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)
“He won’t like that,” she mutters.
“I don’t know if he knows the precise terms. We can talk to Hayden more about it for clarification, but… that’s the reality. Hayden wants us to resolve this and move on if we can, but your comfort is our utmost priority.”
I sit there with her and go over all the facts until she’s made a decision we both feel comfortable with. I know it’s probably unconventional going to my teenage daughter for approval on my engagement instead of the other way around, but I don’t care how other people do things.
Hayden isn’t in the living room or the kitchen when we come back downstairs.
I start to panic that maybe he came to his senses and left, but we find him sitting on the front porch, watching the Hartley house.
Parker and I join him. Brent is piling luggage into the back seat of his car, and Lisa’s standing in the driveway yelling something about custody.
“What’s going on over there?” Parker asks tentatively.
“I forgot to call off my dog,” Hayden says simply. He shrugs, apparently not too concerned about it. “Oh, well. He might not have littered your lawn with condoms, but he still behaved inappropriately toward you in the garage.”
It’s my turn to smirk. “Now who has to put a quarter in the inappropriate jar?”
Hayden rolls his eyes good-naturedly, but he’s more focused on finding out how our talk went than pocket change. “Any news?”
I nod solemnly, then walk over and sit down on his lap.
He lifts my legs and drapes them over his, then links his arms together around my waist. “Good news?”
I sigh heavily. Keeping my face as serious as I can, I tell him, “It looks like you’re stuck with me.”
A grin splits his handsome face, and he looks at Parker for confirmation. “Yeah?”
Parker smiles. “I guess you’re engaged. And we won’t talk about how crazy that is, so… congratulations. I guess you get me for a daughter, after all.”
I glance back at Parker, my gaze questioning.
She rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Just something he said to me when we talked at the police station.”
“Well, I am a man who goes after what he wants,” Hayden says deviously, leaning in to kiss me.
“You sure are,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him back. I’m cognizant of my teenage daughter awkwardly standing by, so I try not to linger too long, but I can feel Hayden’s happiness, and I’m already bursting with my own.
It’s crazy how this feels right.
“Why don’t I take you ladies out to dinner tonight to celebrate?”
I’m about to say that sounds great, but much to my surprise, Parker chimes in with, “Shouldn’t we include Landon in the big… official family celebration?”
“If he wants to come, of course,” Hayden says. “I think I’ll probably go home and share the good news with him myself, and then I’ll pick you girls up after.”
“Or we could meet you there,” I suggest. “We haven’t seen your house. I don’t even know your address, and we’re supposed to be moving in.”
“That’s true,” he acknowledges. “Yeah, that’s fine. You can meet me there, and after dinner, I’ll take you in and show you around.”
___
For my engagement dinner, I pick a cream-colored dress out of my closet. The knee-length gown with spaghetti straps is modest and simple, and perfect for a family dinner.
Family dinner.
With Landon Atwater.
It’ll take some getting used to, that’s for sure.
I assume Hayden wanted to tell him alone because he knows Landon won’t consider our engagement such great news.
I try not to let it bother me, though. If I’m going to be his stepmother, I will have to try to bond with him, but the only way that will happen is if he starts being nicer to my daughter.
I know it will probably take some time. I try to tamp down my protective instincts and be patient.
I meet Parker in the hall. Her long hair is down, and she’s wearing an airy red summer dress with a matching pair of red strappy sandals.
“Ooh, you look pretty,” I tell her.
“Stop,” she says lightly, looking me over. “You look gorgeous. Hayden is a lucky man.”
We head downstairs to my car, and I put in the address to Hayden’s house. “I think what’s crazier than being engaged right now is that I agreed to move into a house I’ve never seen,” I tell her as we drive down to the edge of the road.
I don’t even notice this time when we drive by the Hartley house.
Not that Brent is in it. He and Lisa had a big, loud argument in the driveway earlier. Something about how he could have fun with his hooker, so presumably she caught him cheating.
Hayden didn’t offer any details, but he seemed at least a little bit responsible.
I’d feel worse about it, but Brent is gross. Whatever he may have done to instigate things, it’s not Hayden’s fault if Brent can’t keep his dick in his pants.