Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“This. Your anger at him. Your ambivalence about yourself. You’re so afraid you’re like him—I know you personalized that mess with Tiffany, though heaven knows that girl was a clinging vine. But now you’re home, and you’re here . . . I didn’t want to jeopardize your peace of mind.” She closed her eyes, weariness and strain evident in her face and how she’d hunched her shoulders.
He reached out and pulled her close. “You should have told me,” he said, unable to stay furious at his mother.
“I know. Even Cara said so, but I didn’t listen.”
Mike froze. “Cara knows?”
His mother moaned. “Oh God. I’m sorry. That same night, we talked about her parents, and I said I understood what it was like to doubt your choices. I didn’t plan on telling her, but I guess I needed someone to talk to because before I knew it, I had. And she said you should know, and I made her swear not to tell you.”
“Okay,” he said to appease his mother.
Cara knew. He thought she understood him. Thought he could trust her in a way he’d trusted no other woman. Yet she’d sat with him at the judge’s house, listened to him say he needed to find the father he hated, and she’d known his mother was in touch with the man. And still, she’d said nothing.
“Michael Marsden, don’t you dare be mad at Cara,” his mother said, shaking his shoulders. “I put her in an awful position.”
“Maybe.” But he was sleeping with the woman, revealing himself to her on all sorts of levels. She should have told him.
“Don’t worry about it,” he told his mother.
“You aren’t upset with her?”
“I’m seeing her for dinner tonight,” he said, evading the question.
“That’s not an answer.” His mother’s voice was stronger now. She’d composed herself and was back to her forceful self.
“It’s all I have at the moment.” He rose to his feet. “Where can I find him?” he asked of Rex.
She swallowed. “He’s in Nevada.”
“Vegas?” Mike asked.
His mother nodded.
“Figures,” Mike muttered.
“What are you going to do?” she asked, wringing her hands as she spoke.
He met his mother’s gaze and answered honestly. “I have no fucking idea.”
She blanched at his language but didn’t correct him, obviously knowing he deserved the outburst.
“I have to go.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Tell Dad I said hi.”
“Mike, please. Calm down, and let’s talk again before you do anything.”
He wasn’t making any promises. “I love you,” he said before walking out the door and into the cold sunshine and bright light of day.
He was numb. Angry. Hurt. Pissed. And he had to work it all out before he picked up Cara tonight and took her out with old friends. Or the night he’d been looking forward to would end up being a nightmare instead.
* * *
Cara was more excited about dinner than she let herself admit. But before she could focus, she needed to grocery shop because her fridge was empty. She pushed a cart up and down the aisle in the Food Mart, following the list she’d made. She often cooked on Sunday, freezing some meals for the week, so she stocked up on the basics and snack foods.
As she turned into the last aisle, she paused the cart by the milk, looked up, and saw her mother standing with a small basket in her hand, studying the orange juice.
“Mom!” Cara said before she could think through that she’d been avoiding her.
Natalie Hartley glanced up. “Cara!” She strode over and hugged Cara, her pleasure in seeing her daughter obvious.
Despite Cara’s frustrations with how her mother chose to live her life, Cara adored her and missed her like crazy. She tried not to let herself think too hard about how much—or she ended up sad and melancholy. The holidays were especially hard. Cara often ended up at the Marsdens’ or with Alexa and her dad instead of with her own parents.
“How are you?” Cara asked, inhaling the floral, fragrant scent she associated with the better parts of her childhood.
“Fine.” Her mother’s gaze darted to the left and right before focusing on Cara. “What about you? Are you well? Happy?”
Cara swallowed the painful lump in her throat. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
Her mother couldn’t even go to the grocery store by herself. She was surprised he’d left her alone in an aisle. “He went to pick up the soda we forgot. Talk to me quick before he comes back. Are you well, honey?”
Cara nodded. “I’m good.”
“My baby, a police officer. I’m so proud,” her mother said, tucking Cara’s hair behind one ear.
She blushed. “Mom.” Cara shook her head. “I—”
“Nat, let’s go now!” Cara’s father’s voice interrupted her midsentence.
She’d been about to tell her mother she missed her.
“I have to go.” Natalie’s shoulders had slumped, and she didn’t look Cara in the eye. “I love you.”