Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 134531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Violet pulled back her shoulders. “I tracked your phone,” she said matter-of-factly.
I blinked at her, processing the information. My body relaxed ever so slightly at hearing that Preston wasn’t involved. “You can do that?”
She rolled her eyes. “Mom, it’s seriously so easy to track people down nowadays, if you know what you’re doing. Plus, I’ve got a friend who knows how to circumvent certain security firewalls.”
I knew all too well how someone could be tracked with a phone number. I had a hospital stay to prove it. Something I wouldn’t tell Violet, though.
She looked around the house for the first time. “After everything you told me, I couldn’t fathom staying in Paris. I needed to see where you moved to. How everything has changed so much.”
Her voice was more reserved now, full of emotion.
It was a spear to my heart.
“Sweetie,” I whispered.
Violet looked at me. “I like it,” she murmured. “This place. This town. I like it a lot. There’s… something about it. It’s special.”
My heart thrummed. “Yes, it is.”
Violet moved to throw her purse on the sofa. “How did you end up in New Mexico, of all places?” she asked, not the first question I expected but as complicated as all of the questions would be from here on out.
I sighed. “Um, it’s a long story, honey. Can I make you something to eat first? I know it was a long flight with terrible food. I can whip up cacio e pepe or roast a chicken?” I offered hopefully.
“Mom,” she said, the word full of everything that lay between us. A warning. I was not going to be able to distract her with food. “I didn’t come all the way here for roast chicken, we’ll get to that later,” she said with a weak smile.
I tried my best to smile back.
“I just need to know why,” she said in a voice that was somehow grownup and childlike at the same time. “I need to know what happened.”
I pursed my lips together, my throat burning and my hand involuntarily going up to my neck, to where my injuries had long healed.
“It’s just me!” a voice called through the open door, saving me from having to answer Violet. “I brought more outfit options because I figured you might need them, and I also brought stuff to make margaritas because I want you to try on the outfits and, oh—”
Macy stopped short, her arms full of bags of clothes and indeed, the ingredients needed for margaritas. Her eyes focused on Violet who was staring at her. Who was gaping at her.
Violet didn’t have much of a relationship with my ‘friends’ before because she never truly interacted with them beyond what was expected to be polite at parties. My friends did not stop by unannounced with clothes and margaritas.
My friends did not look like Macy in a white sundress and tan cowboy boots.
And my friends did not smile at Violet in delight like Macy was doing with a warmness that could be felt from across the room.
“Oh my god, Violet’s here!” she squealed, depositing the bags on the sofa. She pulled a stunned Violet into her arms for a hug.
“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” she gushed once she let her go. “Which isn’t surprising, since your mother is a stone-cold hottie, and you two could be fucking sisters!”
She was still yelling, speaking rapidly and with a familiarity that was likely confusing the crap out of Violet.
“Did you know she was coming?” Macy directed the question to me.
I shook my head, keeping my eyes on my daughter.
Macy clapped her hands in glee. “I’m so happy you’re here!” she was back to Violet now. “I know your mom was so excited to pick you up from the airport, but that’s two whole days away, and then you wouldn’t have been able to meet your mom’s kick ass girlfriends.” She winked, rummaging in her purse for her phone. “Who I am about to text to get the makings of all sorts of snacks so we can have a welcome home party for Violet.” She narrowed her eyes at my daughter. “I’m assuming you just got off a horribly long flight yet somehow look amazing. Ah, the sorcery of youth,” she sighed. “If you’re terribly jetlagged, we can postpone to tomorrow?”
Violet was still processing all that was Macy, but she was smiling because it was impossible not to. “Um, no, I’m not actually that bad,” she replied before she looked to me. “And I would love to meet Mom’s girlfriends.” Her nose crinkled. “And her fiancé.”
Unease raised the hairs at the back of my neck. There was no hostility in Violet’s tone, but there was a placid curiosity that was perched on the edge of it.
“Oh, don’t worry. Swiss isn’t ever away from your mother for long,” Macy waved one hand while she typed quickly with the other. Her eyes darted to me. “Am I terrible for hijacking your first night with your daughter?” she asked sincerely. “Because if you want it just the two of you, I can text my husband to physically restrain Swiss in some kind of dungeon to stop him from coming home to you and cancel the party.” Her eyes twinkled with humor. “Though even if it was some serious dungeon, I’d give you two hours max before Swiss escapes.”