Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
I'm almost in tears by the time she's strapped in her car seat and I'm climbing back into the passenger seat.
I don't have time for tears. I don't have time for anything, especially not throwing a fit and ruining the one place that I knew I could take Larkin while I worked. Nora isn't mean to my daughter. It's always been me she has a problem with. Now I've caused problems I don't have the luxury of causing all because I got my feelings hurt.
I pull out my phone, pressing Kristina's contact information before Walker can make it back into the driver's side of the truck.
"Hey," Kristina says when she answers. "What's up?"
"I'm going to be a little late this morning," I say.
"Oh no. Is she not feeling well again?"
"Larkin is fine," I assure her. "I'm just working through a babysitter issue this morning."
"Did you finally tell that old hag off?"
I huff a laugh. I might've voiced my opinion of Nora out loud before catching myself on occasion. Kristina is the closest person I'd call a friend, but she stays really busy with her little boy, so we haven't been able to hang out before.
"We'll see you when you can make it in," Kristina says when I don't confirm.
"Thank you," I whisper, hanging up before I start sobbing on the phone.
Walker pulls out of the driveway and I stare at Nora's disappointed face as she watches me leave with him.
I'm honestly surprised she didn't start yelling at me when I escorted Larkin off her porch without a word, but she has to keep up pretenses, doesn't she? If she yelled, it wouldn't fit in the narrative that I'm the problem. What would the neighbors think?
Tears streak down my cheeks, and I try to dash them away as quickly as they fall, but I'm losing ground as Walker drives.
He opens the console of his truck, pulls out some fast-food napkins, and hands them to me.
I appreciate him not offering advice right now, but if he had a solution, I'd be all ears.
"Nanpup?" Larkin asks.
"No, sweetie," I begin but her mention of Madison's dog reminds me that the woman offered to take Larkin because she wanted to start a home-based daycare.
Any other time, I'd never make this call, but I'll never be able to make things work if I don't have childcare. I'll be damned if I'm going to go crawling back to Nora after making such a show of walking away.
I pull up Madison's contact information, feeling a sense of dread when she answers the phone. I hate asking people for favors, but I know I have no choice.
"How serious were you about that home-based daycare?" I ask when she answers.
"Depends on your expectations," she says just as quickly. "Do you expect me to be out of my pajamas when you drop her off in the morning?"
"Of course not," I say with a huff of laughter. "You could stay in them all day for all I care."
"I wouldn't do that, but getting small kids fed when they wake up like they haven't eaten in a week is always my first priority. I'm making pancakes. Does Larkin like pancakes?"
"She had a cupcake for breakfast," I mutter, feeling bad that Madison may bear the brunt of that sugar rush instead of Nora.
"Lucky girl," Madison says. "I'll make her some scrambled eggs. Maybe it'll help to dilute the sugar in her belly. See you in a little bit. Gotta get breakfast going before the boys start gnawing on the furniture."
The call ends and I'm left staring at the phone in my hand.
Walker must've heard part of the conversation because he makes a left instead of the right he's been taking, driving around town while I was on the phone.
He stays in the truck once again when he pulls up outside of the Graves Estate.
Chapter 31
Walker
I can only imagine what it took for her to walk away from Nora this morning. The woman stepped out on the porch with so much disdain in her eyes, it makes me wonder just how often she looks at Claire that way.
It's hard not to step over this invisible line she's drawn. I know my opinions or solutions, of which I can't think of many, wouldn't be received well, and she may very well reject a good idea just because it's coming from me.
I want to make her life easier. I want to see her smile and hear her laughter. I don't want to see a river of tears rolling down her gorgeous face.
If it took me taking over every bill she has so she could stay home with Larkin if that's what she wanted, I'd do it in a heartbeat with no expectations. I just don't want to see her sad.
She's inside Madison's house for ten minutes before she comes back out and I hate the appearance of stress lines on her face. She smiled the second she opened the door for me, although I could tell she was tired, but that jovial mood is long gone even though she’s found a solution to her problem.