One More Storm (Mistletoe Matchmakers of Clearwater County #6) - Bonnie R. Paulson Page 0,13
come see them. So, that might be something you offer her.”
Roman’s look of relief made Taylor laugh. She shook her head and pulled her jacket tighter around her. “Love you.”
“I love you more.” Roman blew her a kiss and waved Taylor out the door.
In her SUV, Taylor got everything settled for her drive to Lily and Brock’s place. Her seat didn’t adjust automatically when the car turned on and Taylor wrinkled her nose. Wait. Why wasn’t it shifting into place? Roman had made her buy a newer SUV so he would have peace of mind that she was safer and every time she got into the car and turned it on, the seat adjusted to her preprogrammed position.
But not that morning.
Sighing, Taylor reached down to the side of her seat to push the buttons and felt with her fingertips a piece of paper over them. She pulled the post-it from its place over the position buttons and pulled it into the light.
Connect your phone to the Bluetooth and dial one.
Casting a glance around the exterior of the car and also inside for good measure, Taylor didn’t see anyone. She turned on her Bluetooth for the car and waited while it connected. Did she drive? What did she do? She didn’t want to call Roman outside of the house when the babies were inside and that left them more vulnerable with their daddy distracted.
Taylor put the car into reverse and bit her lip. She pressed 1 and dial. What was she getting herself into?
The phone rang. The peeling sound flowed from the speakers, filling the car with the call.
Taylor backed up into a turn, and then shifted into drive, pulling out of the driveway and onto the highway toward town and Lily’s place.
“I wondered how long it would take you to call.” Taylor’s mother’s voice replaced the ringing of the phone. Her voice wasn’t one Taylor wanted in surround sound.
“Jennifer. What do you want now?” Taylor spoke through gritted teeth. She didn’t want to deal with the anxiety speaking with her mother filled her with.
Taylor wanted her life to smooth out, fill with babies, family, and her job she loved working at the bed and breakfast. She didn’t want to deal with a conniving, manipulative, and unwanted mother who had abandoned her family for her own selfish reasons.
“Jennifer? How fast you forget I’m your mother.” But the mock pain in her voice didn’t soften Taylor’s hard heart against her.
“You never wanted us to call you mother when you were here, remember? You said it made you feel old.” But that wasn’t why Taylor didn’t want to call her mother or mom. Jennifer hadn’t earned the title that Taylor cared so much about. “When you abandon your post, you’re pretty much giving up all perks associated with it, Jennifer.” The emphasis on her name was more for Taylor’s benefit than the other woman’s. She sighed. “What do you want?”
“You must be leaving for Lily’s. You’re pretty predictable, you know.” Jennifer had obviously been the one to leave the note for Taylor which meant, the problem woman was in Mistletoe.
She was back and she was doing things with a very sneaky agenda.
“Again, what do you want?” Taylor didn’t let on how worried Jennifer’s return made her. If her mother was willing to sneak around and hide notes, what else would she be willing to do to get her way?
“I told you a few months ago. I warned you. I haven’t heard anything from anyone about expecting a deposit. I haven’t received any communication about when you were ready to give me the money I’m owed. That doesn’t make me feel too confident in your decisions or actions, Taylor. I thought I made myself clear.” There were no questions in her tone. She wasn’t asking about the money. She was stating very plainly that she’d been let down.
Taylor narrowed her eyes, gripping the steering wheel with hands that wanted to wrap around her mother’s neck. Was that wrong? Maybe. Maybe not. All Taylor knew was that someone whose interests weren’t for the good of the family was threatening them all and that didn’t sit well with Taylor’s need to have everything and everyone safe and in line.
She came to a stop at the only stop sign between Lily’s place and hers. For a drawn out second, she sat there, staring to the left of her vehicle off into the distance where the snow-covered fields stretched for miles toward town.