Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
She just stared at me. “You… You bought me a house?”
“Yes!”
Hale cleared his throat. “Rayne wanted to do something special for you, Penny, since you’ve done so much for her. We also liked the idea of having you close by so you could see your grandchildren more often.
“You… But… I don’t…” She blinked rapidly and looked up at the large, ornate door. “You bought me a house?”
“Yes, Mom.” I opened the door and waved her inside. “Go in and check it out.”
“But…I have a house.”
I rolled my eyes and nudged her over the threshold. “This one’s nicer. And you can sell the other house and live off the money. You can retire.”
“Oh, would you look at those moldings?” She crossed the foyer and peeked at the furnished living room. She gaped at the dressed dining room, her hand rushing to her mouth. “This is all mine?”
“All yours.”
She laughed as if she couldn’t believe it. “I never imagined anything like it. Will you look at the size of that kitchen!”
“And she’s off.” Hale chuckled.
We followed her throughout the house as she oohed and ahhed at every little fixture and detail. By the time she toured the entire property, she was flabbergasted.
I plopped into an overstuffed chair in the living room, and she sat on the edge of the couch. “Who’s furniture is this?”
“It’s yours, Mom. It’s all yours.”
“Oh, Mylanta.” She reached for the tissue box. “I don’t know what to say. I’m touched and overwhelmed and…well, shocked!” She laughed through tears and blew her nose. “I can’t believe I own a house like this.”
She thought we were the ones who gave her something, but her joy at owning such a property was the greatest gift of all. I could never articulate how much I loved her for putting me first all those years. She never once complained of loneliness or bitched that the man who fathered me had also broken her heart and let her down. She just handled everything stoically, like any good mom would.
“I love you, Mom. I’m glad you like it.”
“Oh, sweetie, I love you too. Both of you. And I don’t like it—I love it!” She pulled Hale into a hug then bent to hug me because I was stuck in the chair. “Thank you.”
When we drove home, I smiled at Hale. “Thank you for letting me do that for her.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Rayne. I’m glad Penny’s going to be close by. I was happy to help you do it for her.”
“Our lives are so different now.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“In a great way. My mother never dreamed of owning a home like that. And me—ha—I never even dreamed of owning a decent car. But it’s not just the money. Look at me. I’m a mom and I’m about to have a baby.”
He took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my fingers. “You changed my life for the better, too.”
After that, mom stopped by on a daily basis. She raved about how much she loved her house and bragged to anyone who would listen about how her daughter and son-in-law spoiled her. She put in her notice at work, and we arranged to have a moving company pack up all of her things so they could be shipped from Oregon.
Remington had once told me that Hale wouldn’t put down roots. He warned me that his son would eventually become so successful he’d move overseas or to a more metropolitan area like New York.
He was wrong.
Hale loved the idea of home. He loved marriage and family and all the things his father could never fully appreciate. Remington had multiple houses, as did Hale, but Remington could never claim the level of contentment Hale found through family. He once told me, wherever Elara and I were, that was home.
I was in no rush to return to work and unsure if I’d ever go back to working for Remington. I wanted to take my time and enjoy my children. Not every mother had the option to stay home, so I never lost sight of how lucky I was to choose.
Willow flew in three days before my due date. The doctor said I was progressing right on schedule and things looked good. That made me hopeful that this was going to be a smooth birth.
I had a few random contractions but no real signs of labor yet. Things were actually pretty peaceful. So much so, that I wasn’t stress eating or having any sort of anxiety whatsoever.
Willow definitely helped as she filled the house with tranquil music and diffused aromatherapy to release any negative tension. My stress levels were lower than ever before, and I started to think Hale was right. I was a fucking goddess.
My husband had one last trip out of town, then he was homebound for the next two months. I was relieved to start this next chapter of our lives, so I planned on making a nice dinner to kick things off when he returned home that evening.