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“And you? Are you taking your medicine?”
“Yeah, Mom, I am.”
“Okay, good. Are you having any problems with it?”
“Nope, and I take my blood pressure every morning and every night and see the nurse after lunch for her to take it too.”
“Alright. That’s good.” I stared at my daughter’s sweet face, and then Emmy pushed to get into the screen.
“I love you guys and miss you two so much.”
“We miss you too,” Lauren said as Emmy smiled widely.
We talked for a couple more minutes, and then we said goodbye. As I hung up the phone, I blinked back a few tears. I hated being away from my kids, but I was building a new life for us. These last couple of years had been rough with Emmy’s spectrum diagnosis, Lauren’s heart defect, and my divorce. Then add in the job change and moving, and it was almost overwhelming.
It was one of the reasons I was working so hard to give us a new life, a new place to start in a stress-free environment where the girls’ friends didn’t ask a million questions and make fun of the girls because they couldn’t do certain things. It was also why I didn’t want to get involved with anyone emotionally.
The girls had already had one man walk out of their lives; they didn’t need another.
Chapter Fourteen
Bradley
Ihad three messages on my phone from people checking in on me. I didn’t answer any of them. Instead, I drove to my parents. They probably started dinner without me, and that was fine.
When I got there, everyone was around the table, and a few people called out hello, but no one looked at me funny or made a joke about me not being here on time. My eyes strayed to Henley, and he nodded.
So he hadn’t told anyone about earlier today. Why? Tonya gave me a hug as I made my way around the table, and then bowls and platters were passed toward me to fill my plate. My father leaned closer, and I thought, well, here it comes. “You get that problem fixed?”
“Problem?” I echoed back.
Henley spoke up. “Yeah, I told them you’d texted me before dinner that you’d be late because you had a little problem to handle.”
“Uh, yeah, I did. Nothing major, just something that needed my attention for a few minutes.”
“Well.” My dad grinned. “That’s good.”
I peered around the table quickly, but no one else seemed to be interested in why I was late. I hadn’t expected that. I was closing my mouth around a forkful of roast beef when Kayley caught my eye and gave me a conspiratorial grin. The laughter in her eyes told me she knew precisely what I had to work on.
I forced myself not to think about it anymore and attempted to get on board with the conversation around the table. Every once in a while, a memory of Nolan would show up in my mind, and I would have to wrestle it back into hiding. I didn’t need my hormones to jack up now as I sat at the table with my family.
Hunt eventually brought up Nolan as he asked Kayley, “How are things going at the Millstone house? I heard that your friend was gutting it.”
“She is, and Brad is helping her.” Kayley grinned my way, lacing her fingers together as she propped her elbows on the table and then resting her chin on them as if she were an angel or something.
“You’re working on the house?” Wes asked as he peeked around his daughter Marisol. “I thought you were in a full construction of a new house right now.”
“I am. I’m only helping out.”
“Helping out by sharing all his laborers,” my father added.
Wes nodded as if he approved.
“I haven’t met your friend, Kayley,” Roxanne said. “When do I get the pleasure?”
Kayley glanced my way and then smiled at Roxanne. “She’ll be here for the Memorial Day picnic.”
“Oh, good! I look forward to meeting her.”
