Page 77 of Whatever You Want

“I know this seems drastic, but you’ve backed yourself into a corner here. The only chance you have of turning things around is to turn yourself in, pay the damages and get help. It’s the only choice that makes sense.”

It was also the only outcome I could live with. The thought of what this would do to my daughter gutted me. Brina needed a mother that was healthy. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night unless I knew my daughter was safe. If that meant sending Vanessa away to get treatment, then so be it.

Her shoulders fell on a defeated sigh. “You win, okay. I’ll do what you want. I’ll do it for Brina.”

The conviction in her voice caught me off guard. If I was honest, I never expected her to cave. I thought for sure she would put up a fight to the bitter end. But as I stared at her more closely, she looked tired and broken down. It had to be exhausting trying to cling to a life that no longer existed.

“What happens now?” She folded her arms around her stomach and looked at me as if I had all the answers to her problems.

I held her gaze, hating everything about this. “First, you need to hire an attorney. Then you turn yourself in.”

Logan’s truck bounced along the uneven terrain as we turned into a long, winding driveway. It was so narrow I was afraid we’d end up in the creek below if he turned the steering wheel too hard. I let out a sigh of relief once we reached the bottom. And then my relief turned into amazement.

Holy shit! This place was gorgeous.

When he mentioned his family rented a camp in Lake Placid, this was not what I was expecting because this most certainly was not a camp.

He shifted the truck in park and smirked. “Let me guess, you were expecting a little run-down shack with an outdoor bathroom.”

I ducked my head in my shoulder, feeling guilty. “Is it that obvious?”

He laughed. “Nah. I knew you had low expectations.”

I swatted his leg. “Don’t make me sound like a snob just because I like electricity and running water.”

He held his hand up, drawing a box in the air with his fingers. “No judgment zone here. How about a little tour of this place?”

After six hours in the car, I was ready to stretch my legs. “Sounds good.” I glanced to the back seat where Madison and Brina were out like a light.

Logan hopped out and unloaded a few things from the back while I woke the girls up and followed him to the door.

“I think it’s nice that your parents are giving us a few days to ourselves,” I said, folding up all the charging cables so they wouldn’t get tangled. After what happened with Vanessa, they thought we could use some time alone. The past few weeks have been taxing and very upsetting for Brina. All she knew was that her mom was sick, but I got the impression she understood more than she was letting on.

“Yeah, I agree.” He pushed open the large rustic wood door.

“Wow,” I said as soon as we stepped inside. There was a massive stone fireplace in the center of the room and a large flat screen TV mounted over the top. I walked over to the windows covering the back wall that overlooked Whiteface Mountain. The view was stunning. While it didn’t come with an outdoor bathroom, it did have a seasonal outdoor shower I couldn’t wait to try out.

This was not a camp. It was a huge house with a full wraparound porch, outdoor firepit, and sprawling yard. I glanced around at the state of-the-art stainless steel appliances and cozy décor. I was starting to see the appeal of country living.

The girls ran downstairs to the playroom to check out the pool table and skeet-ball machine while Logan carried in the rest of our things.

“Not a bad view, huh?” He rested his chin on my shoulder as I settled against him.

“It’s stunning.” I smiled when I felt his strong arms wrap around me. I closed my eyes briefly, breathing him in. I never wanted to move from this spot.

“I think the mountains are growing on you.”

“I think you might be right. I could get used to this.”

He kissed the back of my head and reached for my hand. “Come on, let’s go out back.”

We stepped onto the deck and leaned against the railing. The smell of fresh evergreen and clean open-air greeted us. I closed my eyes, surprised by how much I liked it here.

Logan smiled, but it lacked the usual sparkle that I was used to. The situation with Vanessa was wearing him down. I knew I should have just left him alone, but I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t want him to feel like he couldn’t talk to me or share his thoughts.

“I was really worried about Brina,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t read more into my concern. “I’m glad she’s doing better.”

“This trip couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I think that’s another reason why my folks insisted that we not cancel our plans. We needed this.”

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