Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Esther and Jezebel stayed with me once the other women had helped carry all my things into the room they’d given me. Each hugged me. Jezebel handed me a phone.
“This has all our numbers in it. If you need anything, you call or text. We’ll make sure you’re good and decide how to proceed. No matter what it is, Hope. Especially if Warlock makes a pest of himself. You’ll have to face him sooner or later, but we and our men all have your back. You’re one of us.”
“Until I’m not,” I said softly, already missing the companionship these women had shown me, something I’d never really had before. Not like this.
“You’ll always be one of us.” Esther had been the one I’d gravitated to the most. She was more reserved, but I thought she might have had as strict an upbringing as I had. It was something about the way she conducted herself. Always reserved. Always unfailingly polite. Also, anytime someone swore, she blushed almost scarlet. “You might have come here for Warlock, but, right now, you belong more to us than you do to him. You decide he’s not worth the trouble, we’ve still got your back.”
“Always, honey.” Jezebel nodded at the phone once again. “Call. I find out you needed us and kept it to yourself, I’ll use my power as the president’s ol’ lady to put you on Elf duty during the Christmas party.”
That perked me up. “Christmas party? What’s Elf duty?”
The girls grinned at each other before Jezebel answered me. “You’ll find out. We start decorating for it tomorrow. It’s a tradition I started when I first came here nine years ago.”
“The guys get into it, though they pretend they hate it, and we get all the community children involved.”
“Especially those in group homes with no families of their own.” When Jezebel said this, my breath caught.
“You mean, you invite orphaned and abandoned children here for a Christmas party?” Surely I’d misunderstood. That couldn’t possibly be what they meant.
“Of course! Liam and I adopted our daughter after the first party.”
“It’s hard to believe that was nine years ago.” Esther smothered a yawn. “I’m sorry. This baby seems to take more out of me than the first two.” She rubbed her tummy. “I promised Shotgun I wouldn’t overdo it.” She grinned. “I may have overdone it.”
“Well, I’m not pregnant,” I said with a chuckle, “but I know what you mean. You guys wore me out. But I had a really good time. Thank you for making me feel so welcome.”
“Good.” Jezebel grinned. “We did our job properly. I’ll come get you for breakfast tomorrow. You’re welcome to explore the clubhouse and grounds if you like, but a word of warning. The club girls can be a might territorial with the unattached men. Warlock is new so they’re still fighting over him. If you’re serious about letting him go, it’s not a big deal. But, if you think you might want to keep him, shut down any advances they make on him immediately.”
“I think I’m good. If I didn’t love his mother so much, I’d find him and smother him in his sleep.”
“Now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” Jezebel gave me a big hug. “You’re gonna fit in around here perfectly.”
“Good night!” Esther waved as she and Jezebel left, shutting the door behind them.
I was exhausted. Happy, but exhausted. Well, except now I had visions of Warlock surrounded by women. Damned man. Why did he have to be the sexiest man I’d ever seen when I was nothing more than a nobody? Always had been. Even once I was out on my own, I’d never found a place I fit in. I was too different with too different a background from everyone else I’d ever met. Even the other children where I’d grown up hadn’t had as much trouble moving on with their lives as I had after they left the home. We were all messed up in one way or another. No kid could grow up in the system and not be messed up. But I seemed to be more trouble than I was worth to everyone I’d ever met.
Well, to everyone other than Mrs. Wagner.
I missed her so much. thinking about her brought tears to my eyes. She was the only person who ever understood me, and even she admitted I wasn’t the type of person she’d have ever befriended if she’d been healthy. She’d said she would have missed out on a beautiful friend. It was the only time I’d ever doubted what she’d told me. I think I was her last resort. She was difficult to the staff, having been used to having things a certain way. Life in a nursing home had been a huge adjustment for her. I was the only one who put up with her. I grew to love her so much. I thought I understood her better than about anyone else. She understood me as much as anyone could, I suppose.