“You’re not going to say anything about him calling his sister a bitch, Annette?” I point at Devin, who is now smart enough to stay as far away from me as possible.
“Devin, apologize to your sister now.” The order comes from Leander, not Annette. Devin’s nostrils flare, but no words leave his mouth. I cross the room in a few quick steps and get in his face.
“Dax, leave him alone.” Annette’s words come out rushed. I hear the scraping of the walker, but I ignore her order.
“Apologize to my wife. Now.” I snatch his collar and yank him closer to Cori. “Before I knock all your fucking teeth out.”
“Sorry.” The word comes out like a petulant toddler. I let his collar go, and the wimp stumbles. “I’m not hungry.” He walks to the back of the house and slams the door so hard that Ruby starts to cry.
Chapter 60
Cori
Be calm. Be calm. Be calm. I take a deep breath and lead my mother through the first floor. According to the carpenter, he’ll be done in another week, and all I’ll need is for the furniture and decorations to be brought in.
“It looks beautiful.” I try not to be annoyed by my mother. Her voice is soft and soothing, and I believe her compliment is sincere. “What color are you painting the walls? Are you going with white or beige?”
“Aaahaa!” Ruby grabs a portion of my hair. I bounce her and gently pull her hand down.
“I want more colors. I’m thinking of a light pink or even lavender. I’m meeting with an interior decorator tomorrow.”
Mom pushes her wheelchair around while she looks and admires the place. Dad dropped her off, but he got a call as soon as he got here and left. What I didn’t know was that they were bringing Ruby with them.
It wouldn’t have been a problem if Dad were here, but Mom can’t hold her in her chair, so I had no choice but to hold her since she can’t walk yet.
Dax is not available, and I couldn’t call him to take her, not that I would. I think that’s what my mother was hoping for, but I didn’t offer.
Ruby babbles nonstop. She pulls my hair and sticks a finger in my ear. She puts her face to my cheek and tries to kiss me, but she slobbers on my skin. I wipe it with my hand and continue the tour.
“There’s an elevator in the back if you want to see upstairs.”
“I’d love to.” While she follows me, I tell her that I’m close to hiring two seamstresses and will be making a choice on the hostesses this week.
“If everything goes well, I should be able to open in three to six months. I want to have a good supply before I do. Of course, I’ll sell shoes and accessories, too, and I’ve found an overseas supplier already. You and Daddy should come over for dinner this week, and I’ll show you.”
“You let us know when, and we’ll be there,” Mom says. She wheels around until she gets to the loft. There will be a structure there for the brides to showcase their dresses. It has a balcony feel, and the downstairs patrons will be able to see the brides.
“I was thinking that once a bride chooses a wedding dress, she can toss a flower downstairs to one of the other customers, and then we can ring a bell.”
“That sounds fun.”
“And my website is getting a complete makeover. I hired a professional this time. I’m not going to do it myself like I did before. I’m also going to ramp up my social media presence.” I tell my mother my other plans while I bounce Ruby, who is now getting fussy.
“Her bag is downstairs. She has a bottle and some snacks in there.”
I try to keep my irritation at bay, but a loud sigh slips out. Unable to help myself, I roll my eyes and go down the stairs.
My mother finds me in the kitchen in the back of the room a few minutes later. She doesn’t speak right away, but I can sense the disappointment in her silence.
“Ruby is just a baby, Cori. She can’t help it.” I put Ruby on her lap while I mix her formula. I watched Dax do this before, so I hope I get it right. “She’s my only grandbaby. At least for now.” I hear her kiss Ruby’s cheek.
“I have no issues with Ruby. It’s her father and his entitlement that I have a problem with, but I don’t want to talk about that. How about we go to lunch? We can go to my place. I want to show you my sewing room.”
Instead of taking the elevator to the second floor of the house, Mom uses her cane, and she slowly takes the stairs. With Ruby in my arms, I follow her. She’s exhausted when we get to the sewing room, and she drops herself on the couch. I sit next to her and rest my head on her shoulder.
I see tears stream down her face, but I don’t make mention of them. Mom has always been the type of person who cries when she’s emotional or overwhelmed. I imagine this is both.
Ruby smiles at me and slaps her hand on my cheek. I put her on the floor. She grabs my pants and stands herself up.
