“No, you don’t. I did fine, as you can see,” I said dryly.
“You’re beautiful. You are absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thanks.”
She piled up several pancakes with bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs on a huge plate and delivered it to me. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head.
“I hope you’re hungry. Do you want some juice?” She bustled around the tiny kitchen.
“Yes, please, but I can get it.”
“No, no, you sit. I cannot tell you how much of a treat this is for me. I feel like I’m in one of the many dreams I’ve had over the years. Sometimes, I would wake up, and I could smell whatever it was I had been cooking for you in my dream. My heart ached, and I cannot tell you how many times I would wake up with tears on my cheeks.” She delivered my juice.
She moved back to dish up her own plate before taking a seat across from me.
“I used to wake up with tears on my cheeks a lot too,” I whispered.
“I’m so sorry,” she said again.
“Don’t be. Let’s keep moving forward.”
She smiled, her eyes lighting up. “I like that plan. Eat up before it gets cold.”
I nearly burst into tears. It was a very simple order, but I had longed to hear my mother say that to me. Hell, I would have been happy with my dad saying it to me. It meant someone cared about my wellbeing.
I took a bite of the pancakes and moaned with ecstasy. They were light, fluffy, and amazingly good. “These are delicious,” I told her.
“Thank you, I love cooking,” she commented.
I chuckled. “Rand did too,” I blurted out.
She raised an eyebrow. “Rand?”
“He’s, he’s, he is—no one,” I managed to get out, realizing I didn’t know what Rand was.
“I see.”
We were quiet while we ate more of the breakfast. In that moment, I had clarity. I knew what I wanted. “Um, Mom, can I call you Mom?” I asked.
Tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh god, would you please?”
I smiled. “Yes. I’d like to have a relationship with you. I want to get to know you, but I have to warn you up front, it won’t be easy for me. I have a lot of things I’m still struggling to cope with.”
“Oh honey, I know you do. You are such a strong woman. I wish I could take credit for that, but I know you are the person you are because of you and only you. I want to know everything. I had to force myself to stay out of your room last night. I had so many questions. I still have so many questions. I want to know everything. I want to know how your first day of kindergarten was and what kinds of grades you got in school. I want to know what your favorite color is and whether you have allergies to anything. Over the years, I have tried to guess all those things. I used to sit right here at this table and pretend you were at summer camp and would be coming home soon.”
“How did you get through the days?” I asked. “I have to be honest. I have no memories of you at all. In a way, I think I had the easier time of it because all I ever knew was the life I had. I didn’t miss you because I didn’t know you.”
She had a hurt look on her face. “I suppose that gives me some comfort. I didn’t want you to miss me. I didn’t want you to suffer if that was even possible.”
“I suffered plenty, but not in that way,” I mumbled. “Sorry,” I said, realizing I had said it out loud.
“Don’t be sorry. I’ve been doing penance for a long time for my mistakes. I am truly sorry for what you went through and the scars you will carry with you for the rest of your life.”
“I’m trying not to dwell on that. I know you did what you thought was best, and who knows? It might have been for the best. He might have killed both of us or you. It’s in the past, and I really want to try to move forward.” I had made up my mind as I sat there eating pancakes.
“I am thrilled to hear that. What is it you do in Greece? Are you able to take an extended vacation?”
I smirked. “Yes. I don’t really do anything. I was a maid—housekeeper,” I corrected. “The man I was working for, the man who hired an investigator to find you, he passed away a short time ago. The estate offered to keep us on, but I think I’d like to come home.”
“You do?” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes again.
“I do.”
“You can stay here,” she said excitedly. “I have the spare room you can use until you get on your feet, or you can stay here forever. I look forward to getting to know all there is to know about you.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile. “I’ll probably get my own place, but I would like to take you up on your offer for a little while.”
“That is perfect.”
“Do you work?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t too blunt.
“Yes and no. I make junk art. Have you heard of it?”
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t think so. What is it?”
“I make art pieces,” she said. “Sometimes yard structures or wind chimes or just whatever pops into my head from what most people would call junk. I sell a couple pieces a month, and that’s how I support myself.”
“Wow, I don’t think I inherited your creativity,” I told her.
“Maybe you just haven’t found your creative muse yet,” she offered.
I let out a sigh. “Maybe. Um, there is something else I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not coming back alone,” I said.
“Oh?” she asked. “Is this Rand person going to be joining you? Is he here in the States?”
I shook my head. “No, but a part of him is.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Is Rand alive?”
“What? Yes, why would you ask that?” I was completely confused.
“I thought maybe he passed away and you had his ashes or something,” she said with a shrug. “You referred to him in the past tense.”
“I did?”
She gave a brief nod of her head. “Yes. I assumed him to be someone from your past.”
“No, I mean I suppose he is now. Anyway, I’m pregnant.” I just said it and got it out in the open.
