time I remain in that town.”
“There’s a company moving some of the cars to Baker’s Creek next week,” he explains without raising his voice. Is he high, taking some relaxant, or…why is he so calm? “I’ll make sure the truck is among them.”
Then, he smirks. “Actually, we can take all the cars. That’s nine. We can still get a new one or lease the space to Hayes or Henry who have a shit ton of cars.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The garage isn’t that big. So, we decided that each one of us can have five parking spaces.” I haven’t seen that boyish grin on him in so long that nostalgia hits me, and it takes a lot of strength not to go to him and kiss him. It’s hard to listen to him while I want to say, hey there, big guy, where have you been?
“You’re part of the household, which means you get five too—that’s ten for us, baby.”
It’s like seeing a small child who just found a way to take some extra candy out from the jar without breaking the rules while still pissing off his brothers.
“We are a team, Leyla,” he continues. “You might hate me or whatever, but you and I are an alliance while in Baker’s Creek.”
“Where am I going?” I ask, now worried because it seems like we’re about to embark on a deserted island where the strongest will eat the weak.
“To hell,” he answers. “We will need to outsmart them if we want to survive.”
Who is “them,” and why did I say yes to what seems like a journey to… No, really, where am I going?
Hell isn’t a place, is it?
He grins. “I would love to say that you can still sign the divorce, but even if you do, you still have to be there at least for the first month.”
“Lucky me,” I grunt as I get into the passenger seat and slam the door.
Chapter Twenty-One
Leyla
I’m delusional.
There’s no other explanation for my current behavior. I’m sitting in the car at a restaurant right off I-70. Pierce is walking the dogs. After he’s done, he’ll be going inside to get us some food. The kids already ate in the morning, and they won’t have more until we arrive at the hotel.
I said I’ll wait in the car because I’m tired, but I am using this free time away from him to call the agencies where I left the voicemails earlier today.
Two of them don’t answer again, and the third one makes me want to smash my phone against the wall.
“What do you mean my application hasn’t been processed yet,” I ask, looking out the window to see if Pierce is coming yet. Fortunately, he’s not.
“Yours isn’t the only application, Mrs. Aldridge,” she says. “It’s too early to give you any information. Maybe you can call us in a few weeks.”
“How is this possible?” I hiss into the phone.
Maybe this is why I’m going crazy, or I feel like losing my shit. Since our separation, I’ve been doing things normal people never, ever do—or should do. Like pretending I’m happily married, and my husband and I are anxious to get a baby.
“As I said, you’re not the only applicant,” she repeats. “We will get to it when we get to it. Hundreds of families are waiting just like you and your husband.”
“How many applications do you receive daily?” I ask.
“That’s confidential information.” Her voice sounds snippy. “We are a non-profit organization with only a few employees.”
“Well, you might be a saint, but you charge enough for the application, and that money was taken out of my account seven months ago,” I argue. “You might have trouble processing the application, but you had plenty of time to go to the bank and cash the check, didn’t you? Again, those twenty thousand dollars are to be used on the prenatal care of the mom-to-be that chooses me. How can they choose me when you haven’t even opened my file? Who should I talk to so you can expedite submission? Your agency came highly recommended, but I’m now wondering if you are legit. I should have someone investigate you.”
“I’m not comfortable with this conversation,” she says and hangs up the phone.
The driver’s side door opens, and Pierce gets into the car, juggling the food and drinks. That’s when I notice the dogs are already in the back.
“Thanks,” I say, wondering if he heard any part of my rant.
I peek inside the first bag and inhale the delicious scent