Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
I could give her a few weeks.
Short ones.
So I promised I would, and she went with me to the hearth room, where Jamie was on the sofa with his laptop.
They said their farewells, we all shared how we couldn’t wait to meet for dinner before the store opening in a few days, and Mika assured us she could find her way out, before she left us.
I fell to the couch and lifted a knee so I could get to the side of my ankle to take off my sandals.
“Allow me,” Jamie said, holding out a cupped hand.
Watching him with loving (and grateful) eyes, I put my foot in his hand.
He tugged at straps and pulled off the shoe, we switched, away went the other shoe, and I could curl up comfortably at his side when he lounged beside me.
This, I did.
“You don’t have a drink,” he noted.
“I’ll run and make one in a second,” I said. “But first, the G-Force outed Marlo and Ned to Mika.”
He winced.
Oh yes, he’d been a part of dragging our loved ones along in our prolonged finally-getting-it-together love story.
“Perhaps you should talk to Ned,” I suggested.
“I will,” he agreed.
“We have other things to talk about,” I noted.
He leaned forward to nab his bourbon and tipped it in offering to me.
I scrunched my nose since bourbon wasn’t a favorite.
He sat back with his drink and asked, “Those things would be?”
“You know I talked to the children today,” I began.
He studied me acutely. “Yes. That didn’t go well?”
“It went splendidly. But they reminded me of our now established traditions…and Alyona.”
“Ah,” he murmured.
“Jamie, I don’t cook, and not only because I never learned how, but because I have absolutely no interest in doing so.”
He took a sip and rested his forearm on the arm of the sofa.
“I do cook, sweetheart,” he replied. “I have to admit, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with Alyona living with us, because I don’t have a private, contained space for her like you do. But if you wish for her to carry on with you, I don’t think it’ll be difficult to find an apartment for her close by that she likes and is convenient to her, and she can continue to do all she does for you. That is, finding an apartment won’t be difficult, as long as we retain a broker to start looking for that apartment right now.”
I was pleased he had the same idea as Valentina. I just hoped Alyona was amenable to it.
“Let me talk to Alyona,” I murmured.
“This won’t be a hardship. I’m sure Alyona won’t mind not having to cook when I have a mind to. Not to mention, Monica is rushed off her feet as it is, and it’s coming time to promote her. She’s far too clever to be a PA for very long. I can get a new one who doesn’t have to see to the things Alyona does. It’ll be fine.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
He raised his brows. “Now, these established traditions?”
This might be more difficult, but even so, we had to sort through it.
“Thanksgiving really isn’t a thing for us,” I shared to start. “Allegra goes to Darryn’s family. Since she does, and I don’t cook, Nico and Valentina take that opportunity to dine with Felice and Archie’s people.”
He nodded.
“But Christmas is another matter,” I went on. “The morning and afternoon are changeable with them coming to me, or me going to them, or however it fits in everyone’s schedule. But without fail, for dinner, we all go to Darryn’s mother and father’s house.”
“But Dru and I have been going to Judge,” he finished for me.
I nodded.
“Through his life, I have not had a lot of time with my son, Nora,” he said low, watching me closely.
Wretchedly, Belinda and AJ had made that so.
Jamie kept speaking. “I don’t want to declare that takes precedence over your family’s traditions, but we’re going to have to find a way to balance this, because I love you very much, and I like your kids, and I don’t want to tear you away from them. But I also want to be with my boy during the holidays, and now, more than ever, it’s easier for me and Dru to go to him.”
I looked to his laptop on the coffee table and sighed.
“Is this going to be a big issue?” he asked, bringing my attention back to him.
“It’s just annoying to have the reminder that even perfection isn’t perfect.”
Jamie gave me a small smile, leaned in and touched his lips to mine, then leaned back.
“We’ll figure it out.”
I was sure we would.
“I know you don’t want this reminder,” Jamie continued. “But eventually, like mine, your kids are going to have kids, which means they’ll make their own traditions and won’t want to be rambling all over the city or boarding planes. In the meantime, we’ll settle into a pattern of spending time with them. But my son grew up mostly without a father. And now my son is a father. I have to have a mind to that, which means asking you to have one too.”