Page 63 of Heart of the West

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall when that happens. I don’t know who will have the bigger cow Roger or his father. Possibly his mother. She loves to spend. I swear she spends forty plus hours a week on the shopping channels. Not to mention the in person and online shopping sprees she does regularly.” Ruby says.

“How did you survive in that family for that long?”

“First, it was love. I loved Roger, or at least what I thought love was. Then it was determination. I wanted to get out of the marriage with something more than the clothes on my back. I had a feeling Roger would try something sneaky. Money is his first love. It only took me a decade to realize it.”

“The important thing is you figured it out and got out,” Gillian says.”

A knock sounds on the door.

“Come in.”

Jessi pops her head in the door.

“Dinner’s ready if you are.”

“We’ll be right there, pumpkin.”

Jessi leaves, and I look at Gillian.

“Do you have anything else?

She smiles. “An appetite. Feed me.”

Both sets of grandparents, Gillian and Dustin, came tonight. We’re a full house. Xavier made surf and turf for dinner. We moved the pizza contest until lunch tomorrow. Halfway through dinner, I notice Ruby turning pale.

“Excuse me," she says, before making a mad dash from the table.

I rush after her, getting in the bathroom in time to hold her hair as she loses her dinner. When she’s done, I run and grab her toothbrush and toothpaste for her.

Chapter 38

Ruby

I can’t believe I threw up in the middle of family dinner. How humiliating. Effrem is taking it in stride. Then again, he’s taken everything in stride. The King’s leave tomorrow, and I need to figure out a place to live. I could go back to the bed and breakfast. Cece told me I was welcome to stay as long as I’d like.

Effrem tells me he’ll be right back and runs out of the bathroom. He comes back in a couple minutes later with my toothbrush and toothpaste.

“Thank you.”

“I’ve got your back.”

I hope he means that. My legs wobble at the thought of doing this all alone. I have no idea how to be a parent. Effrem catches me. He puts the lid down, sits on the toilet, and puts me in his lap.

“What’s wrong, spitfire?”

“I’m terrified.” I admit, letting the tears flow freely down my face.

“Let it all out, Ruby. You’ve been holding too much in.”

Having permission broke the dam, I cried. I sobbed. I ugly cried until I was so tired, I could barely hold my eyes open.

“Let’s wash your face. Do you want to tell everyone tonight or wait for tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

Effrem carried me out of the bathroom and tucked me into his bed. The same bed I’d been in since the day I was attacked. Henever asked me to move back to the guest room and I didn’t offer. His kids not only took it in stride, they encouraged the relationship.

Although nothing was said out loud, it’s like everyone knew. Each of them shared stories of Evie with me and told me how happy they were to see their dad smile. Jessi even told me that her mom would approve. Talk about a lump in your throat moment.

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