Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(99)
“I could puke over how anxious I am. I’m just going to keep the faith that I’m following the rules and doing what’s right for my kids. This is all so confusing.”
“It can be, but I’ll help any way I can.”
“I know,” she said, and then I hung on the line while she talked to Will in the background. “Hey, you keep your chin up, okay? All of this totally sucks. Take the weekend to be sad then take my advice and move on.”
“I’m moving on. Liz’ll probably make us go out so I don’t wallow in self-pity.” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat to fight back the fresh round of tears rising to the surface. I glanced out the window just past my nightstand. The predicted winter storm had resulted in a dusting of snow. Typical.
“Follow her lead. You guys always have fun together.” She took a long breath and let it out slowly. “Look, I hate to cut this short, but I need to get the kids dressed for Will’s soccer game. And, I have to look at Anders’s chubby cheeks and pretend that life is grand.”
I laughed. Sarah had mentioned Anders had put on some weight in the months since they’d been apart. He always prided himself on his sharp, expensive wardrobe and his tight physique. I pictured his tailored shirts growing tighter around his midsection. Since he moved out, I imagined he paid one too many visits to drive-thrus. Sarah always cooked healthy meals for him at home, and he had no idea how to do it for himself. So even though he didn’t appear to suffer from the loss of Sarah in any other way, and with as petty as it was, it gave me a small shred of satisfaction knowing he was being stripped of his vanity.
“Give me a call later if you still feel like you need to talk,” she said.
“Thanks, I’ll be fine. I smell coffee so it’s not going to be too bad.” I inhaled deeply, hoping the air would be caffeinated. “Would you mind telling Mom and Dad where I am and that I’m all right?”
“Sure. No problem.”
When the call ended, I got up and splashed some water on my face in the bathroom across the hall. Liz had her own private bathroom off her bedroom, so this was all mine. Everything was white with brushed silver accents. She’d replaced the old weathered tub shortly after she moved in with a grand walk-in shower. It was pretty fantastic, and the oversized showerhead was something created out of a dream. I longed for a hot shower to wash away the painful memories, but instead I threw my hair into a ponytail and followed my nose downstairs.
I trudged with bare feet and walked on the cold, refinished oak floors through the family room and into the kitchen. The sleek white cabinets and gray granite countertops gave the room a peaceful French Country feel. I hoped, standing there, it would somehow seep into my pores.
Liz already had a mug of coffee poured and waiting for me on the island. I sat down on one of the saddle barstools and wrapped my hands around my warm saving grace. The rich aroma immediately made me feel at home. As I looked into Liz’s smiling face, I knew everything was going to be all right.
“Good morning, sunshine,” she said. “I’ve got quite a day planned for us.”