AllFreeNovel
Share Us
At least Cole finished the nursery before he left. It’ll be a tight fight with me and the baby and now a puppy in the carriage house, but I can make it work.
“The parking lot literally backs up to the forest. I think you have enough space to walk Honey,” Juniper points out.
“Is there any chance we can hear what happened between Cole and Ellery before I decide to commit fratricide?” Aspen grumbles.
“I think you mean sororicide. Fratricide refers to killing a brother. Sororicide refers to killing a sister,” Lilac explains.
“Nope, no chance,” Ashlyn mumbles around the muffin she has stuffed in her face.
“Hey! You’re eating my chocolate.”
She throws me a cookie. “There’s plenty for everyone.”
“Will everyone stop enabling Ellery and her desire to avoid telling us what happened?”
I stick my tongue out at Aspen. She couldn’t let me continue to avoid the topic?
“Get it over quick. Like pulling a bandage off,” Juniper suggests. “Afterwards, we can move on to chocolate and chick-lit movies.”
“Cole said he’d be interested in the job if it weren’t for me and the baby, so I told him to go to the interview.”
“Wait! Hold up!” Ashlyn shouts. “You told Cole to leave? You kicked him out?”
“I didn’t think he’d go anywhere. I thought he’d show up this morning to talk everything through. He loves to talk things to death. Instead, he proved to me what I’ve known from the start. He’s not serious about staying in Winter Falls,” I say and promptly burst into tears.
Honey yips and scratches to escape my hold. Juniper rescues the puppy before Aspen throws her arm over my shoulder and hugs me close. “Oh, Ellery, I’m sorry.”
Lilac presses a tissue in my hand. “I, too, am sorry. It appears I misjudged Cole.”
“You didn’t misjudge Cole,” Ashlyn announces. “He’ll be back.”
“No, he won’t,” I blubber. “His car is gone. This is Winter Falls, if he were in town, I’d know it.”
Since they can’t deny the truth of what I’m saying, no one replies.
“I should have never gotten involved with a man. I know better. I don’t need a man.”
Juniper throws her hands in the air. “You preach it, sister.”
Aspen pats my back. “Not all men are bad. I promise you. Someday you’ll find the man for you.”
“In the meantime, you have another little man to think of.” Juniper nods to my belly.
“I want a little girl,” I howl.
I can’t have a boy. He’ll resemble Cole and every time I look at him, I’ll be reminded of what an idiot I am. No, a girl is the safer choice. A girl the entire town of Winter Falls will help me raise. She won’t need a father. Furthermore, she won’t miss him. I’ll make damn sure of it.
