Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 69170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
My mother-in-law, as usual, looked as if she was sucking on dehydrated lemon skin, but since I was no longer beholden to her bitchy ass, I ignored her. She was either mad that her husband was sitting close to me or that no one was kissing her ass the way she liked. Neither of which was of any concern to me.
The server came over and dropped off menus before taking our drink orders, and everyone was in the mood for either mimosas or Bloody Marys. I felt the snake’s eyes on me and pretended he didn’t exist as I perused the menu I knew by heart.
As soon as everyone got settled and the waitress returned with our drinks, my father-in-law turned to me with a serious expression on his face. “Here you go, love.” Dalton passed me an envelope, which made his wife bristle either at the endearment or the fact that she didn’t know what was in that envelope.
I have to admit that before all this, my in-laws had a whole different dynamic. It always seemed to me that Dalton deferred to his wife either to keep the peace or because he’d been with the hag long enough to learn how to choose his battles.
“What’s that?” She eyed the envelope as I picked it up.
“What’s this?” I turned the envelope over in my hand.
“Open it.” I did as he asked, and a key fell into my hand.
“Is this?” My heart started to thump in my chest.
“The key to the summer house, it’s yours.” Both my ex and his mother huffed and protested while I sat there with a lump in my throat.
“I know how much you love that place. It’s been in my family for generations, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“She’s not family.” The harpy screeched.
“Shut up.” He turned to his wife, who looked like someone had doused her in cold water.
“She’s been my daughter for the better part of twenty-five years, and she’s not about to stop now. She gave me four of the best things in my life and was one of the only people in my life who genuinely gave a damn about me.”
He looked at her pointedly, and she looked away sheepishly. “Like I was saying, as long as I live, Jo is part of my family; I’m not going to lose her because the son I raised turned out to be just as coldhearted as his mother. I blame myself, Jo. I thought I could leave the raising of my son to his mother, but I knew that she was cold and disinterested in anything other than my money. I thought at least she’d raise the boy to be human, but some tigers eat their young.”
Kevin started to interject and was cut off with a harsh look and an even sharper tongue. “I’m disappointed in you. And if you think I’m going to leave my family’s hard-earned wealth to an ass who didn’t have the good sense to keep it in his pants because he has no morals or sense of control, you can think again. I already talked to the attorneys and made sure that my daughter and grandkids would be taken care of when I’m gone. I no longer trust your judgment.”
This was all coming hard and fast. Now, don’t get me wrong. I have always known that Dalton had a soft spot for me, but this was totally unexpected. The summer home was nothing short of a mansion on the coast that was about two hundred years old. It’s like one of those old beauties that people pay money to tour in their flip-flops when the weather’s set on hell.
I took my kids there every summer when they were younger and had some of my best days there, fixing up the garden and making sure the place didn’t run to ruin, but never in a million years would I have thought it would come to me.
“Jo, you’re the only one of us who really cared about that place in the last decade or so. She never liked it, always complained it was too hot before dragging me off to Europe so she could show off to her friends.”
“I don’t think I appreciate you talking about me like this in front of the children.”
“And I don’t like what’s happening in this family. You’re a woman; your son did one of the most awful things he could to his wife, and all you can think about is how she was never good enough. She’s ten times better than the son you raised.” Oh, so that’s what’s going on. She must’ve said or done something to piss him off, and this was his way of getting back.
No one else said a word as Dalton held the floor. “I apologize to you kids for not raising your dad better and bringing this into your life. But I want all of you to know that nothing is going to change between me and you or me and your mother. You understand? And you,” He glared at Kevin, “I only have one daughter. From the day you brought her home to us, and I saw her mettle, I accepted her. If you bring that thing, you’re messing around with in front of me, neither of you will like the outcome.”