AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah.So, there are a lot of celebrities in our family.Alotof money.Influence.And I’m going to be honest with you right now, Grumpy.”
His lips twitch.“Please do.”
“It makes me so fucking uncomfortable.”I cover my face with my hands again.
“Look at me.”
I shake my head.“I feel so ungrateful.What’s wrong with me that I’m the only one in my entire huge, loud, crazy family to feel like I had to flee?I’ve known for a while now that I wanted a quieter life.A simple one.The big city isn’t for me, even though Seattle is where everyone I love lives.I hate the noise, the traffic, the crime.I was just itching to move away.And then all my cousins—I’m super close to all of my cousins and their spouses—decided to take a ski trip to Montana late last year.I’d already told my cousin Drew that I was thinking about leaving Seattle, and I’m glad I did because he was on that trip, and I was able to bounce things off of him.Do you have someone like that?”
“Yeah.”He nods, and I love that he’s watching me,listeningto me.“I do.”
“Good, because we all need that.Anyway, we got here, and as soon as we landed, I thought to myself,This is home.I actually skipped out on the skiing and most of the touristy things with my cousins because I wanted to absorb Bitterroot Valley.I wandered through town, ate at restaurants, and talked to people.I applied for the job at the coffee shop before the others even left town.”
“And you didn’t leave with them.”
“No.”I shake my head.“I didn’t leave with them.They were worried, of course, but they also knew me, and they trusted me.The hardest part was telling my parents because, although I’ve been out of the house for a while now, I know they always assumed that I’d stay in Seattle.I don’t like disappointing them.”
“I have a question.”
I sit back and nod.“Go ahead.”
“I understand wanting to leave the city, but why not use the trust fund when you need it?”
“It’s not my money.”I shrug and then laugh.“And I’ve been told often to stop being so stubborn, but it’snotmy money.It’s my parents’ money.”
“That they set aside foryou.”
I lick my lips again.“It’s nice to know it’s there for a true emergency, but I wanted to make my own way.It’s always been important to me to be self-sufficient and independent.My family doesn’t understand.They think it’s stubbornness, but it’s just how I want my life to be.”
“Your car going tits-up isn’t a true emergency?Jesus, Doc, what do you want, to be homeless before you use it?”
“Yes.I know it sounds so weird, but I’m doing fine on my own.Sure, I’ve had a few bumps here and there, but I’m fine.I’m not hungry or cold.My bills are paid.I enjoy my jobs.I don’t have any reason to complain.If I hadn’t found the position with you, I probably would have broken down and used the trust for a new car because we’re in the boonies in Montana, and it’s not like I can ride the bus or something.But it worked out.”
“It worked out,” he repeats and then lets out a gusty laugh.
“Okay, it’s my turn to ask personal questions because I want to change the subject.”
Rem nods.“Fair enough.Ask away.”
“What happened to the kids’ mom?”
That seems to surprise him because he frowns and leans forward onto his knees, staring down at his hands.
“She died,” he says before rubbing his hand over his face and sitting back once more.“She died in childbirth with Holly.”
“Oh, shit.”I want to reach out to him, but I don’t.Instead, I scratch my fingers through my hair.“I’m sorry, Rem.I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Neither was I.We didn’t know that anything was wrong.Jessica went into labor, and the labor progressed normally, but right after she delivered Holly, she collapsed.Everything happened so fast.I was pushed out of the room, and the next thing I knew, a doctor was telling me that my wife had died.”
He turns to me now and sighs.
“She had what they called an amniotic fluid embolism, and it killed her within minutes.”
“My God.I’m so sorry, Remington.Truly.”
“I’m sorry, too.”He rubs his hand over his face again.“And because we’re being honest here, I’ll go on to say that Iamvery sorry that Johnny and Holly will never know her.She was a good woman, and she loved her babies.”
“But?”
