Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
“We can talk about that when you get back,” I stated. “And by the way, when you come back, you can bring me a dirty chai made with oat milk, Hugger a double espresso, and bring up two cheese Danishes.”
“I’m not a waitress,” Mom hissed.
“You’re not much of anything,” Hugger said under his breath.
“What did you say?” Mom demanded to know.
“You don’t wanna know,” Hugger told her the truth.
She glared at him then turned that to me.
“I can’t believe you’re letting your boyfriend disrespect me, Diana,” Mom said. “But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, since he clearly lacks even the most basic of hygiene.”
“Maggie!” Gram cried.
But I was seeing red.
No.
Scarlet
No.
Vermillion.
I started to launch myself at her, for what purpose, I had no clue, but Hugger caught me around my belly and pulled me to his front.
“Take a breath,” he said in my ear.
I opened my mouth.
“Take a breath,” he repeated.
Fuck!
I took a breath.
“Maggie, I could use a coffee,” Gram said cajolingly, the way she talked to my mom a lot. “Let’s give them some time to get dressed. It’s just downstairs.”
“You better be in a different frame of mind when I get back, missy,” Mom threatened me, then she flounced to the door, tugged it open, and flounced out without holding it open for her own mother.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll talk to her, doll,” Gram said to me.
I just nodded my head jerkily.
The door closed behind Gram.
It was then Hugger frog-marched me, still held to his front, to the living room and only let me go when he got me there.
“I’ll make coffee,” he said when I turned to him. “You go do your thing so you’ll be ready.”
“Did you call someone?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“Who’d you call?”
“I called Pete, and told him to haul ass here, but before he did, I told him to get your dad’s number and tell him your mom is here so he should haul his ass here too.”
“How’s he going to find Dad’s cell phone number?”
“Trust me, he’ll find it.”
With the way he said that, I believed Big Petey would.
But I deflated. “Hugger, I don’t know—”
He took my jaw in both hands and dipped down to me. “This showdown is gonna happen, baby, because you need it. But you need to have your family at your back when you do.”
Oh my God!
I was so falling in love with this guy!
I face-planted in his chest.
He wrapped his hand around the back of my head, kissed my hair, and said there, “Go. Brush your teeth. Do what you gotta do.”
Needless to say, after I relieved my bladder, and halfway through my tooth brushing, Hugger showed in the bathroom with a mug of coffee.
He set the mug beside mine and went to his own sink.
I mentally went through my wardrobe to see if I had a Showdown with My Mother Outfit.
I did not.
While adding a thin veneer of armor to my face, including foundation, concealer, powder, blush, highlighter, single-toned eyeshadow and mascara, I figured it out.
So once I spritzed and deodorized, I hit the closet and put on my rosy-pink T-shirt dress with the wide V-neck. It hit right below the knee, had kickass pockets, and a wide same-color satin ribbon belt that elevated it, gave it shape and made it feminine.
I felt good in it, comfy and together.
So it was perfect.
I went back to the bathroom to fashion a messy bun in my hair with some tendrils falling around my face.
I headed back to the closet to put in the diamond earrings Dad bought me for high school graduation, and in my other piercings, some little bars with baby diamonds along the line that the girls gave me for my birthday a couple of years before. I added the diamond drop necklace Dad gave me for my sweet sixteen for the final touch on my moral jewelry support.
I walked out barefoot to find Dad in my kitchen with Hugger, both of them sipping coffee.
Dad looked unhappy.
Hugger’s eyes did a top to toe and he smirked.
Proof I called it right with the outfit.
Glad I put some panties on.
A knock came at the door.
“That’ll be Pete,” Hugger said, put his mug down and moved to the door.
I moved to Dad.
“I like your man,” Dad said.
This surprised the heck out of me, but I loved that he did.
“Are you missing a tee time to be here?” I asked.
“The course isn’t going anywhere.”
That meant yes.
I moved again, right into his arms.
“Harlan told me what’s already happened,” Dad said into my hair.
“Yeah, it wasn’t good.”
“If you don’t want to do this, I can go down and send her away,” Dad offered.
I tipped my head back. “She’s here. Face to face is probably better.”
“I don’t want this for you, Buttercup,” he murmured.
“Well, it is what is it is. And I have to say, with all the garbage that’s been going on, I’m glad for the chance to just get it done.”