“So do you think you guys would like to take Izzy for the night? I’m sure she would love to hang out at the fancy hotel and go swimming in that rooftop pool.”
“Really? Yeah, I think Devin would love that.”
“How about you guys eat some dinner, and then we will pack an overnight bag for Izzy. She needs some fun; it’s been very hard for her having her mother away.”
“I’m sorry about that. I’m sure it is very difficult for her. I can’t even imagine.”
“You know, Ashley isn’t a bad person.”
I stopped cutting the fruit and turned toward Mrs. Edwards. Sadness filled her eyes, and I instinctively reached out and gave her a hug. No matter what was going on with Devin and Mrs. Edwards daughter, the necessary human emotion of comforting someone in pain was clearly there between the two of us.
“You know, I’ve never heard Devin say a single bad thing about Ashley. From what I’ve heard, he thinks she is a really good mother and trusts her ability to raise Izzy.”
Tears rolled down Mrs. Edwards face as she finished hugging me and then pulled away. She turned away and wiped her tears without saying another word. I could only hope that my words had felt truthful to her because they were the truth; at least from what I knew of Devin.
Devin and Izzy played out in the backyard for almost an hour before Mrs. Edwards called them in to come and eat. The two literally hopped all the way inside and to the sink to wash their hands. I couldn’t help smiling at how at ease the two of them seemed to be after such a long period of time apart.
“After dinner, if it’s alright with your father, I think you should go with him and Lilli to the hotel and swim in the really cool pool there,” Mrs. Edwards said to Izzy as she scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate.
“Really?” She looked to Devin for an approval, and he looked toward me.
I nodded my head yes and even caught a smile from Izzy before she turned back to Devin.
“Yep, I think that will work.”
“And you guys can bring her home in the morning after church if that works for you?” Mrs. Edwards added.
Church? I hadn’t even gone to church with my parents in the last three years. I wasn’t so sure I was ready to go with a fake husband and his child. Even though I wasn’t a religious person, walking into church in the midst of such a big lie seemed a little like taunting God.
“That sounds great, thank you,” Devin said to Mrs. Edwards. “We will have her home by noon.”
“Really? I get to come,” Izzy screamed as she jumped up and hugged Devin. “I’m going to go grab my swimsuit.”
Izzy started to leave the table, but Mrs. Edwards put a stop to her excitement fairly quickly.
“Izzy, get back to your seat. It’s dinner time. You can pack your things when you have finished what’s on your plate.”
The firm tone of her voice caught me off guard, but Izzy listened to her right away and sat back down in her seat. She didn’t seem upset by the rule that was set for her either. Instead, she simply started to eat her dinner quickly so she could go do what she wanted. It was a small peek into what it would someday be like to be a parent. Setting rules and enforcing them wasn’t something I was prepared to do at this point in my fake marriage to Devin, though.
After dinner, Devin and I sat on the couch while Mrs. Edwards helped Izzy pack a small backpack with her things. It all felt so grown up as we walked back out to the car and loaded in to head back to the hotel. I was no longer just pretending to be Devin’s wife, but I was also pretending to be a step-mom. The lie was starting to give me an upset stomach. Lying to a grownup was something I was alright with, but lying to Izzy wasn’t sitting well with me.
“Should we stop at the mall so you can get an outfit?” Devin asked as we got on the interstate.
As much as I didn’t want to spend any of Devin’s money, I hadn’t gotten my paycheck before I left Chicago, and I did need something to sleep in and something to wear the next day.
“Sure,” I answered.
“I’ll give you my credit card, and you can run in and grab what you need. Will that work?”
“Um, no. I don’t want your credit card,” I protested.
Devin looked at me and then clearly looked back at Izzy as if to tell me not to protest his offer in front of his daughter. I had no choice, so I agreed.
“Okay, sorry,” I said.
