My Almost Ex (The Greene Family #2) - Piper Rayne Page 0,81

busy. We both run businesses. We have no time for a puppy,” Cade argues.

“Fine, I’ll be in the truck waiting. Next time don’t bring me.” Presley huffs and stomps off toward the truck.

“Goddamn you, Cam.” Cade runs a hand through his hair. “Give it back to me.”

“Two grand please.” Cam holds out his hand.

“Fuck off. I’ll be sending you the bill when it eats my fucking couch.” Cade grabs the dog Presley had and stomps over to his truck.

Presley’s eyes are already widening in happiness.

“No refunds and no returns,” Cam shouts.

I head away from the group with the puppy that’ll probably work my patience until it’s trained. As I drive to downtown, my entire plan comes to my mind.

I groan when there’s a knock on the door. The last thing I want is to deal with anyone today . I love Ethel and Dori, but I really hope it’s not them.

I mute the television and go to open the door. I’m shocked to find my mom, her arms crossed and a sour look on her face.

Great. This is exactly what I needed right now. Not.

“Can I come in?” she asks.

I hold out my arm and step out of her way. She did fly up here from Idaho after all. “Suit yourself.”

I go back to the couch and sit, waiting for her to join me. She sits in the chair across from me and places a journal on the coffee table. I glance at her, and she nods to confirm it’s what I think it is. The journal I’ve wanted since the beginning of my search.

“How could you—”

She puts up her hand. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I thought I was protecting you by keeping it. After your accident, I was in your room, grabbing clothes to wash and straighten up. I found it and I’m ashamed to say I read it.”

“So you knew when we came here?” Anger boils inside me that she’d hide the journal. I’d explicitly asked about it multiple times, so she can’t even pretend keeping it from me was a lie of omission.

“I did, and I don’t expect you to forgive me, but just hear me out. Our relationship has been strained since you started hanging out with Adam when you were a child. I have feelings about that family that go way back. And when your dad and I told you our objections, they took you under their wing and you became closer than ever with them. I was jealous of Marla. I hated that woman for sitting in my role. My resentment grew and I don’t know…” She throws up her hands in front of her. “I let too much time go by. I was too stubborn to admit that I saw what you and Adam shared. But when you came home and didn’t want to talk about why you’d left, I figured I’d been right all along and all that time I’d mourned your absence was forgotten.” She nods toward the journal. “When I read why you left Adam, I thought you made the right decision.”

“But I didn’t—”

“You didn’t.” She shakes her head. “I know that now. The way he’s stuck by you with the amnesia and agreed to start a relationship with you without knowing why you left him says a lot about the love you share. Although I hate to admit it, I thought of course he’d push you aside to find someone who could give him children.” She stares at her fingers. “I know the toll infertility can cause a couple. I wanted to spare you the pain.”

“But it would’ve come up if and when I found someone else.”

“True, but I felt if you left Adam because of that, knowing how much you love him, it was because it was so important to him. Do you remember leaving now?”

I shake my head. “I found out from the doctor.”

“Then hopefully when you read the journal entry, you’ll understand a little bit of why I made the decision I did.”

I pick up the journal, the weight of it heavy in my hands. I’m almost scared to read what I wrote.

“I thought about just mailing it, but I want you to know how sorry I am. I’m your mother, and I never should’ve let this get so out of hand. In some weird way, I convinced myself I was doing right by trying to protect you, but I was wrong.” She stands. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m at the inn if you want to