Belong (Seven Year Itch #3)(66)
“He’s a little older. He’s in his thirties.”
“So when you dated before he was in his twenties. You cougar.” She lightly tapped on my shoulder, keeping in mind I was holding her sleeping son.
“The age thing used to bother me. I thought I was going crazy pursuing something with someone so young, but Chad isn’t like other men. He’s mature and kind. He’s a lot like Charles was.”
“What are you going to do? Doesn’t he live in California? He has a daughter.”
I shrugged and stared down at the baby so she wasn’t able to see my disappointment. “I don’t know. For now, I want you to move into the house. I’ll take some of my things over to the mansion, but it’s fully furnished, not that there isn’t room to add. I suppose we will have a lot of redecorating to do. Chad may want to take his grandparents old room since it’s so large. I think he’ll end up giving his daughter his…”
“Wow, Mom. You’re really going through with this.”
I was rambling on, not even realizing how carried away I’d become. “Sorry. It’s all a bit exciting, don’t you think?”
“You moving into a huge mansion with a hot, young married guy – yeah, I’d say it’s a bit unbelievable.”
We both giggled at the scrupulous situation. “I love him, Steph, but I also love your father. I always will. He was a huge part of my life, and I’ll never regret a single moment we shared together, but it’s time for me to stop dwelling on what I can’t change. Chad wants a life with me. He’s getting a divorce, and as soon as it’s final he’s going to move here. I know we can make it work. I want this life with him; a second chance at something great, but I also want to hold on to the memories of your father. That’s why I think you should have the house. He would want it that way, and I don’t think it would be right for Chad to move in there. I need to separate the two in order to keep from feeling guilty. I know it’s all in my head, but I think in order to start new we need a place of our own. Chad grew up in the mansion, so did his mother. It’s important for him to keep it in the family.”
She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m happy for you, Mom. Whatever you need, we’ll be there to help out. Take your time.”
“I want you to move in soon, Steph. I’ll help you redecorate your old room for baby Grayson. You can change anything you want in the house, but you know your dad and I kept it pretty updated.”
“It’s fine the way it is,” she assured me.
“Good.” It put another smile on my face. I handed her the sleeping child. “Here, take him. It’s getting late and I should head home. I’m going to call Chad and tell him the good news. He’s been begging me to move in, so this will make his day.”
When I left my daughter’s house I felt like everything was going to be okay. Stephanie didn’t seem to be bothered by my being in love with another man aside from her father, and I certainly needed to factor in her reaction to the added list of why I should stop fighting what I couldn’t let go of.
Halfway down the road I decided to give Chad the good news with an extra special present. I headed for the mansion, in hopes of being able to send him something to keep him smiling for days.
I’d had a key since before Chad’s grandmother passed away. When I stayed there, after Grayson’s death, Charles had asked me to keep it in case he was away and needed me to check on the place. Now I wondered if he’d known all along it would one day be mine to share with Chad.
Entering in the dark home didn’t frighten me. There were too many good memories that needed to be cherished, instead of wondering if the place was haunted.
Once inside, I locked the door and headed straight to Chad’s room. I began taking off my clothes and climbing on the bed, looking for the best angle to snap a photo making it obvious where I was.
After five attempts, I knew I had a great shot. I captioned it, ‘I’ve made my decision. Can’t wait until you’re home.’, and sent it over, hoping he would immediately reply to the racy gesture.
Sure enough my phone began to ring. I got more comfortable on the mattress and answered in my most erotic sounding voice. “Hey sexy. Tell me you’re as excited as I am.”
“Rach,” his voice was strained. “I have bad news.”
Chapter 36
After spending the afternoon comforting Veronica, I’d done some research on her condition. Keeping it from her wasn’t difficult, since she’d gotten herself so upset it caused her to be exhausted. While she slept soundly in the hospital bed, I went through every website I could find, skimming through treatment options and statistics.
The picture from Rachel was inappropriate, and if I weren’t in such dire straights I probably would have booked another flight to be back in her arms. I wanted to appreciate it; to celebrate in the news of her finally agreeing she should move into the mansion. This should have made me elated, overjoyed with excitement, but I didn’t have it in me.
In the slightest chance that Veronica’s cancer had progressed, I knew I was obligated to remain by her side. I wasn’t a selfish person. As much as I hated the idea of not being able to be with Rachel, my responsibilities to my family were forcing my hand.
Calling her was something I’d put off since learning the devastating news. She wasn’t going to take it sitting down. Rachel, being like me, would encourage me to remain in California, once again significantly giving her reasons to shut me out of her life. She’d want me focused on them, instead of when I could get to her. As much as I tried to find common ground I was failing fast.