she said, crossing her heart.
Candice quirked a brow. “We know you… remember.”
With a laugh, Alice left Candice and I shaking our heads. It was just then that the girls decided to wake up and be fed.
Later that day, Reena came by. When I told her about Alice’s matchmaking, Reena laughed and said that there wasn’t anything anyone could say or do to change Alice’s mind about something.
“Mark my words, Sutton. There will be hell to pay by the time Alice is through. Anyhow, I think this one is hungry,” Reena said, handing Evie to me. “Let me take Avery, and you can feed her sister.”
Reena picked up Avery and went back to the rocking chair. We had a nice visit until Mark returned from the police station. Seeing Reena, he smiled, “Thanks for keeping an eye on my girls.”
My girls. The way he said it just made my heart swell with love. “How did it go?”
Mark loosened his tie, came over to kiss me, and then sat down before responding. “The paperwork in the briefcase has been verified. It is your mother’s, and therefore it now belongs to you. Most of it doesn’t need any attention from you, especially as you just had our babies and are a little wrapped up in all of that. However, there isn’t anything that we can tie directly to Maggie or Father Montgomery.”
“Was it a bunch of bills or something?” I said wearily.
“Actually, the opposite. A lot of old stocks in various companies and an inheritance from your maternal grandmother. Somewhere around four hundred million dollars, give or take a few.”
Reena gasped. “Four hundred million! Damn, girl, you’re rich.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was nothing compared to what my father had left me. The father I’d never known. The same father who had meant the world to Mark.
Impulsively I asked, “Tell me about Hollingsworth.”
I saw the surprise and happiness in his eyes as he turned to me and asked, “Are you sure?”
Reena stood and passed the baby to Mark. “I’ve got to run, so why don’t you two have a nice long chat.”
It was time.
7
Sutton - One Month Later
I thought I knew the definition of the word ‘tired’. It wasn’t as if I was a stranger to hard work. However, nothing could have prepared me for the twins. I felt like a zombie most days. A zombie with gigantic tits that leaked everywhere. I hardly ever knew what day it was, or even what time of the day. All I did was feed the babies and change diapers.
And don’t even get me started on my hormones. Avery would cry, then I would cry, and Evie couldn’t be left out of things. Mark often found the three of us wailing in unison. I also felt incredibly guilty that Mark was under so much pressure to run the company from Otterville Falls.
I knew it wasn’t easy and that he had been putting off some important things to stay by my side. But how fair was that? Mark loved Sutton Enterprises. He helped my father build the company, and it was as much a part of him as anything else. Was it fair for me to insist we stay in the country?
It wasn’t as if we couldn’t afford the best of anything and everything. The twins could have a wonderful life in New York. However, just the thought of leaving Otterville Falls had a lump developing in my stomach.
An entire month had passed quietly, without any news on the case. Perhaps it was time to go. I just didn’t want to leave yet. Candice and Knox, Earl and Martha, as well as Reena and Alice, were my family. Sure, we weren’t connected by blood, but they were a part of me just as much as I hoped to be a part of them.
Brian had even bought a small home here. He said he could use this location as a base just as well as anywhere else. And Otterville Falls felt like home to me. I wanted my girls to grow up with these people, but was it the best choice for our family?
“Hey baby,” Mark called out, poking his head inside the family room entryway. “What are you doing staring at the blank TV?”
I blinked and looked up, noticing that, indeed, the television had turned off. “Oh, um, I don’t know.”
It was easy to see the look of concern that came over him. Mark made his way into the room, careful not