Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
“You are always welcome here, Greer. I’m sorry if I sound like a grouchy old man right now. The thing is . . . did you forget that we’re going on vacation?”
Oh.
Crap.
“That’s not until February, though, right?”
“Which is next week, Squirt. We leave in five days.”
Shit.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter. When will you get here? Thursday?”
It was Saturday now. It wasn’t going to take her until Thursday to get there unless she drove like a snail. Which is no doubt what he wanted her to do.
“I can’t believe it’s February next week.” How had she let that slip her mind?
“It’s all right,” he said soothingly. “We’ll postpone the trip. It’s fine.”
Fine? No, that wasn’t acceptable. It was their first big trip as a family. And they were taking the kids to the theme parks in California.
It was something they’d planned for ages. How could she have forgotten? She’d even given all the kids money to spend on vacation for Christmas.
Idiot.
It was all Cash’s fault. She’d been so busy worrying about him that she’d forgotten about everything else.
“You’re going on the trip,” she said firmly. “I’ll just stay for a few days.”
“You’re not traveling all this way, staying a couple of nights, then driving back.”
“Why not? That might be all I can handle.”
“Greer . . . no. We’ll go another time.”
“You will not,” she said fiercely. “You’re not going to disappoint those boys because of me.”
They’d had a hard life and they deserved to go have some fun, and she wasn’t going to stand in their way.
“Go on your trip. I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, not happening. I’m going to be hours away while you’ll be here for the first time in years. In the place where . . .”
“I was beaten and r-raped?” It was so hard to get those words out. Her instinct was to deny it. To try and pretend it didn’t happen.
But she’d worked past this.
It did happen.
And she couldn’t ignore it. Because if she tried to do that . . . well, it just made everything build up inside her. And then she might do something she’d regret.
She had the scars as proof of that.
“I’ll stay. Livvy and the boys will go.”
“You won’t let Livvy and the boys leave the state without you.” That was something she knew for sure.
“Fuck. No, I won’t.”
“Idiot,” she muttered.
“Twit,” he said back.
She had to grin, even though she felt like crying. Could she do this without Aidan? She was going to be on her own.
She couldn’t count on Cash since that asshole had disappeared on her for eight fucking years.
What was going to be harder?
Facing her nightmares . . . or facing her brother?
“You’re going to California with Livvy and the boys. We’ll have a few days together.”
That would help.
Maybe.
“A few days? How damn quick are you driving?”
Another eye roll. Yep, he was giving her a migraine.
“You need to slow down,” he bossed.
“And you need to stop fussing. When did you become such a grandpa?”
“Brat.”
“Jerk,” she countered.
He sighed.
“I’m going to be okay, Aidan.”
“Of course you are. You’re the strongest person I know.”
She had to blink back tears at his words.
“Who are you? And what happened to my bossy, know-it-all brother?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he huffed. “I’ve never told you what to do.”
Uh-huh. “I’ll get there tomorrow. Then, I can decide whether I’m staying for a bit longer or leaving.”
Once she saw Cash and strangled him . . . then resurrected him so she could stab him. After she got some answers, of course.
Shoot. When did she get so murdery?
“Fine. But if you decide to stay for a while, then you’ll check in with me daily and with Duke as well. Every day I want to hear from you. Also, you won’t be going anywhere near any of the places that he . . .”
Hurt her?
She wasn’t sure she could make that promise.
Because part of her thought she might have to go back before she could move forward.
Even if it broke her.
3
Well, fuck.
Greer tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
It was early in the morning of day three of her trip. She’d set out so excited that she’d get to Billings tonight that she hadn’t bothered to look at the weather forecast.
Or eat any breakfast.
Now, not only was she hungry, but she was also cold because her heater had never really worked.
Plus, the sky was really gray and it was freaking her out.
Her teeth chattered and her stomach rumbled.
Focus, Greer.
She needed food.
Good idea.
See? She had this. She was independent. Capable. Smart.
But she also kind of wished that Aidan was here.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she saw a sign for food at the next exit. She drew over, waving as someone beeped.
Sheesh, people really loved to use their horns nowadays.
Grabbing her handbag, she headed into the restaurant. She ordered some food and coffee—with a bit of help from the server since the menu was all blurry.