“What? Oh my god! That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”
I grimaced. “I’m not sure I’m celebrating.”
Her smile faded. “Oh. I see. Well, that’s okay. We’ll get through it. I’m here for you and the child. I guess my grandchild. I’m going to be a grandma. Yesterday when I got out of bed, I wasn’t even a mother, and now I have two blessings. Life is good.”
I smiled, happy she could have such a positive outlook on things. “Thanks,” I told her.
“So, Rand, huh?” she asked.
I nodded my head. “Rand.”
“We can talk about the details later. You finish eating your breakfast. You’re eating for two now.” She clearly enjoyed being able to lecture me.
I grinned and took a bite of the crispy bacon. “I think I like the sound of that.”
“We’ll go to the grocery store later and get some healthy snacks for you. I remember when I was pregnant with you, I craved carrots. Do you like carrots?”
I giggled, shrugging a shoulder. “I guess. They aren’t my favorite, but I eat them.”
“I wonder what your craving will be,” she murmured, getting up from the table and carrying her plate to the sink.
It was the first time since the idea I might be pregnant came to light that I looked forward to the coming months. It was the perfect way for me to bond with my mother. I knew we had a lot of work to do, but I had a feeling it was all going to work out just fine. There was already an easy rapport between us, like we’d known each other forever. The blood bond was strong.
“I’ll help you clean up,” I volunteered.
She shook her head. “Oh no, you don’t. You sit right there and let me take care of you.”
“I’m not an invalid.”
“You’re my guest,” she insisted.
I grinned. “Not if I’m going to be staying here.
”
She burst into laughter. “Oh, you’re sassy. You get that from me.”
“I think my dad called it a smartass,” I told her.
She nodded. “We have that in common. He thought I was a smartass too. Technically, he wasn’t wrong. He hated that I was smarter than him.”
“I never showed him my report cards. I always signed his name. If he would have known I was even remotely good at school…” I didn’t finish the sentence.
“Did he still drink?” she asked quietly.
“Yes. A lot. Too much.”
“He was a mean drunk,” she said. “I don’t know what happened in his life, but he had some demons.”
“Yes, he did,” I said with disgust. “He inflicted those demons on me and the walls and the guys at the bar.”
“Did he hurt you? I’ve been afraid to ask. I know the answer, but I need you to tell me.”
I shook my head. “You don’t need to know the details.”
She grabbed both of my hands in hers and looked at me with eyes the same shade as mine. “I do. I need to know.”
“Yes.”
She pursed her lips together. “Often?”
“No, he was more emotionally and verbally abusive than physically,” I told her, old memories fighting to come to the surface.
She dropped my hands, put her arm around her waist, and bent over, breathing hard as she gulped in deep breaths of air. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t there to protect you. I should have been there.”
“Mom, please, I can’t keep reliving those memories,” I told her firmly. “I want to stay here with you, but I need you to promise you won’t bring this up again. Maybe one day I’ll talk about it, but not today. Not tomorrow and probably not next week. Those are days best left forgotten.”
She stood up, wiping her cheeks and nodding. “I won’t bring it up again, but Nicole, if you ever, ever need to talk about those days, you can tell me. I am an excellent listener. I’ve lived through it. I can relate like few people can.”
“I appreciate that, and if it ever feels like I need to talk, I will definitely let you know.”
She filled the sink with water, adding a healthy amount of dish soap, and stirred it up. There was a knock on the door. We both turned to look at one another. My first thought was my dad knew I was back in the States. I had a feeling he probably knew where my mother was.
She put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. He won’t get to you. Not anymore. I’m here.”
“I’ll get it, Mom,” I told her, feeling strong and defiant. “If it’s him, I want to see his face when he realizes I found you.”
She looked at me as if she was going to argue but nodded instead. “Okay.”
I tossed the dishtowel on the counter and walked to the door, ready to do battle. When I opened the door, it wasn’t my father I found on the other side of the door.
It was Rand.
Chapter 35
Rand
I nearly fainted with relief at seeing her. I had been worried she would have shown up, realized it wasn’t her mom or figured out her mother didn’t want her, and already hopped on a plane home. We’d be the proverbial ships passing in the night, except it would be crossing in planes.
She looked as beautiful as I remembered, a little pale and a little tired, but she looked good. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with no makeup on her face. She was wearing a wrinkled shirt with a pair of bright red lips emblazoned across the front and a pair of plain jeans. She had never looked prettier than she did in that moment.
My eyes had been starving to see her, my ears craving the sound of her voice. It was better than getting a cold beer at the end of a long, hot day in the sun.
“Hi,” I said when she said nothing.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with clear surprise, her voice higher than usual.
I offered her a bright smile. “I came to find you. I want to apologize, and then I want to talk.”
“You came here?” she asked.
I looked down at my feet and then her. “I suppose I did.”
“Rand!” she hissed.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” I teased. “It’s the jetlag.”
