Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“Thank you for understanding that I had to unpack tonight,” I said. I stood a bit taller as the words came out, proud of myself for not apologizing. That was usually my go-to.
Grandma hmphed, waving her hand and walking out of the frame as Mom studied my background.
“Looks nice,” she commented. “Have you checked the locks to make sure that man can’t get in when you don’t want him to?”
“Mom,” I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “For the fifteenth time, Mr. Perry is a gentleman and a father. He has been nothing but respectful to me.”
“Mm-hmm, and I’m sure that’s not part of his master plan to get you in his bed.”
My cheeks flamed, and I covered my face with my hands, shaking my head.
“We know better,” Grandma called from somewhere in the small home they shared. “You be careful, Chloe May. The last thing you want is to end up pregnant. You still have that pepper spray Grandma got you, right? And you remember the moves from class?”
“Always go for the groin,” Mom chimed in. “Or if he comes at you from behind, smash his foot with all your might. It only takes—”
“Twenty pounds of pressure to break a bone,” I finished for her on a sigh. “Yes, I know. And yes, I have the pepper spray, Gran, but I’m not going to need to use either. Because Will Perry is a nice man, giving me a great job with great pay and a lovely place to live.”
They still didn’t seem sold on the idea, and their glances at each other told me as much. But what they didn’t know was that accepting this job meant that I’d be able to do something I’d always wanted to do for them.
Pay off their debt.
It was enough pressure weighing on me as the first woman in our family to go to college. Add in the fact that Mom and Grandma had taken out a heap of loans to ensure I could do so, and there was a layer of guilt on top of that pressure.
It wasn’t from them. They always insisted they were glad to help. What did they need money for, anyway, Grandma would titter. But I saw the stress they tried to hide. I overheard the many conversations in their kitchen when they thought I was asleep, when they were struggling to pay their bills or asking for deferments of the loan payments that kept rolling in.
They had sacrificed so much for me over the years, pulling together to raise me as parents when both their partners had deserted them.
We were a trio. I loved them so fiercely it made my eyes sting when I thought too much about it.
Blessedly, the conversation turned from their man-hating comments to them asking how school was, and filling me in on the latest gossip from the Bingo hall. After about a half hour, I started wrapping up the call with the excuse that I wanted to finish getting unpacked and get some sleep for school the next day.
I knew they were worried about me. I knew, even if they didn’t say it outright, that there was a part of them worried I was going to get myself into trouble.
But I’d show them. I’d make them proud.
I would save money. I would pay off my own student loans. And I’d save to provide for myself even long after this job came to an end, if that was what happened.
I didn’t know why their approval meant so much to me, and tried not to dwell on it as we ended the call. I was exhausted by the time we finally did, and once I was as unpacked as I needed to be, I climbed into my new cloud-like bed with a sigh…
And proceeded to sleep only a couple hours before I was wide awake again.
This was normal for me. It didn’t matter how comfortable the bed was. As soon as I woke up to use the bathroom, my brain would start racing.
I knew the key to getting myself back to sleep. I needed to go for a little walk around the house and eat a snack. Unfortunately, I hadn’t brought any groceries with me, and hadn’t shopped for myself yet. Chef Patel was already spoiling me, making it so I didn’t have to worry about meals.
The bottle of wine Maven had brought over was tempting, but the last thing I needed was a hangover or to still be drunk on my first morning officially working for Will. And sadly, cheese wasn’t going to cure my sweet tooth right now, either.
Throwing my robe over my pajamas, I quietly tiptoed out of the pool house and walked around the pool a few times, the January air cool against my hot cheeks. I smiled at the safety gate surrounding the gorgeous pool. Of course, Will had thought of that, of protecting Ava even if it meant disrupting what most interior designers would claim as the “aesthetic.” He was a father first, above everything.