a space for one person. Do you see why staying here now just isn’t practical?”
There was a lot to unpack in what she learned. The money wasn’t a surprise, but how much and its impact on Ari came as a shock.
So did the in-your-face reality of their life in Southern California coming to a close. Now that the long wait for Arnie to figure it the fuck out was over, she and Ari were embarking on a new journey.
It wasn’t neat or pretty, but in their own quirky way, they made a family. If she understood what Dottie was trying to tell her, it was up to Summer to make all the moving parts work together.
Dottie gave her some space to think. She ate more of the bear claw, licked her fingers, and stood. “Where’d I leave my bag? Oh, there it is.” She darted into the kitchen and grabbed the Kors bag. “I have some things for you.”
“Thank you again for the flowers. I did say thanks, didn’t I?”
Laughing, Dottie set the bag on a chair at the table. She remained standing, looking down at Summer. She was impressed by how skillfully the formidable lady blended the ballsiness of a New Yorker with the pitch-perfect style and presentation of a Beverly Hills housewife.
No joke—someone should write a screenplay about her.
A master class in languages was required to adequately describe the tone, key, pitch, and speed of Dottie’s riveting reply. Summer knew right away she was in the presence of a verbal master. It wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it. Whether you got the message or not was a different matter altogether.
“My boyfriend has a theory about flowers. Well, actually,” she snortled, “Avery has a theory or an opinion about most things. All military alphas, whether currently serving or retired, have endless shit to fling about an entire encyclopedia of topics.”
Summer chuckled. Dottie was right. She drawled satirically, “One hundred,” and smirked along with Arnie’s second mom.
“But I digress,” she continued. “We’re talking about flowers. Avery says they’re an emotion-driven dialogue between two people. It starts with a gesture of giving and a hope the flowers will generate good thoughts and happy feelings. Once given, they represent a conduit of good vibes. Seeing them evokes goodwill and warm feelings.”
“I think I know what you’re saying. It’s a lovely gesture and a great way to begin a relationship.”
“I’m glad you see it the same way. And I’m glad you like roses because Arnie’s grandfather, the family patriarch—”
Summer interrupted. “Darnell Senior, right?”
“Smart girl! Connecting the dots right away. Yes, Senior. Anyway, he’s got a flower farm outside Santa Barbara.”
Dottie tore into her bag. She handed Summer a new iPhone, still in the box. “Charged up and ready to go. Everyone’s contact info is already loaded. You call me even if it’s to whine about the price of milk, okay?”
Hold on, she thought. A phone loaded with Arnie’s life? How convenient—for him. Her stomach rumbled uncomfortably. “Um, okay,” she mumbled, startled by how fast things were moving.
“You need a lawyer.”
“Why?”
“Heiress, remember?”
She pulled the plug so fast Dottie looked startled when Summer abruptly shot out of her chair.
There was no place to go. Not in this tiny guesthouse. She couldn’t even go outside for some air because she kept getting glimpses through the window of Stan or Ned and occasionally Arnie as they milled around in the back.
Gritting her teeth in irritation, she grumbled, “My limit has been exceeded. You have to go.”
The shock on Dottie’s face barely registered. Summer didn’t care—not when she hit the wall at supersonic speed. Her fight or flee instinct kicked. Exhaustion coupled with zero fucks left her no option. She had to have space to breathe.
With nowhere else to go, she ran for the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Her head swam, and she didn’t feel very good.
She survived a lunatic’s attempt to steal her baby.
Arnie reappearing gave her hope, but right away, his life swallowed hers.
Moving to a larger location was presented to her not as an option but something mandatory and immediate.
Ari had a grandfather.
All of this, everything, down to the smallest detail, had been worked out without her input.
Unable to catch her breath, the last straw was someone else, a total stranger, buying her a phone and essentially reprogramming Summer’s life with Arnie’s.
The crash hit her swiftly and without warning.
Over and over in her mind, she replayed Dottie asking, “What did you think would happen when you and Arnie