Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
They hadn’t noticed me, so I stood at the base of the stairwell, watching them.
Despite the fact that I’d upset her earlier, Abby was all smiles. She spoke softly to Lavinia, who seemed to be in heaven with the pampering. There was no denying that this girl was quite fit. I hadn’t expected her to be such a bombshell. She was one of the most beautiful women I’d come across in a long while. Her chestnut brown hair fell to the middle of her back, and her features reminded me of a younger version of the actress Diane Lane. A tall, gorgeous brunette had been exactly my type before I’d met my wife—who ironically had been short with blond hair, resembling Tinkerbell.
I cleared my throat to announce myself. “I thought you were leaving.”
“Who told you that?” she asked without making eye contact as she continued to paint Lavinia’s toes.
“Kate called.”
“I hope she gave you a piece of her mind.”
I rubbed my chin scruff. “She wasn’t thrilled with the current state of affairs.”
Abby looked up at me. “Well, unfortunately, as much as I would love to escape this uncomfortable situation, there are no available flights until tomorrow night.” She resumed applying the paint. “Thank goodness Lavinia is cool as hell because the rest of the company here is no bueno.”
Lavinia turned to me. “I complimented Abby on her toenail color, and she offered to do mine since I can’t bend anymore. Sweet as pie, she is.”
“Rhubarb pie, maybe.” I smirked.
“You just can’t stop yourself, can you?” Abby grinned through her teeth.
She seemed to be taking it all in stride now. She wasn’t going to put up with my shit, and I had to say, that was definitely a point in her favor. It was the same quality I’d appreciated about my wife.
“Have you always been such a pill, Sigmund?” she asked, my name rolling off her tongue like an expletive.
“Not when you get to know him,” Lavinia chimed in. “He’s been through a lot, but that doesn’t give him an excuse to be an arse.”
I glared at her. “Thanks for your assessment, Lavinia.”
“Well, it’s the truth. I have your number, Sigmund. I know you better than most.”
Abby blew on Lavinia’s toes before closing the bottle of polish. “I think we’re good to go, but stay here for about fifteen minutes to let them dry. Take the time to relax.”
“I feel like a queen.” Lavinia beamed.
Abby got up from the couch. “I’ll walk you out, Sig,” she said, striding past me as if she were the owner of this place and not me.
Once outside, we stood in front of my car in the chilly evening air. We faced each other in tense silence for a few moments.
“I just wanted to say goodbye, since I probably won’t ever see you again,” she told me. “We got off on the wrong foot, but I know your attitude isn’t about me. It can’t be. I’ve done nothing wrong.” She chuckled. “Well, besides crash into your car. I’ll take full responsibility for that.”
I nodded. “As you should.”
She hesitated. “I also noticed you outside earlier, shortly after I arrived. You seemed deep in thought and upset. That’s when I realized the problem is much bigger than me.”
I scoffed. “How do you know I wasn’t mourning the pristine condition of my car?”
She seemed unamused by my attempt at humor. “I don’t know exactly what you’re going through, Sig. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a spouse. But I do know what it’s like to lose someone. And it sucks. It changes a person. I’m just… I’m really sorry for you.” Abby’s eyes began to water.
“Save your tears. I’m fine.”
She wiped her cheek. “You don’t seem fine.”
I had the immediate urge to get in my car and take off, but leaving her here, with her glistening eyes begging me to say something more, didn’t feel right. She’d come all this way. At the very least, I owed her a proper thank you for making the journey. Before I could figure out the appropriate words, she spoke again.
“You were right, actually.”
“Right about what?”
“There is a bit more to my motivation.” She wrapped her hands around her arms to stave off the cold. “I’ve been feeling lost for the past few years. I lost my grandmother, then my mother, and then the store, which was their legacy. My boyfriend then decided he didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore. After losing almost everyone who meant something to me, I realized my happiness had always been derived from other people.” She looked up at the sky. “That was a hard realization. I had no clue how to be satisfied with just myself and no one else. If happiness comes from within, I’ve yet to figure out how to achieve that.” She exhaled. “So I figured the next best thing is to make others happy until I can get there on my own. Offering to be a surrogate was my way of making that happen and also giving myself a purpose when I don’t seem to have one. The way I saw it, I had two choices. I could sit around and waste another year trying to figure my life out, or actually do something to make a difference in someone else’s.” She shook her head. “But none of that matters, because it’s clear you aren’t ready for this.”