Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
I get up, wiping my eyes, before straightening my skirt. My eyes feel hot and dry now, despite being filled with tears just moments earlier. A lovely bouquet has been placed at her headstone, and I blink hard as emotions roil in my chest.
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” I whisper. “I love you.”
Then, I turn away and look straight into Christian’s eyes. The billionaire looks back, sure and steady, cradling our son in his strong arms. Another lump forms in my throat and I shove my hands in my pockets before staring down at the grass.
What’s happening in my life? I don’t know where we are as a couple at the moment because everything became a whirlwind the moment the alpha male stepped into our lives. Christian saw his son, and the possession was immediate. We were out of the trailer park within a week, moving in with him in his penthouse. In fact, it only took that long because he needed time to convert one of his spare bedrooms into a nursery, with a crib, changing table, and all the accoutrements. But the billionaire was unrelenting in his desire to have us live with him.
“You’re leaving this place,” he growled, disgust clouding his harsh features as he looked around my trailer. “Where do you even sleep? There’s only one bedroom and I didn’t see a mattress in there.”
I prickled at his judgment.
“For your information, I have a Murphy bed,” I replied in a haughty tone as two spots of color burned into my cheeks. “I still need to get things done after Blaze goes down for the night, so I gave him the bedroom. Your son needs his peace and quiet.”
Christian just looked confused.
“What’s a Murphy bed?”
The two spots of color burned hotter as I felt myself incinerating with embarrassment.
“It’s a bed that pulls down from the wall,” I said in a stiff voice. “The strap is right there, next to the cabinet, see? It’s very common in trailers because of the limited space available.”
Realization dawned on Christian’s handsome features, and his eyes turned calculating.
“There’s not enough space here for you two,” he said in a casual, yet not casual, tone. “My son needs more, and he needs better. Both of you are moving in with me.”
I gasped, outraged.
“What? No! I’ve worked hard to have a place to call our own. Blaze is happy here, and he’s never wanted for anything! Besides, I have a job, just like any hard-working single mom. Maybe I’m not a vet tech, the way I thought I’d be, but Tiny Tots Daycare was hiring, and they like me. They hired me on the spot after my interview, and they’ve been good to me.”
Christian nodded thoughtfully, rubbing the stubble on his square jaw.
“Let me guess,” he said in a smooth tone. “The daycare let you enroll Blaze as a discounted rate as one of the “perks” of your job. But they pay you pennies, so after deducting the cost of his tuition, you’re barely scraping by. Am I right?” he asks, one black brow raised. “Are you using the neighborhood food pantry as a result? The hell if my son’s going to live like that,” he grinds out, sparks shooting from that fierce blue gaze. “No Degas needs to beg.”
My lower lip trembled, and to my horror, tears pricked my eyes.
“I’ve done fine, thank you very much. Blaze is fine, and we’re very happy here in Fairview. Maybe we don’t have much when it comes to material things, but I assure you, your son is well-loved and well-cared for. We don’t need anything from you.”
Christian seemed to soften just a fraction.
“I know, sweetheart,” he said, those blue eyes traveling up my curvy form to rest on my strained features. “I know you’ve worked hard, and thank you for taking such good care of my son, Emily. I’m just saying ... well, I’m still fucking angry that you never told me about my son,” he grinds out. “It kills me to know that I’ve missed out on the first year of his life.”
My own heart softens then.
“I know, and I’m sorry, Christian,” I said, putting a small hand on his strong forearm. “But you will be a part of Blaze’s life going forward, I promise. We just need to figure it out.”
The alpha male shot me a quick, piercing look.
“Well, part of it’s easy,” he drawls. “I have plenty of money, and there’s no need for government assistance, food pantries, or the charity of your employer. I can take care of my son. I’ll set up a college fund, he’ll have his own room, and Blazey will be free to laugh and play like any child if you move into my penthouse.”
I relented because the truth is that life has been a struggle, and I was being crushed under the weight. I don’t mean to throw my employer under the bus, but Christian guessed right: after the cost of Blaze’s tuition is deducted from my paycheck, there’s hardly anything left. I scrimp and save to afford our rent at the trailer park, and I’ve been forced to go to the neighborhood pantry more than a few times to supplement our meals. Fortunately, Blaze doesn’t eat much because he’s still a baby, but I’d been dreading the day when he begins to eat more as he grows.