Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Of course, my mom thought of everything. Upon arriving at my apartment, I discovered that she had not only fed, changed, and put Joy down for a nap, but she’d sent Jack for some fast food for dinner and had even put in a grocery order for me.
I hadn’t realized at the time that she’d been laying the groundwork for her most insidious plot.
“Sweetheart, I think you need to consider moving back to Phoenix,” she said the second I walked into the living room after changing out of my suit.
“What?” I gasped. My heart lurched in my chest, and I froze on my way to the sofa.
“Think about it. You’re not prepared to raise a baby.” Her tone was gentle and comforting, but it didn’t make her words any less painful.
“I’ll get there,” I snapped. “All of this was dropped on my head. Other than Molly creating those legal documents as a precaution, we never talked about me ever having custody of Joy. I need some time to get on my feet. Joy and I will fall into a rhythm in no time at all.”
“Park, your mom is just trying to think of both you and the baby,” my father called from the kitchen, where he was putting away the groceries that had arrived.
Jack jumped to his feet and rubbed his hands together. “You know, I think I’m going to head to the hotel and check in on my wife.”
I threw my older brother a dark look as the bastard beat a hasty retreat out my door before anyone could argue with him. Best to get out of firing range. If he didn’t, there was always the risk of my mother meddling in his life once she was finished with mine. Not that he needed help. He’d married Heather, who was a stricter version of my mother. She not only kept up with their two little ones, but she was adept at keeping my older brother in line as well.
After dropping onto an empty spot on the sofa, I motioned to the piles of baby supplies and whatnot I’d taken from Molly’s place. Right now, there was just too much stuff crammed into too small of a space, even though I had a rather spacious two-bedroom apartment. “Look, I know things are chaotic around here, but it’s temporary.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m not talking about this. I know how tidy you had your home prior to Joy’s arrival. I’m not talking about that. What I mean is later, things are going to come up and you’re going to need help. You don’t have a solid support system set up here if you need help. All your family is in Phoenix. Joy’s other grandparents are in Phoenix. What if you were to get sick? I can’t always hop on a plane—”
“There’s no way I would ask you to or even expect it,” I cut her off. My teeth ached as I clenched them to hold in the anger that was rising to blot out my common sense. She wasn’t trying to hurt my feelings or imply that I depended on her to get by in life. This was her way of trying to do what was best for her kid. And it was damned hard for her to do that from eighteen hundred miles away.
“Park, you have to think about what’s best for Joy.”
“I am considering Joy.” After sucking in a deep breath through my nose, I straightened in my seat and glanced from my mom to my dad standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. “I appreciate your help. More than I can ever say. However, please keep in mind that I have a life here. I’m happy here. Molly was happy here and wanted to give Joy a life in this city. I feel like I owe it to them to at least try to do that.”
“But Parker…” she started again, but stopped when I held up one hand.
“I know it’s going to be hard, and yes, you’re going to get some very random phone calls about weird things coming out of the baby or whether she’s too young to give peanut butter—”
“Yes,” my mother and father answered in unison.
I rolled my eyes. That hadn’t been a genuine question. I knew at least that much.
“The point is, I want to at least try to make it work here for a while before I throw in the towel and admit defeat.”
Mom scooted down the couch and took one of my balled fists in her hands. “You are not admitting defeat by asking for help. Moving to Phoenix isn’t admitting defeat. Everyone needs help. I believe in the old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. My heart weeps for those people who have no choice but to bring up a child without help. It doesn’t make sense for you to choose that path if you don’t have to.”