Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“What?”
“I walked out the door at the exact same minute a certain man in uniform was walking in.”
My eyes widened. “Henry was walking in when you were walking out?”
“He most certainly was. He’d gotten discharged, and just that day he’d arrived back home. His dad didn’t work the door anymore. His knees had gone bad. Turned out, he’d become the hotel’s elevator operator. He spent his evenings sitting on a chair, so I hadn’t seen him, but Henry was coming to see his dad.”
“Wow. That’s so crazy.”
“It is, isn’t it? Eight million people in the city, and we were both at the same place right at that moment. Henry asked what I was doing there. And I explained I came to do some serious thinking about a man I’d been seeing for a while. I’ll skip the part where I made him grovel and just tell you Henry had broken things off with me because he was going to war and didn’t want me to waste years waiting for him when he didn’t know what he could offer me if and when he came home. Men were coming back not right back then—or worse, not coming back at all.”
“So you married Henry.”
“Eventually. I forgave him because he did have my best interests at heart—even though he acted like a jackass making that decision for both of us like he did. Next week would have been forty-five years. We couldn’t afford to get married at The Plaza, of course. But we went for drinks every year on our anniversary.”
I smiled. “Thank you for sharing that, Etta. But the situation with Gray isn’t quite the same, even though I know what you’re getting at.”
“I really hope it works out for you two, because once you’ve had true love, anything else feels like settling, and no one should ever settle when it comes to love.” She squeezed my hand. “Thank you for today, sweetheart.”
“Take care of yourself, Etta. You have my number if you need anything at all.”
Chapter 35
* * *
Gray
Everything was finally starting to smooth out, yet the calm only made me more miserable. Max came home from the hospital today, Ella and I had developed a routine, and two of my company’s first investments were doing great.
Of course it was a temporary step forward into smooth waters, because when Max was gone, the rocky waves would be back. I’d had a trial run at being a father, yet one that didn’t involve the death of the only parent my daughter had ever known. At some point I’d be the replacement twenty-four seven, no matter what.
But for now, the lull of smooth sailing had me second-guessing what I’d done with Layla. Or nine hundred and ninety-seventh-guessing might be more accurate. I’d looked at Ella like a burden to Layla—but the truth was, as I got to know my daughter and got the hang of things, I had started to wonder if maybe, over time, Layla would come not to see Ella as a burden either.
Ella was a blessing. Sure, there were plenty of tough times ahead. But yesterday we’d spent the entire day together, and somehow my little angel kept the miserableness inside of me at bay. Today I was alone, and I wanted to fucking kill someone. I hadn’t considered that she could make my life better—make mine and Layla’s lives better.
I was in no mood for company tonight, but Etta had invited me for dinner with her and Rip three times in the last week. I didn’t want to insult them both.
I let myself in with my key and stopped on the stairs, overhearing the two of them talking.
“She’s a real looker,” Rip said. “Probably has a line around the block of men wanting to take her out now that she’s back on the market.”
“Smart, too. I didn’t see any other women in the courthouse looking like her. The man was very handsome. Had good posture. There’s nothing like a man who can carry himself well.”
I took the stairs two at a time. “I have a pretty good idea who the two of you are talking about from smart, a real looker, and courthouse, but I’d like to know who the asshole with good posture is.”
Etta and Rip looked at each other like they’d been caught in the middle of a robbery. Wide-eyed, Etta tried to sweep what I’d heard under the table.
“Zippy.” She walked over and kissed my cheek as I stood rigid, waiting for an answer. “I’m so happy the three of us were finally able to find time for another dinner.”
I shook Rip’s hand, looking him in the eye. “What’s the story here, Rip?”
He looked at Etta and shrugged apologetically before turning back to me. “Etta went to court with your girl last week. Some suit was trying to make time with her in the hall of the courthouse, asked her to go out for drinks.”