Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
The rest of the scene unfolding only made me want to turn and go back to my bedroom.
Jayda’s hand was on Linc’s waist in a very familiar way as she leaned over him with a can of whipped cream, laughing at his attempt to make the face look like his. Jayda told him, while standing entirely too close to his body, that he had to add a beard. They would make a perfect commercial. The beautiful family, all smiles and loving.
If Linc did decide to marry again and love someone, then would this be what it looked like? She’d be beautiful and young, like Jayda. For Linc to fall in love, she’d have to be. He was getting older, and he’d eventually want someone to spend the rest of his life with. I had to face it. And while Stevie was at his house, would she have another family? Another mom who she loved? My chest ached at the thought. She’d been all mine, but this could happen, and I would have to be tortured with this image in my head every time I left her with her father.
No longer able to look at them, even if Stevie was being entertained by it all, I shifted my gaze to the large, round kitchen table. Luther sat with Maui in his arm as he took a drink from the coffee cup in his other hand while watching me. I felt the instant flush in my cheeks. I had no idea what my facial expression had been or if he had any idea that the three of them had bothered me. I did my best to smile at him as I walked into the room, no longer able to stay back and observe now that I had been caught.
Jayda spotted me first, and her stunning face appeared happy to see me. God, she was impossible to hate. Even my jealousy of her close relationship with Linc couldn’t stop me from liking her. She was too nice.
“Good morning,” she beamed. “We have pancakes again for breakfast. Stevie woke up early and came down to make her request.”
I shifted my eyes to my daughter, who was pointing at the pancake that Linc had decorated. “Look, Mommy! It has my dad’s face!” She giggled, covering her mouth.
She always referred to Linc as “my dad,” I was realizing. As if she wanted everyone to be sure he belonged to her. I understood that need completely. He had never been mine though. Even if I had spent countless hours imagining it. At least Stevie could claim him as hers.
“There is a clear resemblance,” I replied, trying to appear as if I were completely fine. That Linc hadn’t fucked me three times last night, then walked out of my room without a goodbye or a…kiss.
“It’s the whipped-cream beard that makes it. I can totally see Linc’s beard being that white in the next, what…two to three years? I mean, you’re getting close to sixty,” Jayda teased as she picked up a plate and began to put pancakes on it.
“Careful,” Linc warned. “You’ll find yourself unemployed.”
“No, the hell she won’t,” Luther called out from the table, where he was now rubbing Maui’s head. “She can stop cleaning your side of the house and cooking for you, but she’s right. You’re old, and I’m not losing her because she tells the truth.”
As she turned to me, holding out a plate, I assumed Jayda’s trill of laughter would make Linc scowl, but he was fighting back a grin. Then, he winked at her. My stomach felt as if a brick had been rammed inside. I took the plate, murmuring a thank-you, and walked over to sit down beside Stevie.
He hadn’t even glanced at me. I was trying not to read into it, but with him winking at Jayda and touching her, how was I supposed to eat? I hadn’t been hungry to begin with, but now, I was bordering on nauseous. With myself.
Stevie put a strawberry, which had been used as a nose for the pancake face, and popped it into her mouth, then gave me a toothy grin as she chewed it. Needing some source of comfort, I kissed her cheek. She leaned into me, as if savoring it, and that was a balm to my soul. I had love. My daughter’s.
“Here are some berries and maple syrup. There is also the raspberry syrup I found at this cute little farmers market in town,” Jayda told me as she slid the items over to me.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling awkward.
I’d never had to interact with someone else who had slept with Linc. I mean, I wasn’t positive they had, but it appeared as if they had some connection. Unlike him and me.
My mood wasn’t going to improve if I continued thinking about this.