Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 60940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“You really mean that?”
“Of course, I do. I don’t know how we’ll make it work with you living here and me living in New York, but we’ll figure it out. My company has a private jet, and you’re welcome to use it for any future doctor appointments. I’ll give you my entire schedule. After the baby is born, you can still use it whenever you want to see him or her, alright?”
“If you’re still living in New York—”
“There is no if, Ledger. New York is my home.”
“Wyoming is mine.”
“Are you suggesting that I need to move?”
“I’m not suggesting.”
“Ledger…”
I didn’t back down, insisting, “You can run your brand anywhere.”
“As opposed to what? You can move to New York.”
“The ranch will be mine soon, and I can’t run it successfully from New York.”
She defiantly folded her arms over her chest. “I own a penthouse downtown with plenty of room for a baby. I even have a guest bedroom that you’re welcome to crash in when you come and visit. Although, from what I hear, The Beckham Ranch is on its way to becoming the best distributor—”
“If your parents stopped stealing our clients, we already would be.”
She adamantly replied, “I have nothing to do with that.”
I took her word for it.
“Since you’re a big deal, you can afford to buy a place in New York if you want to spend more time with our kid.”
“You living in New York is keeping my baby away from me.”
“Our baby,” she emphasized. “And don’t you ever forget that.”
“I’m not the one keeping our baby from you.”
“I’m not moving back here.”
“What kind a life is raising a child in the city?”
“An amazing one! I’m in the top school district, surrounded by some of the best food in the world. Not to mention, my whole life is in New York.”
“You don’t even have a yard. I live on five acres.” I threw her words back at her. “Not to mention, you have no family there.”
“Now you want our baby around my parents?”
“I was talking about mine.”
“Ledger, I’m not doing this with you. I’m not changing my entire life and moving back here to buy a whole new hous—”
“You don’t need to buy a house.”
“I’m not renting.”
I didn’t think twice about it, stating, “Move in with me.”
Hazel
I swear my eyes flew out of my skull. “What?!”
“You heard me.”
“Obviously not correctly. You didn’t—”
“I did.”
“You can’t be seri—”
“I am.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but I couldn’t form words. He had to be joking. There was no way in hell he actually thought I’d move in with him.
“I think you’ve officially lost your damn mind.”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in all my life. Sugar—”
“Don’t call me that! I can’t believe—”
“Then believe this.” He stepped toward me, getting right in front of my face. “If we’re going to make this work.”
For what felt like the hundredth time, he shocked the shit out of me when he added…
“Marry me.”
Twelve
Hazel
If dealing with Ledger wasn’t enough, now I had to handle my brother.
“Chance,” I coaxed. “It’s not what you think.”
“Really? Then my best friend didn’t knock you up?”
Ledger shook his head, stepping into his face. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
Chance’s eyes widened. “Since when do you care how I speak to my sister?”
Ledger didn’t falter. “Since she became the mother of my child.”
Chance’s hands fisted at his sides.
“Chance,” I breathed out, overwhelmed by the turn of events for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.
His eyes flew from Ledger to me. “What the fuck is going on?”
I repeated, “It’s not what you think.”
“Actually,” Ledger chimed in, “it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
I glared at him. “Stop it.”
“Stop what, Hazel? Chance knows the truth. There’s no need to hide it from him anymore.”
I couldn’t believe he was undermining me with the one person I didn’t want to deal with right now. Like dealing with us wasn’t already hard enough.
“There’s no better time than the present. I’m done hiding our relationship from him.”
“We’re not in a relationship!”
My brother bit, “What the fuck?”
“Chance.” I faced him. “Just let me think for a second.”
“I find out you’re fucking my best friend—”
“I’m not fucking him!”
“Then how the fuck are you pregnant with his baby?!”
“Jesus! Can you relax? I wasn’t expecting this.”
In one quick movement, Ledger shifted me aside and stood up to my brother. This was the first time in all our lives I was truly worried about what would go down between them.
From best friends to enemies in a matter of seconds, at least it was with Chance’s perception of the man standing in front of him. I’d never seen him glare at Ledger with such disgust and hatred. The tension was so thick and palpable it swarmed through Ledger’s old bedroom. The same room that hadn’t changed in the past ten years.
It was the worst case of déjà vu.