My books got a little dark during the first year after losing Jack, but it’s the books that I hit publish on during that time that are some of the most raw feelings I ever, to this day, have put into my pages.
It’s not hard to write about fear, loneliness, pain and heartbreak when you’re living it. It was through those characters that I was able to start rebuilding my life.
I place the phone to my ear and wait for it to connect.
“You’ve reached the Reid house, where we can put the plea in pleasure in seconds. ”
My eyes round and I burst out laughing when I hear Nate’s answering voice.
“Give me the phone, boy! Sometimes I wonder if you were dropped on your head,” I hear Axel gruff in the background.
“Oh come on, I knew it was Megan!”
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There’s a sound of shuffling through the line before I hear the phone clatter against the floor.
“You crazy old man!” Nate laughs.
The phone clatters again and I laugh listening to the two Reid men acting like children.
“You two take it outside! Overgrown apes. Hello? I’m so sorry,” Izzy’s sweet voice comes over the line and I laugh again when I hear the men clearly have not taken things outside.
“Hey. It’s Megan,” I say between giggles.
“Hey honey. How are you? How is that sweet little princess?”
“I’m good. However, Molly has basically insisted I call because she says Mr. Axel promised her he would be willing to play tea party every second of her life. ”
Izzy laughs, the sound bringing a smile to my lips. I’ve been so lucky to have formed such a close relationship with Dani’s parents. In the last year they’ve become family to Molly and me.
“Like you even have to ask,” Izzy says.
“You know I do. Plus I know she loves you to pieces, but she was very specific that she wants that tea party and she wants it with Mr. Axel. I swear that kid could talk the heavens into rain. ”
“If I tell Axel that I turned that princess away he would wring my neck. I swear the older he gets the more insane he is. Molly is a sweetheart, Megan. Bring her over, I’m sure you could use the time to write. Hey, why don’t you pack her an overnight bag and we can have a sleepover. I’ll have Dani bring Owen over. Maybe a little girl’s night is just what you need. ”
I laugh, “I don’t need anything, Izzy. I couldn’t ask you to keep Molly overnight!”
“Darling girl, you need more things than you can see. ” She oddly tells me. “Bring her and bring a bag or I’ll lock you out, take her shopping for clothes, and not give her back until tomorrow afternoon. See you soon!”
I pull the phone back when I hear her disconnect and stare blindly at my cell. What the hell?
“Mommy!”
I shake my head and turn from my desk to where Molly is standing. All thoughts of Izzy’s strange comment gone when I see she has turned herself into a real life Disney princess. She’s wearing head to toe dress-up gear consisting of about five different princess costumes.
My girl, never a dull moment.
“Come on, let’s go get you packed. Mrs. Izzy said she wants you all night and just won’t take no for an answer. ”
“Yay!” Molly screams and smiles a huge smile up at me.
Looks like I’m going to have a night to myself whether I want one or not.
DING.
I stop mid-step and turn my head to my front door. I‘ve been back from dropping off Molly for about two hours and in that time I had managed to clean the house and catch up on about two weeks of emails.
DING.
I narrow my eyes and walk to the door. As long as we’ve lived here, we still don’t know our neighbors. They’re all older and don’t want to be bothered to meet the widow and her kid, which is fine, we’ve gotten used to it. Since Cohen pulled me into his group of friends it isn’t odd that one of them pops over. Usually it’s Cohen or Chance checking on things around the house, but with Chance gone I know it’s not him. Cohen, since getting married, doesn’t stop by as often. I know he’s busy, but he makes a habit of coming by and making sure we don’t need anything.
He’s done that every few weeks since we lost Jack. He and Jack were good friends and I know Cohen uses those visits to make sure Jack’s family is okay. I wish I had the heart to let him know how much those visits hurt more than help, but it’s on those rare bad days that I slip into that depression that never seems to go away all the way, his visits are just what I need.
And now, having grown into an amazing friendship with Dani and her group of girlfriends, my life is almost bursting with people when before there was no one but Molly.
DING.
“I’m coming,” I mumble to no one and hurry to pull the door open.
I pull the door open with a smile and quickly frown when Dani pushes her way in, brown bag in hand and dressed for the club.
“What in the hell?”
“Don’t give me any lip. You’ve been avoiding me and I get it, I over stepped, but it’s been two weeks. Mom called, said bring Owen over because you need a girl’s night but won’t ask for a girl’s night because—her words—that girl is stronger than she has a right to be—not sure what the hell that means, other than I’m pretty sure my mom is calling you stubborn. Either way, time to get ready for a night out. ” She ends her rambling and turns to face me in a huff.
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“Uh,” I stutter.
“Nope. No timid or unsure Megan now. The girls are on the way so it’s time to get your ass ready!”
She holds up the brown bag and my brow lifts in question when I hear the glass clink.
“Liquid courage, my friend. ”
I laugh, because really what can I do. Dani’s going to get her way here or she will just bring the party to my house and I’m pretty sure old Ms. Timmons will shit in her diaper if a party hosted by Dani Cage starts next door.
“Where are we going?” I ask, turning my back to walk toward my bedroom, knowing she will follow.
“Don’t know. I guess we’ll figure it out when we get there. There’s a new club downtown that I’ve been told is a great place. Ember dragged Maddi out there last week and Mads said it was pretty chill. ”
“Maddi and I have a different interpretation of chill. ” I remind Dani.
Maddi—or Maddisyn Locke—is another friend that I met through Dani and I swear that girl is always working some hidden angle. If she’s in on this little impromptu party then I know something’s up.
“Whatever. It’ll be fun. Plus, I haven’t had a night without Owen in a few weeks. I love my boy, but mommy needs some girlfriend time. ”
I glance away from her with a roll of my eyes and head to my closet to try and find something appropriate for going out with the girls to some club downtown.
“That one,” Dani says absentmindedly after watching me flick some hangers around and then turns to sit on my bed.
I look over at Dani to judge her outfit before I even dare follow her barked order. She’s dressed for a night out, but I’m shocked Cohen let her leave the house like that. She’s got on a tight black dress that hits right above her knees with a slit in the middle giving her boobs a highlighted ‘v. ’ The dress is long sleeved so really she isn’t showing much, but I know Cohen is the type of man that doesn’t like his woman’s assets showing and with her still nursing their son, there is plenty of boobage to show.
“Where is Cohen tonight? I find it hard to believe he saw you leave the house in that. ”
“Of course he did. He’s in tonight. Something about a game on television or something. ”
Had I not been flipping through my clothes I might have caught the look she gave me when she finished talking, but because I was too focused on the fact that I have nothing to wear to a club, I missed it. Probably just as well, because if I had caught Dani Cage in her lie about w
here her husband is, there is no way she would have been able to drag me out of the house.
I PULL THE HEM OF my dress down. Again. And look over at Dani from under my lashes while I take another sip of my drink. A large sip this time.
“Smile,” Maddi says loudly in my ear, causing me to jump and rattle the whole table when I bump into it.