Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 132951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 665(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 665(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
I fade into the background as they discuss last week’s books.
Eventually Ethel pops in to announce that dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.
“Oh, I should probably go,” Mildred says.
“You should stay,” I jump in, acting normalish for once. “For dinner.”
Meems squeezes her hand. “Please do. Unless you have somewhere else you need to be.”
Mildred nods. “I can stay.”
I don’t know how to read her yet, so I can’t be sure this isn’t an imposition. But she links arms with Meems, and I lead them to the dining room, tucking Meems’s and then Mildred’s chair in before I take my own.
The staff bring dinner to the table.
“This looks amazing,” Mildred says as Ethel plates her chicken and Norm steps in with the light cream sauce. “Thank you so much.”
“I’ll be sure to tell the kitchen staff,” Ethel replies.
Once they’ve finished serving, they leave through the back door, returning to the kitchen.
“It’s like eating in a restaurant every night, isn’t it?” Mildred muses. “But you’re friends with the staff.”
“Tonight is special with the two of you here.” Meems winks, then asks, “I know you’ve just had the engagement party, but have you given any thought to a date for the wedding?”
Mildred almost loses her hold on her knife but manages to recover. “We talked about a short engagement.” She glances at me. “Right, Connor?”
“No point in waiting when we know what we want,” I agree.
The sooner we’re married, the happier Meems will be, the harder it will be for Mildred to find a way out of this.
“Well, that’s wonderful to hear!” Meems dabs at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “The two of you must be excited to start planning.”
“Absolutely,” Mildred lies smoothly.
“I know you have wonderful friends who will support you, but if you need someone to step in with motherly advice, I’m always here.”
A smile warms my fiancée’s face as she reaches across the table. Meems mirrors the movement, and they curve their fingers together. “Thank you, I really appreciate the offer, Lucy.”
“Meems. Please call me Meems.”
“Thank you, Meems.”
We spend the rest of dinner talking about weddings. Then Meems retires to the guesthouse, and I offer to drive Mildred home.
“I still can’t believe Meems and I didn’t run into each other when we were in Aruba.” She settles in the passenger seat of my car, the space filling with her sweet strawberry-and-vanilla scent.
“We had a private villa on the other end of the resort and a staff to prepare meals,” I explain. She was also under the weather for the first part of the trip and mostly stayed by the private pool.
“That makes sense.” Mildred tugs at the hair tie on her left wrist.
“Is everything okay? You seem tense.” Maybe being alone with me in a confined space is the problem.
“I need to talk to you about my apartment.”
“What about it?”
“They’re evicting me at the end of the month, unless I can come up with the hundred thousand in back rent.”
“When did you get this notice?” Her short engagement comment makes more sense now.
“Yesterday.”
“Why are you only telling me now?”
“Because I’m only seeing you now to tell you, and this is the first time we’ve been alone.”
“You should have called me last night.”
“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I don’t particularly like asking for help.” She tugs at the hair tie again.
I do know this about her. “But you’re always so willing to offer it.”
She shrugs. “It feels good to help people. It feels bad to ask for it.”
“Because someone has something they can hold over you?” I supply. That’s how I’ve always felt about my family. The Grace fortune is a carrot dangled.
“Because in my world, favors come with strings, and some of those strings can be tripping hazards.” She snaps the hair tie, then crosses her arms. “I can’t lose the apartment.”
“You won’t. I said I would handle it, and I will. I already have my lawyers working on it. Send me a copy of whatever was sent to you, and I’ll make it go away.” Might as well rip the Band-Aid off. “But also, it would be best if you moved into Meems’s house with me as soon as possible.”
Her head snaps in my direction. “I’m sorry, what?”
I stay focused on the road. “She’s moved into the guest quarters so we can move into the mansion.”
“What? I thought I’d be moving in with you after we’re married—and into your place, not with Meems.”
I sigh. “That plan has been adjusted and expedited. Meems has already gifted my father and my sisters each a home, and she plans to do the same for us. She just told me this today, but it’s what she wants, and as you know, my goal is to make her happy. The sooner you move in, the happier she’ll be. Besides, it simplifies things if I can manage your landlord while you’re not in imminent danger of losing your place to live.”