Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 82060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
He just stared at me.
“’Bye now,” I said.
He slowly shook his head like he didn’t know what to make of me, but what he was making wasn’t much.
I skedaddled out of his truck.
He sat idling in the drive while I made my way to the door.
Standing in it, I waved at him.
He just pulled out and drove away.
The wave was stupid.
What was I doing?
“Was that Dad?” Liam asked from behind me.
For the second time that night, I jumped a mile.
I turned to him.
He was looking over my head at the street.
“Move,” I ordered. “I need to shut the door.”
He didn’t move.
He looked down at me. “Was that Dad?”
I scrambled. “Hey! Good news. Your dad and I decided to get you a car.”
His brows knit. “You and Dad are talking now?”
Okay, not that I needed the proof, but his non-reaction to getting a car said just how much he felt about me and his father being together. Even just talking.
Dang.
“Can I get out of the door?” I asked.
Liam stepped back.
I stepped in and shut the door.
When I turned back to him, he had his arms crossed on his chest.
Ugh.
He was just like his father.
“Why is Dad bringing you home from going out with Aunt Toni?” he asked suspiciously.
“We ran into each other…”
Oh my God.
Now I was lying.
“…and I took that opportunity to discuss getting you a car. He agreed it was the right decision. So we’re going to do that.”
“Where’s your car?”
“Um…well…”
“Mom, you can’t be pissed as shit about Dad and me lying and then stand there and lie to my face.”
“Your mouth,” I warned.
“What are you doing with Dad?”
I didn’t know.
What was I going to do with Darius?
And what was I doing with my son?
Time to pull myself together.
“Okay, your aunt Toni and I were out doing something we probably shouldn’t have been. Your dad and Ally caught us, and he was kind of…angry we were doing something stupid. So he brought me home to lecture me. One of Lee’s men is going to bring home my car.”
“Matt?” he asked.
So he knew Darius’s colleagues.
I loved that.
But I hated that I didn’t know.
I nodded and said, “Him or Bobby.”
“Right. What stupid thing were you and Aunt Toni doing?”
“The firm has a client I don’t trust.”
“Doesn’t the firm have an investigator who can look into that kind of thing?”
Again, me wishing I had a dull child.
“We do contract with one when we need them, yes. I just don’t know how deep this goes.”
“So ask Dad and his guys to find out.”
I sighed.
“I think I’m going to ask Ally,” I told him.
“That’d be good too. She’s a total badass.”
His world had expanded a lot in five months.
I loved that for him too.
And it made me jealous as all hell.
“And don’t do stupid stuff like that again,” my child scolded me. “Dad’s right. You and Aunt Toni got no business screwing around with that kind of stuff.”
I arched a brow. “When did you become the parent in this scenario?”
“When you and Aunt Toni went out and did screwy stuff. Huh.”
With that, he strolled away.
Chapter Eleven
What If
I had to wait until Liam was back at his dad’s to hold the meeting.
I sensed it wasn’t going to go well when my sister strutted in, eyes on me, asking, “So, you’re talking to me again?”
But it was Toni, who was stretched out on my couch with a martini in her hand, who answered.
“She might be, but I’m not. Everyone knows, it’s sisters before misters.”
“Spend two seconds with that man when he’s with his son and get back to me,” she retorted.
Toni rolled her eyes and sipped her drink, after which she mumbled, “Whatever.”
“Not whatever. I did the right thing!” Lena cried.
I cut in. “We’re not here to talk about that.”
“So I’m not here to hear your apology?” Lena asked me. “Then I’m out.”
“Lena, please sit down,” I requested.
“I lied to you, babe, but you also lied to me,” she declared.
“Yes, I did. I had my reasons. You had your reasons. I forgive you. If you forgive me, we can move past this and you can help me figure out how to win Darius back.”
Lena’s eyes went huge.
Toni took her legs from the couch and sat up. Such was her haste in doing this, she sloshed martini on her blouse. And such was her absorption in what I just said, she didn’t go for one of the cute cocktail napkins I’d laid out to dab at the wet.
“Say what?” Toni asked.
“Pour me a martini.” Lena was snapping at Toni. “I gotta catch up.”
Toni’s chin went into her neck. “When did I become your bartender?”
“The pitcher is right there.” Lena pointed to the glass martini pitcher that was resting in a bucket of ice and the empty glass I’d set out for Lena with two fat olives on the silver toothpick with its kick-butt swirly end already set into it. All of this was sitting on the coffee table right in front of Toni.