Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“Mom wouldn’t agree to let you come with me at first but suggested that for a price, she’d sign the papers.”
Janelle wrinkles her nose. “That’s tacky.”
“That’s Mom,” I mutter. “At any rate, I didn’t feel like fucking around, so I wrote her a check for ten thousand dollars, and she signed the custody papers. I had an attorney draft them while I was in the air on the way to West Virginia, and I printed them at the airport. I wanted to hit Mom with them right away. I didn’t want her to have time to ponder about things, and that ten thousand dollars was too enticing. I’m sorry if it seems I paid for you.”
“Don’t be,” she assures me. “I’m grateful you got me away. But why did she show up saying you owed more money?”
“Typical Mom.” My disgust for the woman that birthed me is at an all-time high. “She and Shep have been texting and calling, saying they want more money, or they’re going to court to win custody back. I’ve been ignoring them because I know damn well they don’t have the money to attempt to fight me, and even if they did, no court is going to send you back to those living conditions. I didn’t think they’d travel all the way here, though.”
“Are you sure there’s no chance they can get me back?” Janelle asks fearfully.
“Absolutely not. The papers I have are solid, and even if they tried, I promise no court is going to let you go back to that situation. You’re old enough too. The court would listen to your wishes. I’ve already run all this by my attorney.”
“Phew,” Janelle says with exaggeration, wiping her brow.
I smile, reach out, and pull her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re all right.”
“Me too. Veronica is some kind of awesome, huh?”
“You bet she is,” I say as I release Janelle, my expression serious again. “Listen… I want you to stay with Jim and Ella tonight. He’ll be here soon to get you.”
“Why?” she asks, frowning.
“Because I want to go see Veronica.” I watch her carefully for a reaction. Janelle has no clue we’ve been… seeing each other.
“Oh, to thank her again for what she did?” she guesses.
Yeah… I totally intend to thank her in a very special way, but that’s not the main reason I’m going.
“I know this might come as a shock,” I begin, trying to lead in gently, “but, um… I’ve sort of been seeing Veronica.”
Janelle’s jaw drops wide open. “No way.”
“Yes way.”
“No!” she exclaims in disbelief. “I mean… you two never act like you’re anything more than acquaintances. You never invite her over to eat with us. You don’t go on dates. She’s never said anything, and I do believe she’d have a hard time keeping a new boyfriend secret. I can’t—”
Janelle’s words cut off as her eyes go round, realization hitting her hard. A guilty flush creeps up the back of my neck.
“When you say you’ve been seeing Veronica, you don’t mean in a conventional, dating sense, do you?”
I shake my head. “It started off as something… not conventional in the dating sense.”
“You were just having sex,” she accuses.
I wince but I won’t lie to her. “Things have started to change recently.”
“Like how?” she demands.
“Like, I want to be with her for things other than sex. We actually went on a date last night after your art show.”
“Oh,” Janelle gushes, relief evident in her voice. “So you like her?”
“I do,” I agree, but I’m still not sure what all this means, so I don’t expound. I have shit to figure out. “And I want to go over and stay with her tonight. I want to make sure she’s okay, too, and I want to really thank her for what she did. It’s a debt you and I will never be able to repay.”
“She’d never expect us to,” Janelle says.
“Yeah… I get that.” Much about Veronica is as far from my original impression of her as can be.
Jim walks in the door and heads our way. I give a chin lift, and Janelle looks over her shoulder. She stands from the couch, as do I.
“You sure you’re okay staying with Jim and Ella tonight?” I ask.
“Of course,” she assures me.
“And you’re okay about… me and Veronica?” I ask hesitantly.
“Promise to invite her to dinner at our place sometime.”
Christ, I’m still trying to muddle through taking the huge step of going on a date last night and now all these intense feelings for the woman after what she did today, and now Janelle wants to push.
But there’s no way an invitation to dinner can hurt, so I nod. “I promise.”
We hug again and Janelle leaves with Jim. I told him briefly what happened, but I know I owe him more details.
I owe my team more details.