Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I had a few, but that man was practically covered from head to toe in them.
“Shit,” I finally said. “What in the ever-loving hell? Why would she say that he was mine?”
“I think that’s my fault,” she admitted. “After Baron—the father—died, she sunk into a depression. I had her rights revoked, and I told her that she’d have to get help before I allowed her near my grandson again.”
I nodded, waiting for her to continue.
“Anyway, she and Baron were never really a part of the boy’s life anyway. I did most of the heavy lifting with him, so to speak. After his heart surgery, I hired a home health nurse to care for him when I couldn’t be there. It was decided by both me and the home health nurse that Rosie would be given very limited visitation until we could be sure that she was in a place where she wouldn’t accidentally harm Hank. I think when she saw you, she saw an opportunity to get back at me. You were a means to an end, I assume.”
Well, that sure felt like shit.
But, although I felt horrible for Hank, who was an innocent in this situation, I was honestly glad that this wasn’t what my life had become.
I sighed.
“Well, thank you for enlightening me,” I finally said, sounding just as tired as I felt. “I can’t say that it was good to see you, but I won’t keep you long. I know that you want to go check on her.”
Rosie had been assigned two unwilling babysitters about twenty minutes ago—Tyler Cree and another cop, Pence Pierson. Rosie who looked none-to-happy to be in the predicament she found herself in.
And that was all before she’d seen her mother.
“I don’t plan on doing anything this time,” she admitted. “Once I knew that she was okay physically, I had an epiphany. I realized that I’d been doing all the wrong things as a parent. I’m not helping her get better, I’m enabling her to stay exactly the same, and I’m done.”
Rosie had been checked over by the physician, and had been found to be perfectly fine other than a few broken ribs that they could do nothing about.
“Take care of yourself, Johnny. You’re a good boy. I’m sorry for what my girl did to you and your June.” She stood up and offered me a soft smile.
Then she was gone, and Roland was standing next to me with a bemused expression on his face.
“Well, that was fun.”
I looked over at my good friend and narrowed my eyes. “Don’t think that what’s going on with you is going to be swept under the rug. You’re next, Rosie.”
He flipped me off. “If you call me that name again, I will kill you. I hated the name then, and I sure as hell hate it even more now.”
I winked at him. “Sure thing.”
He flipped me off with the other hand. “Why does it feel like you’re going to ignore that request?”
I shrugged. “You don’t know me.”
He laughed. “You’re wrong there, Johnny. I know you damn well better than anyone on this side of the great big sea.”
Truer words had never been said.
“Let’s go break the news to my woman.”
He fell into step beside me. “Speaking of women…that roommate, though.”
I looked over at him. “That roommate, I fear, is taken.”
Roland grunted, and we both turned to survey Amanda being held by some geeky man who looked like he was in second heaven. He had his arms wrapped around June’s crying best friend, holding her tight.
“Yeah,” Roland grumbled. “But maybe this is still where I need to be.”
I had a feeling he was right.
***
I told June everything that I’d just learned, and she didn’t look the least bit surprised.
“I met with Brigid today, the home health nurse?” I nodded, and she continued. “She told me all of that. Since she had no loyalty to Rosie, she felt that she didn’t need to keep her secrets. She told me exactly what you just told me.”
I groaned and pressed my hand to my forehead.
“This is a clusterfuck,” I admitted.
Just as I was about to expound on how hard I’d fucked up, my mother and father burst into the room.
My mom took one look at June and burst out crying. “Oh my God! Are you okay, honey?”
I found myself smiling for the first time in I couldn’t remember how long. June looked absolutely flabbergasted at my mom’s use of the endearment. “I’m—I’m okay.”
My mother wiped June’s hair off her forehead. “I’m so, so happy that you’re okay. Now, tell me what the hell is going on!”
That last part was directed toward me.
I opened my mouth and explained everything, starting at the beginning with meeting Rosie after work earlier in the evening, and I didn’t stop until I relayed what Sharon had just told me.