Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“Well, with your birthday having just passed, I was thinking it could be my present to you.” She shrugs.
“Bridge, friends buy each other a bottle of wine for their birthday. They don’t pay for a weekend getaway.” I shake my head. “I can’t let you do that.”
“But if I bought it and it’s nonrefundable, you would have to accept it,” she challenges, popping a piece of broccoli tempura into her mouth. I don’t even bother to argue with her. I already know once she gets something in her head, there’s no stopping her.
“I’ll have to see if Richard can take the kids.”
“If he can’t, they can hang out here,” Simon offers.
The kids finish eating, and after taking their dishes up to the sink, disperse. The girls go back to playing in the living room, and the boys go to Brendan’s room to play video games. Bridget and I chat for a little while longer before I realize it’s getting late and tell the kids to clean up so we can head home. They both have to be at camp at eight o’clock.
“Yoga tomorrow?” Bridget asks, walking with us out to the car.
“Ugh…” I give her a I don’t want to look. The same look I give her every time she asks.
“That’s a yes.” She smiles sweetly, her big dimples popping out of her cheeks. “See you there. Eleven a.m. sharp.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Twelve
Harper
“Close your eyes… Breathe in deeply…Let your legs fall to the left…Breathe out…Bring your legs to the center…Breathe in…Now to the right…And breathe out…Now open your eyes and sit up.”
We all do as the yoga instructor says and sit back up in our starting position. Once I’m up, I glance around and find that Simon is sitting in the back, drinking a smoothie and grinning from ear to ear.
“Looks like you have an audience,” I say to Bridget, who glances over at her husband and laughs, love shining in her green eyes.
I take a second to watch them smiling at each other and wish, not for the first time, I could find a love like that—one that’s sweet and pure and genuine. I had it once, but I was too young to understand and appreciate it, and I lost it. Now, I wonder if I’ll ever find it again. I do know one thing for sure, if I do, this time, I’ll work like hell to protect and keep it.
“Three years later and he’s still showing up to watch my ass.” Bridget bats her eyelashes and gives her ass a little shake. “It must be true love.”
We laugh and stand. After we’re done rolling up our mats, we walk over to join him, and he hands us each a smoothie.
“Thanks,” I tell him. “A man who only has eyes for his wife’s ass and spoils her friends. Too bad you don’t have a brother,” I joke.
Simon laughs, but Bridget scoffs. “How are you ever supposed to find a man if you never even date.” Damn it, I walked myself right into that one.
“I’ve been kind of busy,” I point out. “Going to school, being a mom… Have you been to college lately?” I groan. “The guys are in their twenties and are only looking to have a good time.” Like I should’ve been doing… Only I got pregnant my senior year of high school, and instead of going to college like I planned, I let Richard talk me into staying home with our son while he attended college. And then when I was finally about to start school, I made the mistake of letting him talk me into having another baby. Not that I regret having Ella. I love her with all my being. I just regret believing Richard when he told me another baby would save our marriage. But I was young and naïve, and I wanted to give my children a family. While I’ve made many mistakes along the way, I refuse to dwell on them, because I have two beautiful, healthy children, and I finally have my degree.
“Well, now you’ve graduated. What about one of those dating sites?” Bridget suggests.
“Those are horrible,” Simon says. “Only creeps go on dating sites.”
“Agreed.”
“Okay… what about letting me set you up then?” Bridget suggests.
“Who do you know?” I laugh. Bridget’s a nurse, but she’s been home for the last few years with her kids.
“I know people,” she argues as Simon throws his head back with a laugh.
“Do not let her set you up,” he says, pointing his finger at his wife. “Don’t you remember when you set me up with that boney-ass kitten-lover?”
Bridget gasps. “Hey! You set me up with that doctor who spent the entire meal coughing all over everyone.”
“The date I picked out was way better than the one you picked,” Simon argues.
“Wait, you two set each other up?” I shake my head at their craziness.