“It’s fine. I suppose it was a dumb question. I’m just—I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I would have been here earlier had I known you left Crete,” I said, trying not to sound angry, but I was a little pissed, hurt really.
She looked down at her feet before looking back up at me. “I’m sorry. Things are a little crazy.”
“I get it. I have so much—” I started before getting cut off.
“Nicole, is everything okay?” I heard a woman say from inside.
“Yes, everything is fine,” she shouted over her shoulder.
“Your mother?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes. I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I know you need some time here, and I’m okay with that, but I’m hoping we can talk. We have a lot to discuss.”
She raised her eyebrow and studied me before I saw the moment realization dawned. “You talked to Alena.”
I nodded. “I did.”
“She told you,” she breathed.
“Yes and no,” I said. “I was already informed before that.”
She scowled. “Bella.”
I grinned. “How many other people know?”
“Just my mom.”
A woman who looked like a shorter, older version of Nicole showed up at the door. She looked me over, up and down before looking at Nicole.
“Hello,” I greeted her.
“Nicole, is this man selling something?” she asked.
Nicole sighed and shook her head “No. Mom, this is Rand. Rand, this is my mother.”
I extended my hand. “It is nice to meet you.”
“Come in, come in,” she said. “We just finished breakfast, but we can sit and talk over coffee, or, erm, juice.”
“He knows,” Nicole muttered.
The woman grinned. “Perfect, come in.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to intrude. You two have a lot of catching up to do. I only wanted to come by and see if Nicole was here. I have a hotel room in town.”
“It’s fine,” Nicole said. “You can come in.”
I smiled, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms. “I’m pretty exhausted. I’m going to go back to the hotel and take a nap. If you get a chance, will you stop by? Room two-forty.”
“There’s no reason for you to run off, Rand,” her mother said with a smile.
I looked into Nicole’s pretty blue eyes. “I found her. I can rest easy. I’ll leave you two alone now. I’ll be in town for as long as necessary. Take your time here, but if you can, I’d really like to talk.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I nodded, turning my focus to her mother. “It was nice to meet you. I hope we’ll see each other again before I leave. I really hope the two of you have a nice visit, the beginning of a special relationship.”
She nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “I think we will, on both accounts. I promise I won’t keep her all to myself. I understand the two of you have a lot to discuss.”
“Yes, I believe we do.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” Nicole said.
I gave a brief nod before turning and heading back to the waiting taxi I had hired at the airport. It was going to cost a small fortune, but I didn’t care. I got in the backseat and leaned my head back as relief washed over me. I had found her. She was okay. She seemed to be getting along with her mother, which was amazing. I hoped she would come by the hotel soon, but I was ready to wait it out. I would wait for days, weeks if I had to. I needed her to know I was serious.
The cab driver dropped me off at the hotel. I grabbed my single bag and quickly checked in. I was exhausted and ready to kick off my shoes and relax. I made it to my room and was thoroughly unimpressed with the accommodations, but I hadn’t been expe
cting much from the small town. I supposed I could call it quaint.
I dropped my bag on the queen bed in the center of the room and took a seat in one of the two chairs in the room. Either the chairs were deceptively comfortable, or I was that tired. I closed my eyes, giving myself a few minutes to just take it all in.
I was in the United States. Alone, but I was here. I knew where Nicole was. She looked healthy. She was getting along with her mother, and she was safe. For the last twenty-four hours, I had been stressed to the max. It felt good to simply unwind and shake off the worries of the last couple of days.
Now that my world had stopped spinning out of control, I realized I had sorely neglected Cade. I had barely had time to shoot Adrian a text to let him know I was going to be gone for a while. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and hit the button to call him. It took a few extra buttons, but I finally got the damn thing to work.
“Where the hell have you been?” Cade answered.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “It’s been a hell of a week.”
“Yeah, what the hell did you screw up now?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Oh man. You have no idea.”
“No, I don’t, so tell me.”
“Nicole found her mother. Rather, my grandfather found her mother.”
“Her mother is dead,” he said with confusion. “She didn’t know what cemetery she was buried in.”
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “No, she isn’t dead. She’s alive. Nicole is with her now.”
“Oh. Shit. Are you lonely? Want to hang out?”
“Unless you plan on hopping on a plane and flying your ass out to West Virginia, we won’t be hanging out,” I said dryly.
“Where the hell is West Virginia?” he asked with confusion.
I chuckled. “In the United States.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “You’re in the United States?”
I blew out a breath. “Yes. Yes, Cade. I’m in the United States. Nicole is in the United States. And Nicole is pregnant.”
More silence. “Wow.”
I chuckled. “Yep.”
“She’s pregnant. Yours?”
“Fuck you.” I snapped. “Yes, mine.”
“Congratulations, I suppose. But why are you in West Virginia?” He said the word Virginia with a great deal of annunciation.
My Favorite Mistake Page 21
