Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“I know this might be a bit soon, but how would you feel about … coming back to live with me?” Ethel asked.
Nikki froze with the next chopstick full of noodles about to go into her mouth. She stared at her mother and didn’t know what to say. Should she say yes? No?
“I know we’ve got a long way to go, and we’re building bridges, but I love having you here. This is your home as much as it is mine. I love cooking you breakfast and dinner.”
“You’d want me to come back and live with you?”
“I know we had an awful beginning, and I totally understand if you’re not a hundred percent sure of everything right now. I just want you to know I love you, and I love taking care of you. The past week has been one of the best of my life, and I know it’s because I finally got chance to spend it with my little girl. Will you at least think about it?”
Nikki stared at her mother.
Yes, it is true they had not had a great beginning. It was terrible and for a long time, she’d hated her mother. But, and this was a pretty big but, this was the only place she could think to go. The past week, she had come straight home. She did stop off at the trailer to grab more clothes, and tonight to grab her bag, but that was it. Was there a point to keep paying rent on a trailer that was not getting lived in and sitting idly?
This was a big risk. She didn’t know her mother well enough, not like this. She knew her old mother. She decided to take the risk.
“I’d love to,” Nikki said.
Ethel’s smile widened. “You will?”
“I’ve got to get some of my stuff, but I’d love to move back in with you.” She frowned. “I know it tends to have to be the other way around. I have to kind of move out—”
“Don’t.” Ethel grabbed her hands. “Thank you, Nikki. Thank you so much.”
She saw the tears in her mother’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have been wanting this for so long. I thought the day would never come, and I knew there was a chance I was never going to get your forgiveness, but this is a start. I promise you, Nikki, I will never be that woman again. She was part of me, but that part is dead, and she is not coming back. I’m stronger now. I’m in charge, no one else.”
Nikki held onto her mother’s hands. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I had something to fight for, Nikki, and it was you. I wanted to fight for you, to be the mother you always deserved.” She reached out and cupped her cheek. “Thank you.”
This felt awkward to Nikki. She was still a little nervous around her mother, but she smiled at her and tried her best not to reject the love coming her way.
This was her mother’s path. Moving in with her was going to take some getting used to. She had no doubt about it, but living at the trailer, all alone … she wanted that even less.
Picking up her chopsticks, she grabbed some more noodles and shoveled them into her mouth. At least she was hungry.
“So, are you going to tell me if this means you’ve forgiven that man?” Ethel asked. “I saw him in the driveway this morning.”
“Is that a problem?”
“I don’t mind at all. I just don’t want any trouble.”
“There’s not going to be any trouble.”
“And are you together with him?”
“No,” Nikki said. “Not right now.”
Chapter Sixteen
It wasn’t the same without her. Hawk hated this feeling. He never depended on a woman for anything. The falling snow made him think of Nikki because she loved the fucking snow. He talked to that woman. Made love to that woman. Fucked that woman, and looked forward to spending time with that fucking woman. He changed club business so he could spend time with that woman. That was how fucked he was, and now he couldn’t sleep at night. If he did get the chance to have a wink of sleep, he dreamed about her.
Darlene told him she had some good news. He didn’t know what kind of news this woman could have for him that would make it good. He was far from seeing anything as good news. Everything sucked.
Stepping into the salon was a welcome reprieve from freezing his ass off. Darlene was at the front desk, looking through one of the log books. No one was inside.
“Hasn’t anyone warned you that you should lock your door?” he asked.
“And how would I have let you inside?” Darlene got to her feet, arms folded, and leaned against the front desk. “You look like shit.”
He’d not shaved in a few days, and the only sleep he’d gotten in the past few weeks was when he snuck into Nikki’s trailer for the night. Since then, he’d not gone back.