Page 5 of The Ruthless and the Strong

It was one of the many reasons why our marriage had failed, but it wasn’t even the main one.

I was surprised we’d lasted even this long.

My phone beeped to tell me our ride was here.

I stood up and grabbed our carry-on. Most of our bags had been shipped to Olivia’s house weeks ago. Hunter grabbed my hand. “Let’s go, sweetie,” I said.

He shot me a sweet smile, showing me his dimples. “Yes, Momma.”

* * *

I shivered slightlyfrom the cool wind as I bundled up Hunter’s sweater. It was almost springtime in Chicago, but it was still windy and there was a bit of a chill in the air. I was sure Hunter wasn’t used to the cold yet, considering he was born in California. We waited outside the airport for Mason and Olivia to come pick us up.

I mindlessly watched as the crowd of people walked past us, some by themselves, some in groups, all talking excitedly over each other, and some even hugging.

I almost smiled at the scene. It had been months since I’d been back home, but it felt longer than that. So much had happened.

The last time was around Thanksgiving, and Sam had been with us. I remembered standing next to him almost in the same spot Hunter and I were standing now as we waited for our car, and neither of us had been talking. We hadn’t even been holding hands.

I couldn’t remember the last time I held his hand.

Hunter squeezed my hand when a black Ford Expedition pulled to a stop in front of us. I knew he couldn’t see inside, but he probably knew our ride was here.

The doors opened, and then I was engulfed in the tight hug of my best friend.

“Auntie Livia!” Hunter said excitedly before he pulled away from my hand. “Uncle Mason!”

I didn’t watch him, knowing he was perfectly safe with Mason as I basked in the warmth of having Olivia close to me again.

“How are you?” she asked me, her eyes brimming red with unshed tears. I tugged on her long brown hair.

“I’ve been better. What about you?”

“Good, now that you’re home.”

I smiled at that. “Yeah. It’s good to be home again.”

“Good, and you can stay with us as long as you want, okay?”

I nodded. “Thanks, Livie.”

She shot me a smile and wrapped her arms around me.

We watched as Mason swung Hunter up in his arms, eliciting a wave of giggles from him. Olivia and I shared a smile.

We were staying with Mason and Olivia until I got everything sorted out and could find a decent house for Hunter to grow up in. I knew I could go stay with my mom, that she would have been happy to have Hunter live with her for a while, but my mom and I, we had a complicated relationship. Things had been easier between us when I was little. Things got bad when I told her at nineteen that I was pregnant, and though I knew she loved Hunter, she sometimes wished things had been different for me.

Things had gotten worse now that I was a young divorcee.

That wasn’t to say we argued whenever we were put in a room together, but things had definitely been tense, and I didn’t want Hunter to pick up on it.

Children shouldn’t worry or stress about adult issues, and I planned on keeping my son happy and carefree for as long as possible. If that meant avoiding my parents’ house for while, so be it.

“Come on, let’s get you guys out of the cold,” Mason said with Hunter in his arms. I eyed the black short-sleeved shirt he had on. I doubted the man was feeling the cold right now. The shirt was tight-fit and showcased his muscles in the best way possible.

Olivia was a lucky girl, and I knew she thought so, with the way her eyes practically ate him up. “Seeing him like this makes me want to have another baby with him,” she said quietly, so only I heard.

I let out a small chuckle. “Sure you can handle a toddler and a newborn at the same time?”

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