Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
His jaw tenses. “Maybe I should wait until after the wedding?”
“As we’re leaving for our honeymoon?” I shake my head. Howard is home now and improving with daily therapy and help from a nurse Henry hired. According to the doctor, he’ll make a near-full recovery, which is fantastic news. But the reality is they’ll both be eighty-five this year, and the struggles will only get worse.
Henry and I sat down with them one day when Violet was out with friends and broached the subject of their granddaughter moving to Manhattan to live with us. I mean, it’s the next logical step. We text every day, and we’ve seen her nearly every weekend since Christmas—either her coming into the city or us driving out. The reality is, Violet’s as big a part of our lives as we are of hers.
Gayle and Howard weren’t surprised, and when Gayle cried, she promised it was with delighted tears. She’s been so afraid of becoming a burden for their granddaughter, who has a whole life ahead of her and shouldn’t be saddled with taking care of her ailing grandparents, especially after what she faced with Audrey.
“She won’t have to worry about Gayle and Howard anymore. You’ve found a wonderful place for them to move to, way nicer than the one they were waiting for before they pulled their names off the list.” When we brought Gayle to see the assisted living home, I’m not sure her mouth was closed for more than a minute total, too busy hanging open in awe as we toured the one-bedroom suite they would move into, complete with a fireplace and a private garden, and then the many on-site facilities, including a therapy pool, an art studio, and a library. Of course she insisted they couldn’t afford it and they didn’t need this type of luxury. Henry would have none of it and told her to consider it fair trade for Audrey raising the perfect daughter for him.
My heart melted for the thousandth time for this man that day. He continues to amaze me with his generosity and thoughtfulness.
Henry frowns. “And if she says no?”
“She’s going to say yes.”
“How do you know?”
I stretch onto my tiptoes to kiss him. “Because how could anyone say no to you?”
I hear their boots stomping on the doormat outside before the telltale beeps of someone entering the code. The door swings open.
“How big do you think it was?” Violet asks, her arms loaded with firewood, her cheeks rosy from the chilly air.
“At least five hundred pounds. Maybe six.” Henry trails in after her, carrying twice as much wood. He hip-checks the door shut.
“You saw a bear?” I ask.
“Bear tracks.” Violet kicks off her muddy boots and carries the wood over to the fireplace.
“Did you cut all that?”
“No, but I did almost cut off my foot.” Violet holds her hands out in front of the flame for warmth.
“It’s too wet. We got this from up near the lodge.” Henry stoops to unload and begins stacking.
Neither reveals anything about how their talk went.
Does that mean it went poorly?
Did they even talk?
I’ve been on pins and needles all afternoon. This is going to drive me nuts.
“So … I ordered food. It should be here soon if you want to wash up and change?”
Violet looks down at her pants, speckled in mud. “Oh, good idea.”
I wait for her door to shut before I pounce. “How did it go?” My whisper sounds like a hiss.
Henry stands, his gaze transfixed on the flames that dance in the hearth. Finally, his lips curve. “She said yes.”
“Yes!”
“She asked if she could finish out her school year at Bishop Prep, which I said was fine. That’s what we were planning on, anyway, given we won’t be home for a few weeks.”
I sigh with relief. “See? I told you.”
A wistful look fills his face. “She called me Dad.”
A small gasp escapes my lips.
“She also called me Henry, and Dude, and Wolf. And apparently, I’m officially a DILF.” He shakes his head, chuckling. “What have we gotten ourselves into?”
“A family.” I sink against his broad chest, reveling in the strength. “How are you feeling now?”
He inhales. “Whole, if that makes any sense.”
“It does.” It’s how I’ve felt since that day Henry and I reunited, as if a missing piece of my heart returned to me. And, while Violet was never missing—because I had no idea she existed—now that she’s here, I can’t imagine our lives without her. “I’m so proud of you, Henry.”
“For what? Doing the right thing?”
“No, I always knew you’d do the right thing eventually.” I tip my head back to meet his eyes. “But you’re doing it because you want to, not because you have to.”
He searches my face. “Do you know what I want more than anything else right now?”
My body ignites with interest that I need to dose quickly. “We can’t do that until later.” The days of stripping off our clothes and fucking whenever we wish are coming to an end.