“And all at the low, low cost of my morals and dignity. I’m not marrying for money. I don’t want money. Any more than it takes to live, anyway.”
Granny Lane swore. “You and your father.”
Mom sniffled. “He was an idealist. He just wanted enough money to live happily and nothing more.”
I blinked away my own tears and sank into the sand. “He said money made people assholes.”
Mom laughed gently. “Your father could afford to be that way, honey. He already had everything he wanted.”
“And I don’t?”
“I think we both know you don’t.”
Digging my toes into the sand, I sighed. “I guess not. I’m not sure money would change that, though.”
“It opens doors.” Granny Lane sounded reserved, strangely enough. “Doors that you never ever knew about. Maybe just flirt with the idea. And the men. See which one sticks.”
I just rolled my eyes. “Goodnight, you two. I love you both.”
“Love you!”
“Love you, you little shit. Go find a rich husband!”
Hanging up, I tucked my phone away and stared out at the ocean. It was too dark to make anything out, but I watched anyway. I thought about Dad and his idealism. I thought about a husband and how that wasn’t what I really wanted. I wanted kids. As many as I could have. As much as Dad was an idealist, I had the problem of being a realist with my personal life. Some things just weren’t meant to be.
Chapter 12
***Autumn***
Days passed without any incidents. Zeke hadn’t come back. Con was busy with work. Griffin had been spending the days in the city, working. It had just been the kids and me mostly. Grace and I were besties. Caroline and I were working on it. Jones still hated me. There wasn’t much I could do, except show him that he was stuck with me. At least for the summer.
With the brothers being gone most of the time, I’d taken to serving the kids breakfast on the covered balcony. If it was too warm, we turned the big ceiling fan on. If it was too cool, we ate with blankets wrapped around us. We watched the water and talked about what we’d do that day. It was informal, with our feet propped up on the railing and lots of grabbing food with our fingers.
I’d even made it a rule that we all wore our pajamas to breakfast. Jones didn’t follow it, always coming to breakfast dressed, but the girls loved it. It was an easy start to the day. We relaxed and woke up together.
The first day of the weekend, I strolled through the dining room in my cut-off T-shirt and leggings, bare feet slapping across the cold floor. I was headed in to grab breakfast for the kids, but I was stopped by a throat clearing behind me. Jerking around, I gasped.
“You scared the life out of me!” I braced myself on one of the fancy dining chairs and clutched at my chest. “I think you just killed at least five years off of my life.”
Griffin sat alone at the big table, an unamused look on his face. He lifted his arm and looked at his watch. “It didn’t take long for you to throw order out the window, did it?”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“You’re just letting the children sleep in and do whatever they want?” Shaking his head, he stood up and tossed his napkin down on the table. “The kids need order. I don’t know what you’re doing, but they should be having breakfast and getting ready for the day. Not sleeping in while you stroll around, enjoying yourself.”
Bracing my hand on my hips, I straightened and glared right back at him. “You really just show up and start throwing fits again, don’t you? It almost felt like a house around here for a few days while you were gone, but here you are. For your information, the kids are upstairs, waiting on breakfast. We’ve been having breakfast on the balcony. I was getting food for them before you interrupted me.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? It almost felt like a house?”
I waved him off, angry at myself for letting my guard down with him. “I think you know what it means. Now, I have breakfast to serve.”
I stomped into the kitchen and saw Greta putting the final touch on the tray for the kids. She smiled at me, but her eyes went wide when the door flew open behind me.
“We’re not finished.”
Ignoring Griffin, I smiled at Greta. “Thanks, Greta. This looks amazing.”
“Tell me what you meant.”
