Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“Aunt Allie, look!” Juniper beamed. “Aunt Eva’s here!”
Oh shit. Hudson’s hand flexed on my back.
“Aunt Eva?” Eva repeated, her gaze jumping to me, then toward the living room as Anne scurried in, tugging off her reading glasses. “I know you two have been here all summer, but one of you seriously had time to produce an entire kid?”
This was bad. So, so, so bad.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Allie
Ballet4Life97: Are you trying to mix Vaganova with Balanchine? Because it’s not working for you.
“You should have told me you were coming,” Anne said, clasping Eva in an awkward hug. “I would have made up your room for you.”
“Or at least put away the kid,” Eva muttered as Anne stepped back, sending a worried look my direction. “Seriously, though. What’s going on?” She let her bag fall from her shoulder to the ground.
“I’m Juniper Mecarro,” Juniper answered. “Sean and Caroline Mecarro’s daughter, but Lina was my biological mother. Or first mom. Or birth mom. Depends on what terminology you like. I prefer biological mother, but I reserve the right to change my mind as I grow.”
“Lina?” Eva’s startled gaze flew to mine and I nodded. She got the same response from Anne. “Lina had a kid no one knew about, then—” Her plucked brows furrowed. “Caroline Mecarro, as in your sister?” she asked Hudson.
“That would be her,” Hudson answered, his hand warm and steady on my back.
“Let me guess, Gavin’s her father.” She studied Juniper as a science experiment.
My heart stuttered at the possibility, but Hudson shook his head. “No. I took a DNA test after Allie did just to rule him out.”
“You never told me that,” I whispered, which seemed foolish, since everyone could hear.
“Figured it wasn’t a big deal since there’s no blood relation.” His thumb stroked down my bare spine in a soothing rhythm.
“Great, so who’s her father?” Eva asked, tugging her long brown hair over her shoulder.
“We don’t know,” Juniper answered, and her brow furrowed. “Your Seconds this morning was kind of mean.”
Eva’s head snapped toward our niece. “I was showing proper technique in piqué turns, and aren’t you a little young for social media?”
“Looked to me like you were showing that you could have danced Giselle better, since you used performance footage to compare. Didn’t even monitor the comments trashing Allie.” She shrugged. “But what would I know. I’m ten.”
Eva had what? My back stiffened.
“Huh.” Eva flashed a performance smile at Hudson. “Cute kid.”
“Thanks.” Juniper grinned, flashing a set of little dimples at the lower edges of her mouth, and Eva’s eyes narrowed.
“Let’s go before this gets any more awkward.” Hudson’s hand slipped from my back, and I pretended I didn’t immediately miss it. “Allie, I’ll pick you up Monday?”
“Eight a.m.,” I agreed. “See you in a couple days, Juniper.”
“Bye!” She waved at us. “You’re going to have so much fun camping with us!” she promised as Hudson ushered her out the door, then closed it behind them.
“Eva,” Anne started.
“Don’t you think it’s time to take off the rings?” Eva interrupted, leaving her bag in the foyer and heading for the living room. “I know a few guys, if you’re ready to get back out there. A few girls too.”
“Oh.” Anne ghosted her thumb across her wedding and engagement rings. “No. Not yet.”
I stared at Eva like the wild card she was. What would she do with the information about Juniper’s existence? She could be petty when pissed, but I didn’t see her running to Caroline out of spite.
“So, I don’t know what’s weirder.” Eva picked up Anne’s book from the armchair and shut it, then set it on the end table as she sat. “That Lina apparently had a kid when no one was looking, or that you’re going camping.”
“I’m happy to see you, but what are you doing here?” I perched on the edge of the couch, far enough from my phone to not give in to temptation and see what people were saying under whatever scathing video Eva had posted. Anne took the seat beside me.
“As if my showing up at the family beach house is more peculiar than what just happened there?” She gestured to the foyer. “We finished the summer performances last night—thanks for coming, by the way, Allie.”
I dropped my gaze, regret gnawing on my insides. The only thing going back to New York had shown me was that I wasn’t quite sure I liked who I was when I was there. If I even knew who I was. I’d only felt like myself around Hudson.
“I already told you, it’s hard on her,” Anne chastised.
“Don’t cover for me.” I looked Eva in the eye. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time.”
“You’ll be back for next time.” She shrugged, kicking off her shoes before tucking her legs under her. “I brought you a few bagels from that shop you like down the block, since I thought you might be missing the city.”