Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
With a side-eye pegged on Jack, I smile at her. “I’m glad. Are you hungry?”
She shakes her head. “My belly feels rotten.”
“You have to eat, Maddie.”
“I will. Just not now.”
She leans her head on my shoulder and curls her legs up beneath her. I blow out a breath and watch my husband over the top of her head.
My stomach ripples at the sight of him, elbows rested on his knees and a frown on his handsome face. Something happened today. But what?
The scene triggers a million thoughts in my head. In turn, those set off a billion internal reactions that have me shifting from nausea to panic to anger to desolation.
I wish my marriage were solid enough that one wonky afternoon wouldn’t be enough to make me second-guess everything, but it’s not. Suddenly, I’m afraid I bought into the second-honeymoon phase a little too soon.
Of course our problems are still present. It’s ludicrous to think they could disappear because we want them to.
But what is the problem now?
“I’m surprised my heart is still beating,” Maddie says.
I fight a grin at her melodrama. “Well, it is, and you’re still here.”
“He’s just another boy. There will be more of them,” Jack says.
“I’m only interested in him.”
“Expand your interests, then.” He reconsiders. “Or don’t. Actually, don’t. Just be your mom’s best friend and forget all about boys.”
Maddie makes a face and scoops up Snaps from the floor. She curls up with the puppy on the other end of the couch.
“I can’t be Mom’s best friend,” she says. “Mom has Billie, and Billie gets territorial.”
I laugh.
“One time, I walked in the kitchen to ask Mom to take me to the mall,” Maddie says, a sparkle returning to her eye. Thank God. “And Billie was there, and she tried to fight me because she said I had taken up enough of Mom’s time that week.”
“She was kidding,” I say.
Jack lifts a brow. “She probably wasn’t.”
“I don’t think she was,” Maddie says, making a silly face.
I tap her on the leg. Snaps growls at me.
“Every girl needs that one friend that she can relate to, someone whose core values are the same. Someone she can vent to without causing familial damage.” I wrinkle my nose at her. “That you can call and bitch about your mother and know she’ll always take your side and never say a word to anyone.”
“Billie always takes your side. Even when you forgot to pick me up from cheer practice.”
I drop my jaw. “I did not forget. I got stuck in a parents’ meeting for Michael’s senior class and somehow got elected secretary for the group. If I forgot you, I wouldn’t have called Billie to get you, now would I?”
She rolls her eyes playfully.
Jack’s phone rings. The sound surprises all of us because, much to the children’s dismay, our devices haven’t worked great in the living room. He furrows his brow and pulls it from his pocket.
“Yeah?” he says without looking at us. But he also doesn’t get up from his chair. Probably afraid he’ll lose connection. “Seriously? They fined us?”
Maddie looks at me and grimaces.
Jack’s face pales. “What? Tell me you’re kidding.”
I sit up taller.
“Is the door still there? Does it close?” He listens intently. “So can you secure it for the night, or is it too banged up?”
Jack holds his forehead, his eyes closed.
Maddie nudges me with her toes. I look at her and wince.
“I don’t know. You’re a mechanic. There are three other mechanics there—or there’s supposed to be,” he says, frustration dripping from his voice. “Can’t you figure it out?”
Jack stands but then sits immediately.
“Yeah. Good.” He nods slowly. “No, don’t do that. Those are for Vegas. I had them made to pass out.” He nods again. “Thanks. Bye.”
Vegas?
My stomach swirls at the hint of a trip I know nothing about—and the reminder of real life awaiting us on the other side of this village.
Snaps nips at my fingertips. I’ll be left with this little responsibility to care for while he’s away.
“Mom?” Maddie asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.
Ignoring Jack’s gaze on the side of my face, I turn to our child. “Yeah?”
“Do you think we can come back here for Labor Day like we did last year? Ava said they’re coming and the Schottenheimers too. We’re on a different schedule from them this summer, and I’d really like to see Christina.”
“Sure,” I say, blowing out a shaky breath. Vegas? “I don’t see why we can’t.”
“Great.”
Snaps jumps to the floor and whines at Maddie.
“I’ll take Snapsy out, and then I’ll go check on Pops,” she says.
“Okay,” I say, my blood pressure rising.
She walks out with the puppy on her heels. The door slams behind them.
The cabin grows eerily quiet. Jack hangs his head, elbows back on his knees. I sit awkwardly, stuck in the middle of knowing a little but not enough.