Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“I love your mom, Rose. You know that, but what about you?” Petal asked. “I’ve watched you for years, always taking care of her. Never putting yourself first. There was that time several years ago when you wanted to go the movies but because you saw that bike in the driveway, you canceled. You never saw that movie.”
“Movies are just things, Petal. They’re not important.”
“And you’re putting your life on hold, for what?” Petal asked. “Don’t you see, you married a man because you’ve been forced into it. I know you’re meant to carry his baby. You’re doing all of this for your mother’s protection, but what about you?”
“What about me? I’m fine.”
“You’re married, Rose. You’re not cold or unfeeling. You’ve never been able to switch your emotions on and off. Now, you’re making a deal with a guy that’s going to involve you in his world. A world you didn’t want to be a part of. You’ve told me this.”
“I know what he’s doing.”
“But that is not going to stop you from falling in love. Who is going to protect you when your world falls apart? When the game is at its final conclusion? What are you going to do when you’re heartbroken because you’ve lost your usefulness and you have a couple of kids to go along with it?”
Rosalie looked to her friend and shrugged. “You?”
“You’ll always have me, Rose, you know that. But I need to know that through all this, you’re going to give me something I can work with at the end.” Petal moved toward her. She cupped her face. “You’re tough and you’re strong. I know it’s going to take some breaking, but this isn’t something you’ve done before.”
“Then you’ve got to remind me all the time that it’s a game,” Rosalie said. “That if I think Colt is changing, you remind me it’s a plan.”
“I get to be the one to break your bubble?” Petal asked.
“You get to be the one to keep my feet firmly on the ground.”
“And you’d do it for me?”
“In a heartbeat.” Rosalie hated that the tears started to fall.
Petal pulled her in close. “I know you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, but I don’t like it. Do you think we’d be able to find any contract killers that would take out your dad for like a twenty? Max fifty?”
Rosalie burst out laughing. “There are probably men and women out there willing to do it for such a steal, but I don’t think they’d be any good.”
They both started to laugh.
“I love you,” Petal said.
“I love you too.”
She held onto her friend, not wanting to let go. Negotiating with Colt, she had not once thought about herself. She wasn’t important, not in her eyes. Her mother was, and Petal. She could take care of herself.
“I better finish filling these.”
“And I better go and make a space out back. Al will be back with that order.”
Their boss always got what he wanted and the moment he’d seen the truck leaving his parking lot, he’d been pissed. He flipped the “open” sign, “closed,” told everyone to enjoy their food, but that he needed to close to fix something.
Rosalie finished filling the pots of salt and pepper. Next, she moved onto the sugar, and then placed them back on the tables.
An hour later, Al appeared, with the truck following him. They spent the rest of the day taking stock of his delivery. Al was extra picky in what he accepted from them. Since it was a couple of hours late, even a lettuce head with the merest hint of brown was turned away. He didn’t open the shop for the remainder of the day, a rare occurrence for him, but he wasn’t in the mood to cook. Al looked pissed off.
She and Petal headed outside, but Rosalie stopped when she caught sight of Colt, waiting.
“And so it begins,” Petal said.
“My heart didn’t race when I saw him. I don’t have stars in my eyes, okay?”
Petal shrugged. “I’m going to keep it real for you.”
She hugged her friend and then headed over to Colt. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you. You’re heading home, right, pack a suitcase?”
“Yeah.”
“Gabrielle already told my mom.”
“Oh,” Rosalie said.
“And my mom is spending a few days with your mom. They’re doing something, I can’t remember what,” Colt said.
“Already?”
“Yeah, and my dad wants to talk to you. He’s back at the clubhouse. I told him I’d take you there after we get your stuff.”
“That was quick.”
“We don’t mess around, and you’re family.”
Rosalie smiled at him.
He stepped away from the car and held open the door. “For my lady.”
She looked toward Petal, who hadn’t left the parking lot. Climbing behind the wheel, she held herself still, trying not to make a move, just keeping her thoughts on what was important.