the photos spaced expertly between very expensive looking prints and pieces of art. There were many of her and Gwen from their time before Amber, looking amazing, laughing, smiling, cocktails in hand. A couple of her, Gwen and Ian. I stared at those the hardest, wondering when I might feel like I could have photos of Ranger mixed in with old and new memories. Of course, we had many photos of him around the house, but I’d made an art out of never actually looking at them.
All I wanted was to take them down, so I wasn’t faced with the fact that he only lived in photographs now. But my kids needed to see their dad. Remember him, know that he was still a part of their home and their hearts.
“Mimosas!” Amy announced, thankfully jerking me from my melancholic wonderings.
I took the flute thankfully.
She sat across from me, eyes meeting mine. “So, you want to start in with the bitch fight or have a drink first?” she quipped. “Then again, it’s most likely going to be a one-sided bitch fight since I’m not mad at you, and I’m not the bitch fighter I used to be in my younger days.”
“I fear my bitch fighting days are behind me too,” I replied, although I’d never really had any bitch fighting days. “I’m just here to talk. To apologize. I shouldn’t have come at you like I did.”
Amy raised a perfectly manicured brow. “Girl, yes you had a total right to. I was way out of line. I should’ve talked to you first. But I knew talking to you wouldn’t have made you believe me. Believe in yourself. So I made a choice. One that I don’t regret. “
I chewed my lip. I’d been doing a lot of thinking this morning. Had gone over the publishing deal after Kace and the kids left. Not that I knew a whole lot about such things, but I knew that number was fucking big. I also knew that Amy was smart. She most likely had a very fancy and expensive lawyer look over the deal before she brought it to me. Kace’s words had followed me throughout the morning too. He was right. She had done this out of love. Goodness.
Still, I was pissed.
“Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not happy about what you did,” I pinned her with my stare. “This was something private. Something I hadn’t told anyone about, something that you should’ve waited for me to reveal instead of invading my privacy.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right, I’m sorry. Let’s get to the part where you talk about how you’ll forgive me, and we’ll get on a jet and head to New York,” she chirped.
I blinked. “Jet. New York?”
“Uh, duh,” she rolled her eyes. “They’re waiting for you to get back to them so we can organize a meeting. I’ll be coming as your stylist and friend and also because I am in serious need of a Fifth Avenue fix.”
“We can’t go to New York,” I countered. “Someone is trying to kill me.”
“It’s the perfect time to go then,” she argued. “I highly doubt that your would-be killer is going to find themselves on a jet or be able to afford a room at The Ritz. We’re going.”
“I haven’t agreed.”
She grinned. “You’re going to.”
She was right.
I was going to.
Not just because of the number and what it would mean for my kids and their future. What I could give them with just that number.
It was mostly because what it would mean to me. Something more. Something different. A dream I hadn’t let myself have. Even though it scared the shit out of me. Even more than the person potentially trying to kill me.
“Kace isn’t going to be happy,” I frowned.
“Another plus!” Amy exclaimed. “Pissing off the alpha male is all part of the process. Plus, makeup sex. We’ll call him from the jet.”
“Wait,” I demanded, holding up my hand as Amy tapped on her phone. “We can’t go today.”
She glanced up. “Why not?”
Holy crap, she was serious. “First, we both have kids. Second, I can’t just have my kids coming home from school and me not be there. Third, I’m pretty sure that a big publishing company won’t take a meeting at such short notice. Fourth, I have nothing to wear to such an important meeting. So there, four reasons.”
Amy grinned wider. “We both have men to look after said kids. And if you don’t want your man to look after them, you’ve got