Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 181808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 909(@200wpm)___ 727(@250wpm)___ 606(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 909(@200wpm)___ 727(@250wpm)___ 606(@300wpm)
Her heart did a downward turn at finding Lana and Priss still awake.
“I thought you would both be in bed.” She hung her jacket on the coatrack and passed them sitting on the couch, going over paperwork spread out on the coffee table.
Opening the refrigerator, she took out a pitcher of water to pour herself a glass.
Lana stretched her neck from side to side, straightening from leaning over. “I thought I would help Priss figure out who this new client is.”
Larissa walked into the living room to curl up on the recliner. “I never go in your desk without asking, so why did you feel the need to go in mine?” She was going to tell them once she had made her decision of staying or going.
“My pulse oximeter wasn’t working, so I borrowed yours. The file was right underneath it. I didn’t remember the client making a appointment.”
“You could have waited to ask me when I got home instead of bringing the file home for Lana to look at.”
“You know why. I recognized the name on the chart. It’s the same name you said you were going to name your baby when we were growing up.”
There was no sense arguing with the truth, so Larissa set the glass of water down on the table and said, “I was going to tell you both when I decided if I was going to stay in Treepoint or move back to Bowling Green.”
Lana started putting the paperwork back in the folder. “What have you decided?”
“As much I want to go back to Bowling Green, I’m going to stay here, at least until I talk to Moon.”
Priss and Lana looked at each other before turning their gazes back to her.
“Are you going to tell him you’re pregnant with his baby?” Lana asked.
“He deserves to know.” Larissa looked down at her shaky hands.
“You’re scared, aren’t you?” Priss asked intuitively.
“Terrified,” she admitted.
Priss came to sit on the arm of the recliner. “How are you going to be able to tell him? Moon lives somewhere in Ohio now, doesn’t he?”
“I was going to ask Crazy Bitch for help getting his number when I went by her house tonight, but I got distracted. Her husband is friendly with The Last Riders.”
“How did you get distracted?” Lana asked.
“She was giving the kids baths, and I was dragged into being her assistant.”
“How’s she adjusting to having a full house?”
Larissa had to force herself to concentrate on answering Lana’s question. She was so tired she felt it in every bone in her body. The stress of telling Moon they had sex and that he was going to be a father weighed heavily on her conscience. The longer she put it off, the more weight it added, until she felt as if she could break at any second.
She’d always prided herself for being the most logical one in the family. How her life had gotten so out of control frightened her. What if she was a terrible mom? Her mother had set the board high, and failing miserably so early in her pregnancy didn’t bode well for the months and years ahead.
“Crazy Bitch is freaking amazing. She’s aged me twenty years just watching her. I have never seen a woman so in love with being a mother. Everything is organic in her refrigerator. Calder brought home a pizza after work, and she threw it away and made him eat the salmon dinner she cooked.”
“Ouch, I bet that hurt.” Lana smiled laughingly.
Larissa shook her head. “That man is in seventh heaven. Crazy Bitch bathed the children, I dressed them for bed, and Calder was reading to them before bed. Then they put them in bed together. They’re so happy.”
“How’s the older one adjusting?”
The happy glow of witnessing the happy family dimmed. “She isn’t. Crazy Bitch is trying to form a relationship with her but isn’t making any headway. The more she tries to include Lennon, the more she retreats to her room or goes outside to sit until it’s dark.
“Eryn said Lennon always preferred being outside. I wonder if it’s because she prefers the outdoors or if the outside became her safe space from what was going on inside the home,” Larissa reflected out loud.
“That’s going to be a hard habit to break,” Priss said, standing to stretch. “Tell Crazy Bitch if I can do anything, just let me know. I better get to bed. I have an early appointment.”
“Good night,” Larissa told her.
“I better go, too. Do you need anything?”
“No, thanks. I think I’m just going to take a shower and get some sleep.”
Lana stood and moved to where she was sitting, bending over to give her a tight hug. “Congratulations. I always wanted to be an aunt.”
Larissa blinked away the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes. “Thank you. You’re going to make a wonderful aunt.”