Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“Sorry, lass, dinnae ken what you’re talking about.”
“Marlo. Look.”
She pointed across the room.
On the dresser, there was a picture of her and her father dancing at Alex and Rix’s wedding. This was eight by ten, pride of place, but in front of it, positioned so you could see the photo at the back, was a framed snapshot of Blake, when she was maybe ten, blowing out birthday candles with Alex standing beside her, smiling at her.
There were some pretty candles dotted around the photos.
“And those.” She pointed to each nightstand and then the coffee table in front of the couch in the sitting area across the room.
On these, there were some fake flower arrangements that he’d had to touch, because the flowers looked so real.
There were also more candles and massive books, all on art or fashion.
Not to mention, on one of the nightstands, there was a framed picture of Dair and Alex sitting together at Alex’s wedding reception right before their first dance.
“Alex showed me her room and it’s the same,” Blake continued. “Pictures of her and Dad, her and me, her and Rix. Coffee table books about outdoors stuff. Alex’s room used to look like Dad was selling the house, it was so bleak. The whole house did. It almost looks like we live in these rooms now.” Her gaze went far away as she concluded, “Who knew family photos and some candles and items that share you have interests and personality could make a house a home?”
He’d obviously never been to Ned’s house, but he found it warm and welcoming, the art and architecture stunning, and he had no idea the copious photos of Ned, Blake and Alex on display all over the space hadn’t always been there.
“I love her for him so much.”
When she said that, his woman’s voice was thick.
This necessitated Dair rolling her to her back, with him on top, and cradling her head in his hand while he ran his thumb along her jaw, rubbed circles in the apple of her cheek, and just waited while she felt what she had to feel.
When she seemed to have a handle on it, he noted, “You gave them a beautiful day.”
“It was fun organizing it with Marlo.”
She hadn’t hidden that, even if the engagement came fast, and the wedding faster.
Ned clearly was done fucking about.
“Everyone is happy,” she whispered.
“Aye,” he whispered back.
“Being me, when it comes to Mum, I redefined the stages of grief and cut out everything but anger and added confusion.”
“Mm,” he hummed.
She ran her hands up his back then locked her arms around him.
“Now I’m circling back to sad,” she told him. “Sad, because Dad is such a great guy, and she missed out on all he could have given her. Sad because Alex is awesome, and they didn’t have a lot in common, but she could have seen what she had a hand in creating with Alex, and she never did. And sad because she and I did have a lot in common, and she didn’t share that with me. She died having everything a woman could possibly want in her life and having lost it.”
Christ, he loved that she knew exactly what that “everything” was that a woman could possibly want in her life.
But she was correct.
It was a tragedy Helena never recognized it.
“That is sad, my love,” he murmured.
“And now she’s just gone, and nobody misses her and that’s sad too.”
“It is,” he agreed and asked, “You think you’ll make it to acceptance?”
“I already have,” she told him. “Though it’s a sad acceptance. And I think I have to further accept it always will be. But I hit that zone when Dad and Marlo walked into the bridal suite tonight looking so amazingly happy. I have you. Alex has Rix and a baby coming.” She tightened her arms around him. “How could I not accept being happy?”
I have you.
“Aye, it’s impossible for you not to be happy, hen, since you scored a catch like me,” he teased.
Her eyes got wide, and she tried to buck him off.
He chuckled and kissed her.
She stopped trying to buck him off.
But some time later, she did some bucking.
And as was her way, it got both of them off.
Sorcha was standing at the top of the stairs while Dair climbed them.
He gave her pets when he hit the landing, but didn’t call out, because he could hear Blake talking on the phone over what sounded like water running.
“If that’s the tub you want, that’s the tub we’ll order,” she was saying as he and Sorcha hit the bedroom. “But I want you to look at the specs again. It isn’t very wide. It’ll fit your ass, but if you want Ewan in it with you—”
Dair had stopped in the bedroom to look around, hearing her voice coming from the bathroom.