Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
“That’s fine,” he says. “But if it doesn’t work out and you’ve already sold your house, I’ll just buy you a new one. It’s not a big deal.”
I stare at him as he says that like he’s buying me a new dress instead of a home, but I also know that—knowing Hayden—failure isn’t really an option. It’s what he’s telling me to ease my mind and ease me into it, but if he’s convinced this is going to work, he’ll make it happen, whether the world wants him to or not.
I let him come into the house with me and take note when Parker pops her head up from the book she’s reading and flashes us both smiles. “Hey, lovebirds. Did you have a nice time?”
She seems comfortable with him, and that speaks volumes. I didn’t even introduce them. Hayden went out of his way to establish a relationship with her himself.
He has a pushy, single-minded way of doing things sometimes, but it’s hard to deny it works.
“We did.” I glance back at Hayden. I already told him in the car that I wanted to have this conversation with Parker myself. I don’t want her to feel pressured, and she’ll feel the least pressure if it’s just the two of us. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Her brow furrows at my tentative tone. She nods, sliding the bookmark in her book, and follows me up the stairs.
We go to my room, and I close the door for privacy. I take a seat on the edge of the mattress and try to think how best to attack this.
If I’m being honest, I’ve never even considered having to tell Parker a thing like this. When things didn’t work out with her dad, I sort of closed my mind to having serious relationships with anyone else, and no one came along to change my mind.
Until Hayden.
“Is everything okay?” Parker asks, sitting down beside me.
I look over and offer her a reassuring smile. “Yeah. Everything’s good. I just… I have some surprising news, and I’m not sure how to tell you.”
“Just spill,” she says, watching me carefully. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“What?” My eyes widen. “No. God, no.”
“Phew. Then go on, tell me. Are you dating Hayden?” she teases, bumping her shoulder into mine. “It’s fine if you are, Mom. I know you like him, and he clearly likes you. I want you to be happy, and if he makes you happy, then who cares who his son is?”
“Yeah?”
She nods confidently. “For sure.”
“Okay.” I fidget with the hem of yesterday’s dress. “I guess that makes this a little easier to get out. It’s still crazy, though, so prepare yourself.”
She smiles. “I’m ready.”
“Hayden asked me to marry him.”
Her smile falls. “What?”
My smile turns apologetic and a little unsure. “Surprise?”
“I… wasn’t ready.” Her eyes are wide, and she shakes her head. “I don’t understand. What’s the rush?”
“We won’t get married right away,” I assure her. “He proposed, but it was impulsive. He didn’t even have a ring. I guess that’s how he proposed to his first wife, too. Once Hayden makes his mind up to do something, he just does it, to hell with proper form.”
“Okay… So you’re engaged but not getting married.”
“Well, I mean, he wants to get married eventually. He’s just not in any rush to the altar. But he is hoping we’ll move in with him. With them,” I correct, my heart flipping over in its cavity.
“Them,” she echoes woodenly.
“But we don’t have to,” I tell her quickly. “We don’t have to do any of this. Nothing has to change. We can do senior year right here, just like we planned. If you’re not comfortable with it, I’ll wait. From the beginning, I told him he’ll have to take a rain check if he wants to go out with me and wait until next year. We can still do that if you’re not comfortable with this.”
“I’m not going to tell you not to get engaged, Mom. I just…” She looks down at her lap. “I mean, you know how it is with Landon. How could we possibly live in the same house?”
“Well, I haven’t seen it yet, but I have it on good authority it’s a pretty big house.”
The corner of her mouth tugs up at my attempt at levity, but my stomach knots up because she isn’t comfortable.
“We—we don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. We won’t. I don’t want to if you don’t want to. But if it changes anything, Hayden swears that if Landon acts up and won’t get along with you, if he makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe living there, he’ll make him move out.”
Her eyes widen to approximately the size of saucers. “He’ll kick Landon out of his own house?”
I nod. “Obviously, he doesn’t want to, but if Landon can’t behave himself, yes. Yes, he will.” I watch her face as she grapples with that new piece of information. “Really, it gives you power over him instead of the other way around.”