Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 107352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Ladies,” I said to her friends, who were both looking Shelly oddly. “I think Shelly needs to go home and rest. I suspect she’s not herself.”
“Yeah, Shel,” the taller blonde said, a fake smile plastered on her face. “Let’s go back to your place. There’s wine and movies waiting for us.”
“I need the keys first. That’s all.”
“We’ll get them later,” her other friend, a brunette with a pixie cut, told her. “Right now you need to veg with us, or we can go to my house. I know the kids would love to see you.”
“These are my kids!” she shrieked. “Caitlyn gave me her word!”
I spoke over my shoulder to Luke. “I need you to take Tatum upstairs right now.”
He didn’t hesitate, didn’t argue with me and say he’d take the kids to his room, which was right there on the other side of the wall. Instead, he simply moved. I heard him going up the stairs a moment later.
“No! I need to talk to him!” Shelly wailed.
“Guys,” I called over to Darwin and Griff, who were back in the kitchen. “Go upstairs with your dad, all right?”
“I don’t want her to hurt you,” Darwin said, on the verge of tears.
“No, buddy, she’s not gonna hurt me,” I stated, meeting Griff’s gaze.
He took hold of his brother’s shoulder, and walked him out of the room.
“You’re ruining everything,” Shelly screamed then, and sank to the floor.
I called to her friends. “Did you know Caitlyn promised Shelly her family when she left?”
Both women shook their heads.
Squatting beside Shelly, I asked if I could take her to the couch. She nodded like she was in a trance.
Scooping her up off the floor, I carried her to the couch and put her down gently. I then asked her friends if perhaps her doctor had prescribed anything for her.
“He did, yes,” the blonde spoke up, and ran to the kitchen.
“I’m Kara,” Pixie Cut said, “and that’s Veronica—Ronnie.”
“Pleasure,” I said and shook her hand.
Ronnie returned with a glass of water and a pill. I put it in Shelly’s hand, gently pushed her hair out of her face, as it had fallen forward and covered her eyes, and smiled at her. After a moment, she exhaled.
“I’m so sorry I scared Tatum.”
“Your mother just died,” I reminded her, taking her hand and placing the sedative in her palm. “You shouldn’t even be here. You should be taking care of yourself.”
She watched me as Ronnie passed me the glass and I gave it to Shelly.
“When you feel better, you and I can talk. I’ll give both your friends my number, so when you’re ready, all right?”
She nodded before she took the pill and drank all the water.
“You’re a nice man.”
“I’m a fixer,” I soothed her, smiling. “It’s the job.”
She smiled back.
I had Ronnie give me her car keys, and then I ran outside into the pouring rain, pulled the Jeep out, parked it on the street, and moved her Toyota Sequoia in, getting wet in the process even with the use of an umbrella. Once that was done, I went back inside, knelt in front of Shelly, and asked her if she could walk. She was barely able to shake her head no.
Scooping her up again, I carried her to the car, put her in the back seat, and belted her in. After I closed the door, I turned to Ronnie and Kara.
“Do you need me to follow you so I can carry her into her house?”
“No,” Kara replied, “but it is so nice of you to suggest. I live next door to her, and my husband’s home, so he can carry her in.”
“Okay.”
“What you said earlier,” Ronnie began, crossing her arms, “about Caitlyn offering up her family to Shelly… I can see her doing that to make herself feel better about running off with Marcello. She would want them to have a mother around, and normally, Shelly’s the best. She …she’s always wanted a little girl, and she’s always carried a torch for Luke.”
“I really hope,” Kara said, “that once all this is over—I mean, once she buries her mother—she can leave and see the world. She’s a very talented illustrator, and she’s always wanted to live in Paris. Now she can.”
Ronnie was nodding. “Yes. She can fly away like we all want to.”
Kara chuckled. “Bite your tongue. I like my husband.”
I enjoyed seeing Ronnie squint.
“Fine, I like him most of the time.”
“Remind her, please, when she wakes up, that no one thinks any less of her, but that she does need to give Luke a minute.”
“Yes,” Kara agreed, patting my soggy bicep. “Thank you, Nash. I’m glad you’re here watching over the family.”
I waved to them as they backed out of the garage into a monsoon, and then I darted back to the Jeep and drove it in. When I stepped into the mudroom, Luke was there.