Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
“No. None. She’s great with her, and Peyton loves her.” I tap on my armrest. “Which is a problem on its own.”
His brows pull together. “That seems like it should be a good thing, not a problem?”
“It is and it isn’t. Peyton’s already attached to her, and that makes me really want this to work out, and not just for myself.”
Ian nods. “When you say work out, what exactly do you mean?”
I frown. “I want us to be a couple that lasts.”
“You’ve only been seeing each other officially for a few months, though, so you can’t know that for sure.” I can hear the concern in his voice. “It’s good that you’re into her the way you are, and that it seems mutual, but there’s a lot more that you both need to deal with.”
“I just don’t want Peyton to end up getting hurt if Harley and I don’t work out. She’s already lost enough.”
Ian blows out a breath. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself and this relationship. You need to take it one step at a time. Don’t start building the picket fence before you’ve even had a chance to look at house plans.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” But now that I have this, I don’t want to lose it, and I’m terrified of fucking it up, if I haven’t done that already.
“You haven’t had a lot of opportunities to date over the last decade, and most of the women you’ve been involved with have been short-term and haven’t even met Peyton, let alone your mother-in-law, who isn’t easy on a good day. I think you need to give credit where credit is due. Harley’s got a backbone and Peyton’s best interests in mind. It’s not like this is easy for her either.”
“She doesn’t want to step on toes,” I agree.
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Didn’t she lose both of her parents in a car accident when she was twelve? Unless I’ve got it wrong?”
“You’re not wrong.” It’s what sold me on hiring her in the first place all those years ago. She knew what that loss felt like. She could relate, and because of that, she seemed like a smart, safe choice for me and Peyton, despite how young she was.
“You both understand what it’s like to lose someone important, and she knows what it’s like to grow up without a mom, just like Peyton. And now she’s contending with a mother-in-law who’s making it clear she doesn’t like her. That’s gotta be tough.”
I’ve been so focused on how to keep the peace that I didn’t even take that into consideration. “My parents love her.”
“Because she’s awesome, but to Karen, I have a feeling she’s a threat.”
I tap my lip, trying to see it through Karen’s eyes, but I can’t. “Why would she see Harley as a threat? It’s not like she’s going to replace them as grandparents, and she doesn’t even have parents who are going to come into the picture either.”
“But if Harley doesn’t like your mother-in-law, she could make it difficult for them to see Peyton in the future.”
“Harley wouldn’t do that, though. That’s not her style at all. And shouldn’t Karen be nice to her instead of cutting her down?”
“Probably, yes, but all Karen sees is the fact that you moved back to Colorado Springs and within a couple of weeks, you rekindled your relationship with the nanny you left behind. She didn’t love that a twenty-year-old was having a hand in raising your kid then, and clearly that hasn’t changed. If you want this thing to work between you and Harley, and it’s clear that you do, you need to put Karen in her place. If you don’t, she’s going to keep doing this because she can get away with it. How long do you think Harley will put up with this?”
He’s right. And I’ve known this all along. Harley might be patient, but there’s only so much she can be expected to take. I can’t ask her to tolerate the way Karen is treating her, or the way I’m letting her treat Harley. It’s not fair to anyone. “Probably not long.”
“Talk to Karen, tell Harley you’re working things out, and ask her if she’s interested in coming to our place for dinner. Lynn’s mentioned that she sees Harley at the school all the time. If you’re serious about her, stop keeping her all to yourself and start folding her into your life.”
* * *
When I return home, it’s close to noon and I bring cinnamon buns with me. I consider leaving them in the car until after my in-laws go home this evening, but decide that’s me pandering to Karen and what she thinks is an acceptable brunch. There’s nothing wrong with an occasional cinnamon roll at noon on a Sunday.