Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“You brought your dog?” Allie reached over my knees and stroked Sadie’s head.
I’d never been so happy to see a tail wag in my life. “Not mine. I rescued her from a boat accident a little over a week ago. Her owner told the vet he has no intention of picking her up, so here she is. Her name is Sadie.”
“Hi, Sadie,” Allie whispered, and just like that, the puppy stopped trembling. She scooted her butt right on over to Allie, wedged herself between our knees, and set her head on Allie’s lap. “Forward, aren’t you?” A faint but real curve pulled at the edges of Allie’s mouth, and my own mirrored in response.
Come to think of it, it was the first hint of genuine amusement I’d seen on her face since dragging her out of the water last week. Worry stirred in my gut.
“Now that we know the dog’s name”—Anne shut the door—“do you want to tell me how the hell your family ended up with our niece?”
“Stop it,” Allie chastised gently. “It’s not like he had any say in what Lina did.”
“You sure about that?” She leaned back against the door and folded her arms. “Are you Juniper’s father?”
Allie’s hand froze, and I tensed. “That would be physically impossible seeing as I never touched Lina.” My eyes narrowed on Anne. It had only ever been Allie for me.
“So our sister just happened to have a baby no one knew about and give that child to your sister?” Anne narrowed her eyes right back.
“I was just as surprised as you are when Allie told me about the results.”
“I just found out the day before—” Allie blurted, and I immediately regretted my words, realizing what I’d let slip.
“You told him first?” Anne shouted, her voice breaking at the end. “He didn’t just bring her over this morning?”
“I told him first,” Allie answered, her hand still on Sadie’s head. “And maybe I shouldn’t have, but he already knew—”
“You should have told me!” Anne shoved her fingers into her curls.
“I know—” Allie whispered.
“How could you keep it from me? Our Lina has a daughter out there!” Anne’s voice rose.
“Maybe if you let her finish a sentence, she’d be a bit more open with you.” I let Sadie’s leash drop.
“Don’t talk to her like that.” Allie bristled, her spine stiffening, and both sisters glared at me.
Shit, I stumbled right into that one. I should have known better than to intercede during a Rousseau-sisters fight.
“Take me to see her,” Anne ordered before I could even utter an apology. “I barely got five words in before you ushered her out of here like I was the enemy.”
“No way.” Allie shook her head. “It’s bad enough that she came here behind Caroline’s back. We’re not going to steamroll this girl’s life, which is exactly what—”
“Is she healthy? Happy? What are her grades like? Are the kids nice to her at school?” Anne fired off question after question.
“—will happen if you step in,” Allie finished, scratching under Sadie’s chin.
“Yes,” I answered. “When she gets her way. Decent. And yes, she’s well liked, from what I hear. And Allie’s right. You go barging in there and Caroline will slap you with a restraining order. She’ll see you as a threat, and she’s terrified of losing Juniper.”
“I have every right to know my niece,” Anne argued.
“No, Caroline has every right to protect her daughter,” Allie countered. “We don’t have a single right when it comes to Juniper. Not legally. Whether or not we like it, Lina didn’t leave her with us, and there had to be a reason Lina never even told us she existed.”
“I just want to talk to her.” Anne slumped against the door, and Allie’s shoulders dipped.
This whole situation was a clusterfuck. “Caroline is an excellent mother and would die for that girl,” I added. “She’s in good hands.”
“And we’re supposed to trust you?” Anne snapped at me.
“Don’t,” Allie warned her sister. “You want to fight, come at me.”
“I’m more than capable—” I started, only to shut my mouth when Allie lifted a single hand.
“You’ll do this.” Anne repeated her earlier demand with a softer tone, but no less determination. “Please do this, Allie. Just pretend to be Hudson’s anything if it keeps you close to Juniper.”
Allie focused on Sadie as if Anne wasn’t even speaking.
This was so unfair to ask of Allie, but I respected her wishes and kept my mouth shut.
“She really doesn’t have a home?” Allie asked, glancing my way with somber eyes. “The dog?”
My brow knit at the quick change of subject. “No. Not yet, at least. My landlord has a no-pet policy, and twenty-four-hour shifts aren’t kind to pets, but I’ll find someone for her.”
“You can’t take her to a shelter.” Her tone sharpened.
“I wouldn’t.” My gaze raked over Allie in quick assessment. She seemed exhausted. I had no idea what she usually looked like, so I couldn’t tell if she was eating normally, or if the circles under her eyes were typical, but I’d bet she was training herself into the ground.