And Daphne, don’t think we won’t be having a discussion when Louisa and I get back. You should think about the reality of your situation while we’re gone.”