Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“What?”
“I promised I’d give Dad a call. And I think I saw something I’d like to get for you in one of the stores we passed.”
She shakes her head with a sigh. “You probably already got me too much.”
“There’s no such thing.” I press a firm kiss against her lips before ducking out and searching for the woman. Either she’s who she looks like or she has a doppelgänger. Now I understand why Aspen was so convinced. Until now, I assumed her eyes were playing tricks on her. Like she wants so much to bring closure to her relationship with her adopted mother that she saw someone who looked similar and imagined it to be her.
Now, I get it. Because I would swear the woman who passed the window was Clyde Mather’s wife. Aspen’s adoptive mother.
The woman crosses the street, and I follow, noting the bags she carries in both hands. Somebody has been doing a little Christmas shopping today—for herself, for someone else, who knows? Judging by her clothing, she’s not hurting for money. She looks just like any one of the pampered, wealthy women crawling the promenade.
She steps into the Cartier store, having a conversation on her cell that ends once she’s inside. She tucks the phone away before she’s greeted by one of the employees, then shakes her head at what’s probably an offer of assistance. She starts wandering, looking into the cases, smiling as she admires the glittering jewelry.
I don’t know what makes me do it. Rage on Aspen’s behalf, perhaps. I wouldn’t expect the woman to be part of my wife’s life anymore, especially not after the way things ended up with her now dead husband and her life as good as over back home. It makes sense for her to run away now that she’s associated with a rat.
But to completely cut off the daughter she was supposed to love? I’ve seen the pain in Aspen’s eyes and heard it in her voice. The abandonment and all the questions. Not knowing if she’s okay or even alive.
That’s what sends me into the store when I know I ought to turn around and pretend I saw nothing. “Hey,” I call out once I draw nearer. “Hold up!”
She turns, a perplexed smile beginning to form before she recognizes me—and her face falls. How is she going to play this? Will she pretend she’s somebody else, that she doesn’t know me? I almost hope she does. I want her to give me a reason to put her through one of these display cases.
And she’s considering it, too. It’s written all over her face, the way she hesitates. “What are you doing here?” she finally whispers, the color draining from her face.
“I could ask you the same thing. It looks like I’m not the only one enjoying a holiday trip.”
“Is she here?”
“Who would you be referring to?” I ask, folding my arms. “She has a name, or have you forgotten by now?”
“Don’t you dare! Not when your family forced me—”
“Forced you to do what? To flee the country without letting your daughter know you were at least alive? You realize she thinks you’re dead, right? You could have warned her. You could have done something, anything, to let her know you were still alive.” My anger mounts by the second, and I know this woman's appearance will send Aspen into a tailspin.
“That wouldn’t have helped her, and you know it.”
I grit my teeth. “Why don’t you admit you never cared? You think I don’t know how dismissive you were of her when she needed you?”
“If I was dismissive, it was because of you,” she snarls, firing back with dismay.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” The same clerk who first greeted her at the door comes to a stop beside us, and he doesn’t bother hiding who he thinks is at fault here. He’s basically glaring at me but in a polite way. For all he knows, I could be somebody important. I’m sure people who work around here are used to sweet-talking assholes if they want to keep their jobs.
“We’re fine.” I never look away from her, my rage barely holding at a simmer. Who the fuck does she think she is trying to blame this shit on me. The fucking audacity of this woman.
“Everything is fine,” she confirms, even if it’s obvious she doesn’t mean it. “Thank you.”
I wait until he creeps away before hissing, “She saw you, you know. She knows you’re here.”
Her eyes widen. I finally got through to her. “How did she—”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave. Because I don’t need the sight of you ruining what’s been a happy trip so far.”
“That’s just like you Rossis. Thinking you can dictate what the rest of the world does. The selfishness, I swear.”