Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 49239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
“Don’t give up on romantic love.”
Arching her brows, she gives me a wry smile. “I can’t believe you, of all people, are giving me that advice.”
She’s right. Dom has made me into someone I’ve never been before. I’m hopeful. I smile for no reason. Okay, the reason might be when I’m thinking about him. I’m not constantly worried about how I’ll keep the lights on.
Cam heads toward the stairs. “If you’ve got breakfast covered, I’m going to go fantasize about Eduard in the shower.”
“That’s super weird.”
“What can I say?” She shrugs as she sips from her mug. “He’s just really hot.”
“Wet floor!” Deb calls as I walk out of the diner’s kitchen later that day.
I sidestep the puddle of iced tea and ice on the floor, a plate of food in each hand. When I get to the right table, I set the plates down in front of two women who look like a mother and daughter.
“Grilled cheese and fries, and...Cobb salad, no tomatoes. Is there anything else I can get you?”
“I think we’re good,” the older woman says.
“I’ll be back to check your drinks soon.”
I turn and head for the kitchen again, coming to a full stop when I see the man standing by the cash register.
Longish blond hair hidden by a baseball cap, short beard and the same tall, lanky body I know all too well. It’s my ex-husband, Nick.
Steeling myself, I resume walking.
“What do you want?” I ask when I reach him.
“Nice to see you, too. Why haven’t you and the kids been at the house?”
Everything about him makes me defensive. His voice. His expression. The way he acts like he has a right to an accounting of my whereabouts.
I grab a napkin and silverware and start rolling, needing to keep my hands busy so I don’t punch him in the dick. “Why are you here? I’m working.”
“I came to see the kids.”
I scoff. “With no notice? You just show up and expect to see them?”
“Don’t bust my balls, Tess. I haven’t seen them in a while.”
“Seven months.”
“Whatever. Did you guys move?”
I’m seething inside, but I keep my cool, rolling silverware and avoiding eye contact with him.
“You need to call when you want to see them. They’re in school and you can’t just expect us to drop everything when you show up.”
He throws his arms out. “Well, I’m here now. Can I see them after school today?”
“Hannah has dance.”
“She can skip it.”
“She won’t want to skip it.”
He pinches his brows together. “She will if she knows I’m here.”
I’m not so sure. I don’t say anything negative about Nick in front of the kids, but they know the deal. They see me busting my ass to put food on the table and him disappearing for months at a time.
“She has a dance performance this weekend. You can come to that.”
“Really?” His tone turns angry. “You’re not going to let me see them until this weekend?”
I don’t even want to let him see them then, but he is their father. The thought of Dom meeting Nick makes me cringe inside.
Dom will be Dom, of course, but...Nick will be Nick. And that’s a problem.
“Deb, I need to take five,” I tell my boss.
She meets my gaze and nods, letting me know she’ll cover me. I walk outside and around to the back of the diner, Nick following.
“You can’t show up at my job like this,” I say. “Text me later and we’ll set something up.”
“Text you?” He gives me a confused look. “Did you guys move?”
“No, we’re staying with a friend.”
He narrows his eyes. “A friend? Why?”
“It’s a long story, and it’s none of your business. I need to get back to work.”
“What the hell’s going on with you? And who’s this friend? Is it a man?”
I silently hold his stare, my arms crossed.
“You moved my kids in with a fucking man?” He gets in my face.
“You have no right to say anything about anything when it comes to the kids. You don’t pay child support and you don’t show up to see them. You’re what’s called a deadbeat dad.”
His gaze turns furious. Nick’s never been violent, but I’m a little afraid of what he might do. I don’t let it show, though.
“I’ve had a lot going on, and I buy the kids stuff when I’m here.”
He bought them each a pair of shoes when he was here seven months ago. That’s a drop in the bucket of what it costs to raise them, though.
“I said text me and you can see them. If they want to.”
“If they want to? Have you been brainwashing them? Telling them I’m an asshole?”
I’m done being diplomatic. I always tried to keep the peace so the kids wouldn’t have to see me and Nick fight, but from now on he’s getting the same thing he’s given me for more than a decade—the bare minimum.