“It’s a lot. I mean, a lot, a lot. He wanted to know everything, hospital bills, insurance, all of it. They’re depositing the money today, and I’ll start receiving current child support payments every two weeks.”
I reached a hand out, grasping her arm to keep her still for a moment, and assured her, “Chloe, that’s great!”
“He’s already put money aside for Chris to go to college.”
She was overwhelmed, and I swear there was relief underneath, I just needed to help her find it.
“Honey, you and Chris deserve this. You’ve worked so hard and accomplished so much on your own. All of those nights and weekends on your feet waitressing, taking the good shifts so you could earn more tips, putting yourself through college so you could move up to management and make more. Then finally opening your own business so you were finally able to work from home and be there when Chris came home from school, then take him to practices. You’re an amazing mother, and I’m so happy that Gabe is going to help ease some of the financial burden for you.”
“Some? He’s relieving all of it.”
“Chloe, that’s a good thing.”
“It’s too much, Zoey. I don’t want him to think I’m after his money.”
I chuckled and pulled my sister to me, hugging her hard before pulling back to look at her worried face.
“Gabe knows that … and, Chloe, I’m sure Reardon went over everything and is giving you the standard percentage of Gabe’s earnings. He’s a wealthy man, and he wants to provide for his son. Just think of all the things you can do with it, other than paying off debt. You can finally buy a house, like you’ve always wanted. You can go back to school and get your MBA.”
“No, Zoey, this money isn’t for me…”
I stopped myself seconds before pulling her hair, the need to knock some sense in her great.
“Chlo,” I said with a low growl. “You scraped and saved to put yourself through school while you provided for your son. Your first priority has always been Chris, as it should be, now you have someone to help and take the pressure off of you. You could have denied Chris so much growing up, in order to save money for yourself, but you didn’t. Look at this money as a repayment for everything you and Chris couldn’t afford, if you need to, but I think you should use it for school and a house if that’s what you want. Those are both things that directly correlate with Chris’s livelihood.”
I looked up at the clock and said, “Oh, crap! It’s almost time to go, let me grab my things.”
“You’re coming?”
I thought of what she just told me about Gabe, and
pictures flashed through my mind.
Meeting him and Reardon in the woods that day, Gabe so tall and handsome as he smiled down at me with those fantastic lips.
The two of us paddle boating after our unbelievably hot kiss in the water.
The picnic at the waterfall.
Watching him play football shirtless, and the two of us losing control in his cabin afterwards.
His smile.
His laugh.
That body.
Hell yes, I am going to Cherry Springs!
I shot her a grin and sprinted to my room, grabbing my carry-on bag out of the back of my closet and throwing stuff in there. It was September, so I grabbed shorts, jeans, a light sweater, and my bathing suit … You never knew what could happen. I was shoving toiletries into a bag when I looked in the mirror and squeaked.
God, when was the last time I showered?
“Time?” I shouted.
“We have to leave in ten minutes,” Chloe yelled back.
I jumped in the shower and shaved everything that needed shaving while the conditioner worked its magic, then rinsed and hopped out, toweling off as I rushed into my room and grabbed clothes out of my drawers. I threw a rubber band on my wrist to put my hair up on the drive, then rolled my suitcase out.