Page 114 of An Engagement for Erica

“We aren’t going on vacation,” she said. “We both have work in New York and are getting a hotel together. We planned it this way.”

“Because your sister can’t do anything alone. Probably can’t afford it either. Your father is just enabling her letting her live there and you support her.”

She growled this time and then coughed since it wasn’t a noise she’d made often. “No one is supporting the other,” she said. There was no way to argue this without her sister knowing what was going on so she was going to do what she always did and address it full on and then console her sister after.

“So your father is making you pay rent to live there?” her mother asked. “I should have figured he’d do that.”

“The arrangement that we have with Dad is of no concern of yours,” she said. “Is that the only reason you called?”

“No,” her mother said. “I’ve been doing some digging on your boyfriend.”

“Of course you have,” she said sarcastically.

That had been more short lived than she hoped but longer to hear back from her mother than she expected.

“Did you know his father died on a yacht with a bunch of hookers and drag queens? He was doing drugs and God only knows what else during that time.”

“Mom,” she said. “First off, what Tucker’s father did or didn’t do is no concern of yours. Tucker isn’t his father. And second of all, you’re reading gossip news.”

She hadn’t heard about the drag queens and didn’t care if it was even true.

“It doesn’t matter what I’m reading. They are all the same. He was an alcoholic and spent a lot of time with people of questionable character.”

That was a good polite description of hookers, whores, and drug dealers.

“Again,” she said. “That isn’t Tucker. It’s not his grandfather either. It’s not your business what one person in their family did. Do you think everyone in your family or Dad’s was an angel?”

“No one on my side of the family would even think of those things. I’m not so sure about your father’s.”

She laughed. She couldn’t help it. Her father’s family was much more conservative than her mother’s, but her mother couldn’t let a dead dog lie.

Ever.

“If you only called to talk about this, then I’m hanging up.”

“Erica,” her mother said. “You’re going to give yourself and your business a bad name if you are linked with TC Nelay.”

“I’m not linked with TC Nelay. I’m dating Tucker Nelay and he is the President and CEO of TCN Industries. He’s a great man with wonderful character traits. He’s nothing like his father and never will be.”

“You don’t know that,” her mother argued. “You haven’t known him that well. You don’t know what hidden things or lies he has in his past.”

“I’m done with this conversation, Mom. If you are going to talk bad about the man I’m dating then don’t call. I’m going to tell you the same thing that Theo did. I don’t need this or want this in my life. Stop judging everyone.”

“Don’t hang up,” her mother rushed out to say. “I’m only worried and concerned for you.”

“There is no reason to be. I’m a big girl and can handle my own affairs.”

“If you could handle them so well then you wouldn’t have gotten yourself sick,” her mother said.

Erica started to swing her arms around in frustration. Harmony’s jaw dropped in the kitchen and she ran over to get the phone away from her.

Erica moved aside and kept it in her hand.

She didn’t need anyone to save her.

She was going to do this on her own.

“I don’t need you micromanaging my life. We all make mistakes and I own mine. But you’re the last one to cast stones.”

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