Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
We passed from the living room through the large, formal dining room that’d always seemed too big to me, and then moved into a kitchen so perfect it could’ve been in a magazine.
The house was beautiful, but it had no soul.
Just like its robot master…
I leaned back against one of the countertops, ready for some answers.
“Why are you so against me buying the bar?”
“I’ve never wanted you to buy the bar,” she said, clearly confused. “I’ve told you that all along. Since you were ten years old.”
“Yeah, but you never told me why. And tonight, it sounded like you knew something. Something about the Reapers.”
Mom took a deep breath, clearly considering her answer carefully.
“Seeing as I shared a bed with Gus for many years, it’s safe to say I know a great deal,” she finally said. “I know you care about him. You trusted him, and you counted on him. But ultimately, Gus couldn’t be the man either of us needed. He failed both of us. That’s the reality you’ve never wanted to hear.”
The words hit me with physical pain. My eyes started to burn, and I knew they had to be getting red. Mom sighed, and I could see her eyes getting red, too. Absently, she raised her hand, taking a drink from the can of pop she’d brought with her from the living room.
“Why did you marry James?” I asked softly. “Were you just looking for someone who’d be the opposite of Gus?”
Mom’s eyes went wide, and she choked. Her shoulders started shaking.
“Mom?” I asked, concerned. She made another choking sound, holding up her hand as her lips pressed tightly closed. Now, her whole face was turning red. I needed to help her, but I had no clue what was wrong.
A drip of Coke escaped her lips, running down her chin. She wiped at it, still shaking.
That’s when I figured it out. Mom wasn’t choking. She was laughing. Laughing with her mouth full of pop, trying not to spray it across the room.
Not the reaction I’d expected.
Her eyes caught mine, dancing as she held her fingers to her lips. I felt my own giggle starting. Apparently, that made it worse because she made sort of a smothered squealing sound, then turned away, stumbling toward the sink.
My giggles turned into full-on laughter as she sprayed out her drink, gasping for breath. Then we were both laughing. I still wasn’t quite sure what was so funny, but it didn’t matter.
It’d been too long since we laughed together.
“I looked up the property parcel and ran some more numbers,” James announced, wandering in from the dining room. What the fuck? For some reason, that seemed even funnier to me, and a fresh burst of laughter exploded.
Mom gasped for breath, wiping her mouth with the dish towel that’d been hanging next to the sink.
“Would those be the panty sales numbers?” Mom asked, which set me off again. James looked between us and gave a deep sigh.
“No, those would be property values on the Starkwood Saloon,” he said. “It’s very good. The price Gus offered you, that is.”
“James, stop right there,” Mom said, her voice sharp. Ouch. Clearly, we were done laughing. “It doesn’t matter what the price is. Eli is buying the bar. Peaches can’t afford it.”
“Of course, the price matters,” James replied, seeming almost confused. Mom and I froze, sharing a look. I waited for him to explain. He didn’t.
“Why does it matter?” I finally asked.
“Because that’s a very lowball offer,” James said, giving his phone another glance. “It’s worth nearly that much just in the land. If he’ll sell it to you for that price, you need to buy it. No question.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Mom burst out.
“No, I’m not ‘fucking kidding’ you, sweetheart,” James said, and he sounded funny. Not the usual, boring robot voice… No, this was almost flirtatious.
My stomach turned.
That was weird. He didn’t flirt. He didn’t tease, and he didn’t play games. James was a robot.
“Peaches, I’ll back you,” he continued. “In fact, I’ll even give you some room to negotiate. You can go as high as four hundred thousand. We can hammer out the details later, but if they haven’t signed papers, now is the time to move. You should call Gus right now.”
“No,” Mom said, her eyes darting between us. “James, we’ve talked about this. You know why I don’t want her there.”
“I know why you left,” he said, his tone gentle and very not-robotic. “And I know that you don’t want her at the Starkwood. But she’s already there, and has been for years… If Eli takes over, he’s making her the manager. She loves the place, and she’s not going to leave anytime soon. So, the real question isn’t whether Peaches is going to stay at the Starkwood, it’s whether she’ll be working for herself or for someone else.”