but it’s been difficult now that my days aren’t filled with to-do lists.
Ford offered me a spot on his team at City Hall, but I declined. It’s not what I want for my life. I want to study for the bar so that I can help those less fortunate. The question I’m trying to figure out now is whether that’s here in Colorado or back in Washington.
If my dad were still alive, I would have already hopped on a plane to D.C., but I don’t want to leave my mom alone. It’s too soon.
So, I’ve spent my days watching shitty TV and eating too much crap food. Not even exercise helps to relieve the stress anymore. All I do is think of either my father or Garrin. I’m trying to do what my dad asked me to—live my life and be happy—but it’s impossible because my life is so empty with both him and Garrin absent.
A knock on the door causes me to look up from the book I’m pretending to read while my thoughts run rampant.
“Come in,” I say.
My mom enters, carrying a garment bag over her arm and wearing a small smile on her face.
“Hi, honey. How are you doing?”
She knows what happened with Garrin—I explained it all to her shortly after it happened. I’m bracing for it to hit all the society papers any day now, since I officially put the word out that the wedding was cancelled.
“I’m okay. How about you?” I ask.
She frowns. “I know today is a harder day than most lately. So, I have a little surprise.”
“Okay…” I sit up on the bed and cross my legs.
She carries the garment bag over and sets it on the end of my bed before unzipping it. Inside is an ivory Grecian-looking evening gown.
I tilt my head at her. “It’s beautiful, but what’s it for?”
“It’s for you. I want you to put it on. Then I’m going to go get dressed and we’re going out.”
I groan. “I don’t want to go out, Mom.”
“It will be good for both of us.” Her hand rests on mine. “I need this, sweetheart, please don’t make me go alone.”
She has me. She knows she does. And I uncross my legs and scoot off my mattress.
“Where are we going?” I ask, hoping it’s not somewhere where we have to hobnob with people.
“It’s a surprise. Now you get ready and I’ll meet you by the door in an hour.”
An hour. It will take me longer than an hour to get myself together, but I agree and she leaves my room.
Reaching down, I pull the dress all the way out of the garment bag. It’s gorgeous. My mom did a great job picking it out besides the fact that the color and style remind me of a wedding gown. I push that thought from my mind as I go hang it in the closet and then head to my bathroom for a quick shower.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, my mom waits for me in the foyer. She’s dressed in a floor-length navy-blue-and-silver sequined dress.
“You look gorgeous, Mom.”
She gives me a sad smile. “Thanks, it was one of your dad’s favorites.”
Leaning in, I give her a hug and kiss on the cheek, careful not to leave a lipstick print.
“You look beautiful, honey.” She takes my hands and holds them out so that she can get a good look at me.
“Sorry I’m late. It took longer than I thought to make myself presentable.”
I opted for a brown-and-black smoky eye, nude lip, and my hair down and in waves. I only pulled a few pieces back from my head and secured them in back.
“No problem, honey. What we’re doing will wait.”
“What are we doing, by the way?”
“It’s still a secret. But let’s get going. We have a car waiting.”
I raise an eyebrow, but she laughs at my skepticism and heads out the door. It’s a little chilly since it’s only May, but I don’t bother with a coat since my mother didn’t. We’re obviously not going to be outside.
There’s a fancy black SUV waiting for us in our drive, and we both climb in. A half hour later we pull up in front of the Old Mill. It’s a large Tudor-looking mansion that used to be a mill centuries ago and is now a venue. I had looked into it for the wedding and one of Ford’s celebration parties.
“What’s going on here tonight?” I ask.
The parking lot is empty, so either it’s just us or