Page 28 of Second Chance Husband

“Yes. And I love those nieces of yours.”

“They are pretty amazing.”

“They have you wrapped around their finger.”

“Pretty much. Did you hear that Keelie wanted me to drive her, and no one else?” I said, sounding like a proud uncle.

“I didn’t, but I can believe it. Those girls are loved beyond all measure.”

“They are. And I’m grateful we all live here to make sure they’re never alone. You know?”

“I do. Should I say congratulations on the upcoming happy news?” she asked, and I heard the bitterness mixed with humor in her voice.

That could only mean one thing.

“Let me guess, Devney and Addison mentioned the fact my parents are getting married again even though I thought they were already married.”

“I do not understand your parents.”

“If you ever do figure them out, let me know because I have no idea what the fuck they are thinking. They’re literally insane.”

“I don’t understand why they would get together after they were divorced. I mean, things were probably said the first time, and they got back together?”

I looked over at her, as I took the exit for the resort.

“If anything, you and I are evidence that people can somehow find a way to create a friendship, if anything, after a divorce.” Look at me, sounding all calm and adult like. There was nothing inside of me that was calm at that moment.

“Exactly. We’re finding a way, and we’re not fighting or bickering at every turn. Look at us, we spent an entire trip up into the mountains so far and we haven’t screamed at each other or bickered at all. I call this progress.”

“Exactly. And yet, my parents love yelling at each other, to the point it’s almost a prelude to them wanting to get married again. At least we’re all old enough that once they divorce again and realize that it was all a fucking mistake and there are no such things as second chances, they’re not going to try to split up the family again. And we’re going to do all that we can to protect those kids. Because my nieces? They’re never going to know that Grammy and Grandpa are horrible fucking people. They’re only going to know the good things.”

Paisley studied my face for a moment, and I couldn’t read her expression as I was trying to focus on the road, and then I realized what I had just said.

There were no such things as second chances.

Well, it was the truth, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if Paisley and I needed or wanted a second chance.

But maybe second chances could be friendship, there was that at least.

As we wove over the next highway, we were quiet for a bit, as I listened to a book, and she finished up her work. And as we crested over the ridge, the grandeur of the resort in sight, I blinked.

“This place is huge. And they don’t have parking?”

“It looks like it. I’ll deal with that paperwork later. Because I’m grumpy.”

“Enjoy yourself first though, okay?”

“Will do, okay.”

We pulled into the visitor parking at first, not knowing exactly where we were supposed to be. Then jumped out of the car to go get our keys for our rooms. The resort wasn’t all one big building, it was multiple buildings set into the sides of the mountains to blend in. Some places were little cabanas with mini kitchens, and I knew that Greer and her husband were in one of those, and that’s who we were bringing most of the food for. The other buildings were more like hotel and resort rooms, and the way we had booked it, meant that the two families with kids would share a large living room area, a common place so that way they wouldn’t have to double up on things for the girls, and Paisley and I would have separate rooms on either side of that.

Or at least that’s what I thought.

“What do you mean that’s not our reservation?” Paisley asked, her voice icy.

There was something fucking hot about the way her voice slid like sin and frost down my spine.

I needed to get out of that mindset.

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