Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“So she’s a snob.” She shouldn’t have said that. Quaid was being wonderful to her, and she insulted his mom. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”
“Not at all. It was honest, and yes, she’s an awful snob,” Quaid agreed, seemingly not offended at all. “She splits her time between here and her sister’s place in Biloxi. That’s her hometown. I sometimes wish she would move in with her sister. I think she’d be happier. She enjoys what she calls ‘society.’ I’m afraid society here isn’t high enough for my mother. Oh, she’ll spend time with the Junior League and she’ll go to all of Celeste Beaumont’s teas, but I believe she still thinks it’s all beneath her.”
“Then why marry your dad? Also, I’ve never been able to figure out what a Junior League does,” she admitted, sipping on Quaid’s very fine Scotch and running a hand over Luna’s once-again-puffy fur. She’d looked like a large drowned rat before she’d shaken all that rain off onto their savior.
Quaid had gently run one of his towels over Luna, drying her fur.
It had made her wonder what it would feel like to have those big hands on her.
Instead of finding out, she’d taken a shower and changed into the PJs and robe she’d shoved in her overnight bag. She would pick up the rest of her things when her mom was working.
“It’s a volunteer thing,” he replied. “I don’t know. I don’t understand it, either. And she married my father because she hadn’t married anyone else. At least that’s what I suspect happened. She went to college to find a husband because that’s what wealthy women did in those days.”
She wrinkled her nose at the incredibly sexist idea. “That’s so hard to even think about.”
His lips quirked up. “Of course it is to you, but it still happens. Especially around here. Anyway, she made it through and graduated, but without a husband, and for her that was a horrible failure. I once heard her telling a friend that she was perfectly horrified that she might have to get a job, but then my father came along and saved her from the ignominy of employment.”
The sheer irony swept over her. “Yes, well, my mother firmly believes that using anything but your hands to work is elitist and makes you one of those arrogant rich people.”
“What happened tonight, Jayna?” Quaid asked, turning serious. “What did you fight with her about? Your job?”
“She doesn’t think I do work at all. No. We fought over Sienna’s new job. It’s stupid and she’s done this all my life, and I still don’t understand it.” She wasn’t going to cry again. The minute she’d seen Quaid standing in that doorway, she’d felt safe and she’d lost it. Everything that had happened crashed in on her, and she’d hugged him tight.
She kind of wished she was still hugging him.
“She doesn’t think Sienna should take the job?” Quaid asked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“No. It’s completely illogical. I never once thought my mom would be a problem. I knew she would fight like hell if she thought I was trying to get Sienna to move or something, but that’s not what’s happening. She’s still going to be right here in Papillon, so I have to wonder what my mother’s problem is. Then I find out that my uncle offered to pay for my college tuition and she turned him down. Do you have any idea how hard I had to work to make it through school? How long it took me to pay off my student loans?”
“Do you think she did that to try to keep you in town? There aren’t a lot of kids who are willing to bet on themselves the way you did.”
“I worked hard. I wasn’t about to go to community college. I had scholarships and grants. All I needed was like eight thousand a year. It took everything I had to get my degree. She could have made it easy on me. She could have . . .” She was close to breaking down again. “I guess it doesn’t matter. You know, I never once considered the possibility that my mom is a mean person. I always thought she didn’t understand me and I excused her behavior because life was pretty hard for her. But what she did to Sienna tonight, I don’t think I can ever forgive.”
He seemed to think about the situation, the quiet sitting easily between them. Shouldn’t it be awkward? Shouldn’t she feel odd sitting here with a man she didn’t truly know?
“She’s a single mom, right?”
“Yes, our dad left when we were kids, though I think my mom was relieved when he was gone.” There was more to the story that she normally didn’t tell anyone, but somehow she wanted him to know. “He died in prison. I found out because I went looking for him to help me pay for college. I was pretty much willing to do anything. He was in for involuntary manslaughter. The DUIs weren’t enough to stop him.”