Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 53238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“Legal protections?” I shake my head. “And you believed him?”
“Obviously.” She shrugs, her tone icy. “Then, when the company didn’t do well, he left the country and now I’m responsible for all the debt.”
I arch my brows, surprised a woman as savvy as Suki ended up in this situation.
“You should’ve told me.”
She glares at me. “Did you tell me every secret from your past? Every mistake you’ve ever made?”
“No, but I’m...I guess, for lack of a better word, I’m the employer in this relationship. The one writing the check, not the one cashing it. I’m the one under constant public scrutiny because of my job. And if the company sold watches or something, it would be no big deal.”
“Do you want out?”
I furrow my brow, confused. “Out of what?”
She holds up her hand and points at her ring. “This. You’re the employer, so are you firing me?”
“Look, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“If you want out, it’s fine.”
That’s the last fucking thing I need. A quickie wedding followed by a quickie divorce or annulment less than a week late won’t help the custody case.
“No, I don’t want out. But we need to talk about this and anything else that could bite us in the ass. You’re living under a spotlight now.”
She nods, looking angry but also defeated.
“Is the company still open?”
“No. I never had anything to do with running it. When he left, I had to change the business address to my apartment so I could pay the bills and receive the inventory. I have a storage unit where I keep it all.”
“How much debt do you have?”
She narrows her eyes. “That’s none of your business. I’m current on the payments. That’s all you need to know.”
“Is there anything else that could hurt us if it came out? Like him selling his shit to minors or getting arrested?”
“Not that I know of, but he’s a man, so he was probably hiding and lying more than I ever knew about.”
Wow. Bitter, party of one. Suki seems to have decided to blame my entire gender for what her douchebag ex did.
I unbutton my dress shirt, suddenly tired. I just want to eat and go to bed. The rest of this conversation can wait.
“Are we done?” she asks, her tone curt.
“Yeah.”
She scoops Darling up from the floor and walks away without another word.
I eat my food in silence, wishing I’d gone for the postgame snack I really wanted. Lucky Charms cereal.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Suki
“Aunt Rosie, this is Darling. Isn’t he handsome?”
Hallie walks him into the kitchen on his leash, and he immediately heads for the pantry, tugging the leash taut.
“He’s the handsomest pig I’ve ever seen,” Rosie says. “I can’t wait to get to know him better.”
“Can he have a snack?” Hallie looks at me.
“A little one. Maybe some crackers. He’s gaining weight so quickly; we need to keep the sugary snacks down.”
Rosie laughs. “How big is he going to get?”
“We don’t know. He’s a micro pig, but he’s growing like crazy.”
Carter walks into the room, a packed overnight bag in each hand. “Hey, Aunt Rosie.”
He sets the bags down and walks over to hug her.
“You look good,” she says warmly as she embraces him. “And I just love Darling. What a great idea that was.”
Carter frowns. “I’m not so sure about that. He pissed on my shoes again.”
“He’s still a baby.” Hallie gives him a serious look as Darling scarfs Goldfish out of her hand. “You can’t get mad at a baby.”
“Maybe he needs a diaper then,” Carter quips, making Hallie laugh.
“Suki left me instructions for him,” Rosie says. “And did you say he sleeps in bed with the girls?”
“He does, but he always ends up in Charlotte’s bed because she keeps snacks under her bed for him.”
“What?” Hallie’s jaw drops. “She said he just loves her the most.”
Carter growls with disapproval. “I told Charlotte to quit doing that.”
“Never mind for now,” Rosie says. “You two are already getting too short of a honeymoon. You need to get out of here immediately.”
I can’t say I’m looking forward to a weekend alone with Carter in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but it’ll be nice to sleep in and not have to wake up early to take Darling out.
“There’s mostaccioli in the fridge you can use for dinner tonight if you want to,” I tell Rosie. “I left instructions on a note and taped it to the top. And Olivia’s present for the birthday party tomorrow is on the dining table. You’re picking up her friend Kate at twelve forty-five and dropping both girls off at the party. Kate’s address and the party address are on the paper I left. Kate’s mom will bring Olivia home after the party.”
Rosie gives me a warm smile. “I like the way you do things, Suki. Thank you for all your work making this weekend easier for me.”