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“That’s not really how that works.” I hit the button to open the garage and pull out.
“I know.” Her shoulders drop. “I don’t know why it freaks me out so much.” She pulls on one of the loose strings of her jean shorts.
“We’ll get there,” I reassure her. “We could go back to a parking lot and practice some more.”
“And go in circles?” She rolls her eyes, and I know it’s at herself.
“It’s fine. We never get alone time anymore.”
“You and Dad have been busy.” She’s not wrong. Before we moved to River Oaks and Sebastian expanded the business, we had more time together.
“It’s been a lot, but I think we’re all catching our stride. How about you? You like it here?”
“Yes,” she says without hesitation.
“Make any friends?” Sadie shakes her head, but I think that’s more than fine with her.
One of the reasons it was a no-brainer for me when Sebastian suggested we move to open the new branch was because of Sadie. I knew she needed a new start.
Sadie was struggling with some of the other girls. Ones that had been her friends for years but all started being cruel to her. I’m not sure what happened, but I could tell she was unhappy. I do know that some of those girls made it a point to come over to see Van.
Van doesn’t take too kindly when he thinks someone is taking advantage of his sister. He ended up in a few fights with some boys that had joined in on teasing Sadie. I could never get the full story out of Van or Sadie about what had happened, but I think some lies had been spread around. A few of them even suggested that she and Van were too close.
“Everyone has actually been nice.” Her response is genuine, and it fills me with a sense of relief. It makes the uprooting of our lives worth it.
“How nice?” I peek over at her. No way did I forget what she and Van were bickering about when Sebastian and I walked in.
A boy has caught her attention. That is new. I want to be excited for her. She’s never shown interest in a boy before. I was the same way until one knocked me off my feet before leaving me pregnant. I was so sure he’d come save me, but he did the opposite.
“It’s nothing.” Sadie knows what I’m talking about. This is far from nothing, but I won’t push for now.
“How about you? Are you and Dad going to do this fake marriage, or will you both actually find love?” Sadie challenges.
She’s always given pushback about Sebastian and me faking it. It’s not out of ill will. I know she wants us to find true love.
“I do love your father,” I retort. She rolls her eyes again, but this time it is directed at me. “Sadie. I have all the love I need.”
The moment the words leave my lips, I regret them. It wasn't till I heard myself say it that I knew it was a lie, and I never want to lie to my son or Sadie. I try to be as honest as I can without hurting them. Thankfully, Van doesn’t ask about his father.
“Liar,” Sadie snips playfully as she bends over to kiss my cheek. “Love you.” She bounces out of the car. It’s nice to see her happy going into school.
“Love you too,” I call after her, watching her head inside the building until a thick body blocks my view of her. My breathing freezes when my eyes lock with Cooper’s. He’s got a backpack in his hand. I swallow, realizing he must be bringing it to his own child. I’ve been in his position more than once when Sadie or Van forgot something they needed at home for school.
For the first time in my life, I don’t feel sadness and heartbreak when it comes to Cooper. All of it turns to rage and hate.
CHAPTER7
COOPER
Sometimes when you’reon the top of a roof after spending hours bent over with the hot sun cooking your back and the asphalt shingles burning your hands, you stand up, and the whole world starts spinning. I’ve seen men drop to their knees and puke up their entire lunch, and some just kind of collapse into a heap. I overhead one of my men say it’s vertigo, a temporary loss of balance. That’s how I feel right now. A loss of balance. My whole world’s spinning. The breakfast I made a couple of hours ago is crawling up my throat.
I’ve thought about her every day. Maybe this is a mirage. Maybe there was something in the water I drank. Maybe it’s not here. Maybe there are two doppelgängers in this town. Wait… A cold sweat breaks out.
The car in front of me lurches forward. I jump back, barely avoiding getting run over. My eyes narrow while the woman behind the wheel turns pale. I stride over to the driver’s door and wrench it open. Fischl balks and tries to back up, but I reach inside and haul her out. She’s no match for me. Never was. The girl didn’t weigh more than a few sacks of concrete back in the day, and she’s not much heavier now. I throw her over my shoulder and arrow toward my pickup.
“Dad?” I hear behind me. I pause and spin around to see Dunc standing about ten feet away with a puzzled expression. I sprint toward him and shove the forgotten backpack into his arms. “If I’m not home tonight, don’t worry. I’m taking care of something.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