It only took me about twenty minutes to run into the mall and get back to the car. I grabbed a casual pair of jeans, some leggings, and a T-shirt. I figured I could mix and match them as needed to get through the evening. I purposely did not get a swimsuit though because I wanted Devin and Izzy to get some time alone in the pool.
“Here you go,” I said as I handed him back the card. “I spent thirty-three dollars and eighty-five cents.”
I handed Devin the receipt for what I had purchased, and he laughed at me and then crumpled it up and threw it into the back seat. This made Izzy laugh as it ended up landing right next to her.
“You don’t need to give me your receipt.”
“I’m sorry, I just wanted you to know how much I spent so you could balance your checkbook.”
Devin continued to laugh, and I wasn’t sure what was so funny.
“I don’t balance a checkbook.”
“Then how do you know how much is in your account?” I asked.
It was a genuine question I had. Even if he had a lot of money, I thought everyone balanced a checkbook either on paper or digitally. Obviously, I was young and didn’t know that much about finances, but I knew what it was like to have a bounced check on my bank account, and I didn’t want something like that to happen to Devin because of the money I spent.
Before pulling out of the parking lot, Devin pulled his phone out and pressed his finger onto the home button. The phone unlocked, and he opened his banking app.
“I’m not worried about how much is in there.” He laughed and handed me the phone once he had his banking app open.
The number on the screen took a good twenty seconds for me to register. I counted the zeros and then counted them again. Devin had $87.017.760 in his checking account. The number was beyond anything I had ever seen on a digital bank account app. My personal account had never reached more than $400 at any one time.
“Oh,” I managed to say as he took his phone back and put it in his pocket.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be cocky. Was that cocky? Sorry.”
“Ha, well I think that was a little cocky, but I’ll let it slide.”
“What does cocky mean?” Izzy asked from the back seat.
Devin and I both widened our eyes in the realization that we certainly weren’t paying attention to what we were saying.
“It means someone is full of them self or bragging too much,” I said.
“Oh, what does full of yourself mean?” Izzy asked.
I pointed to Devin to take this question. I wasn’t about to figure out how to explain that funny little phrase.
“Um, it means someone who is cocky.” Devin laughed and so did Izzy. “Basically, I shouldn’t have shown Lilli my phone.”
“Lilli, are you coming swimming with us?” Izzy asked as she quickly changed the subject.
“I’m not. I’m really tired, so I was going to take a shower and then go to bed. Is that alright? I also don’t have a swimsuit. I forgot to bring mine with us.”
“That’s fine. Dad, will you throw me up in the air while we are in the pool?”
“Sure honey,” Devin said, and Izzy finally went silent for a few minutes as we drove the rest of the way back toward downtown and our hotel.
When we arrived back at the hotel, Devin and Izzy quickly changed into their swimsuits and made their way to the rooftop pool. I was exhausted and didn’t even bother showering as I slipped into my new leggings and T-shirt and climbed into the bed. I moved all the way over to one side of the bed and closed my eyes.
It was very tiring trying to be something I w
asn’t. Everything I did, or said, was replayed in my mind as I tried to get to sleep. Had Mrs. Edwards believed the lie we were portraying? Did Izzy believe us? Did Izzy even understand what being married was or that Devin and I were saying we were married?
There were so many questions that I didn’t think I was going to be able to fall asleep at all. I tossed and turned for a while, but about thirty minutes after crawling into bed, I finally drifted off to sleep.
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About The Author
Sarah has been writing since she was 16 years old and has published multiple Amazon bestselling books. No matter if her heroes are Billionaires, Bad Boys or both - she loves to write about hot and sexy alpha males, who are protective and sometimes bossy, as well as the women they crave. Her exciting stories are always steamy, with a lot of twists and turns and a guaranteed HEA that leaves you satisfied after a wild ride - just like it should be in the bedroom, you know?
Sarah loves to travel the world, because new places always inspire her. Right now she enjoys time in Europe while writing new books.
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Breaking the Rules: A Billionaire Romance Page 95
