Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry,” I tell Jamie, the tears I was trying to keep at bay falling. “But I love Shane and Taylor, and I’m not going to walk away until they send me away. I love them so damn much, and maybe that makes me selfish, but I want a life with them.”
“That’s exactly what it makes you,” Jamie hisses. “Selfish. And when my daughter finds out that you’re the reason why her mom and dad can’t live under the same roof, she’ll hate you.”
“She’s wrong,” Taylor says, making me jump. “Mom, you’re wrong,” she says. “I love you, and you’ll always be my mom, but Kinsley is our family too. While you’ve been gone, she’s been here every day, loving Dad and me.”
“That’s going to change,” Jamie tells her. “I’m going to stay, and we can be a family.”
“Then, stay,” Taylor says. “Stay because I’m your daughter and you barely know me. But if you’re doing it because you think Dad is going to take you back, that’s pathetic. He loves Kinsley, and she loves him, and they deserve to be together. I told her that if she got together with my dad, there wouldn’t be any other woman drama, but you’ve made me a liar. And honestly, the way you’re acting is embarrassing.”
Taylor’s hands go to her hips, and her chin juts out as she glares at her mom.
Jamie’s eyes widen in shock. “Taylor …”
“No, Mom. I’ve seen the way you’ve been batting your lashes at Dad all week, and I didn’t want to think the worst of you, but you’ve just confirmed it.”
“Confirmed what?” Shane says, walking into the room.
“Mom told Kinsley to walk away so she could get her family back together,” Taylor says, making Shane’s eyes bug out.
“What?” he hisses, glancing from Taylor to me and lastly Jamie.
“Shane, please,” Jamie begs. “Can we talk alone?”
“Fuck no, we can’t,” he barks. “I let you into my home, and you pull a stunt like this? You’ve clearly recovered enough if you have time to plot against me and try to ruin my relationship with the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“You loved me too,” Jamie points out.
“No, I didn’t,” he scoffs. “I liked you. I was a teenager, and you were cute. We had fun together, but it wasn’t love. I love my family, I love our daughter, and I love that woman right there.” He nods toward me, and butterflies attack my chest.
“You need to leave,” he tells Jamie. “If you’re not up for going back to the city, there’s a bed-and-breakfast in town. I’ll have my dad take you there.”
Jamie glances at Taylor—I think hoping she’ll argue for her mom to stay—but Taylor says, “I agree. You should go.”
With a huff, Jamie storms out of the kitchen.
Shane calls his dad, who agrees to take her to the town’s bed-and-breakfast, and within a few minutes, she’s gone without so much as a goodbye.
“I’m so damn sorry,” Shane says, pulling me into his arms. “I never should’ve left you alone with her. I knew she was hinting at wanting to get back together, but I ignored it, thinking once she was healed, she’d leave again, and then we’d go about our life.”
“It’s my fault,” Taylor says. “I asked you to let her stay with us, and you only said yes for me.”
“It’s not your fault,” he corrects. “She’s your mom, and you were trying to do a good thing. She took advantage of the situation.” He looks at me and notices my hands shaking. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think I’m just hungry.”
“Fuck, the food,” Shane says. “Three of the guys have caught the same bug, and they’re short a man. I agreed to go in tonight. I can call them …”
“No,” I tell him. “Go. They need you. We can talk about all this once you’re done with your shift.”
“I can pack your soup for you to bring to the station,” Taylor offers. “And I’ll make sure Kinsley is still here when you get back.”
“Okay, thanks.” Shane chuckles.
“Come here,” he says, pulling me into his arms. “I don’t know what was said, but I know Jamie can be brutal with her words. I want to know what happened, what all was said, so we can discuss it and move forward, but until then, I need you to know that even if you weren’t in the picture, I wouldn’t be with her. You’re not keeping our family from being together—you are my family.”
“And mine,” Taylor says, those two words helping to piece back together my heart.
“Well, that’s good,” I choke out. “Because you both are mine too.”
“What are these?” Taylor asks, holding up the dozens of sticky notes.
“They’re mine.” I snatch them from her. “It was my way of telling your dad I wanted to move in with you guys.”
“Okay. Then, why were they in your makeup bag?”