Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
The guy is like an overgrown child.
He’d prefer negative attention to no attention at all.
My fingers wrap around the intricate silver door handle before thrusting it open. I whirl around as Ford saunters up the stairs as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. His gaze stays pinned to mine the entire time.
Just as he reaches the porch, I slam the door shut in his face.
Then I twist the lock.
A smile curls around the edges of my lips. That was almost as satisfying as flipping him off earlier this afternoon.
I don’t take more than two strides inside the double-story foyer with its massive crystal chandelier that hangs from the ceiling as Crawford peeks his head out of his home office.
As soon as he catches sight of me, a genuine smile lights up his features. With his salt-and-pepper hair and clean-shaven jaw, he’s a handsome man in his early fifties. After Mom took off, I assumed it would only be a matter of time before another woman snapped him up—after all, the man is a real catch—but that never happened.
I have the sneaking suspicion he’s still in love with Pamela.
Poor bastard.
He never should have married her in the first place.
At the end of the day, I love my mother. But she wasn’t cut out to be the wife of a politician.
What she loved most was the financial security Crawford provided. And continues to provide with fat alimony payments that are directly deposited into her account every other week. It allows her to continue living the lavish lifestyle she quickly became accustomed to.
“How’s my girl doing?” Crawford asks, opening his arms wide.
That’s all the invitation I need to fly into them. My eyelids feather closed, and my muscles loosen as I sink into the warm embrace. I inhale a deep breath of the sandalwood cologne that clings to him. There’s something comforting and solid about his presence.
It’s now impossible to imagine my life without him filling it.
“I’m fine. How about you?”
“Oh, can’t complain. I’m glad you two are here for dinner. It’s a welcome break.”
“You work way too hard,” I scold. Between his congressional duties and the construction business he owns, he’s constantly burning the candle at both ends.
The front door swings open and Ford saunters in.
“Hey, son,” Crawford greets, a smile lighting up his face.
For just a moment, I wonder what it would be like to have a parent who actually enjoyed being around me. As soon as that thought slithers into my brain, I shove it away. My mother is who she is and no amount of wishing otherwise will change that fact. It’s taken time for me to come to terms with that hard truth and lower my expectations.
“Dad.”
When I reluctantly draw away from Crawford, he slips an arm around my waist. “You guys ready to eat? Sarah made beef wellington along with steamed green beans.”
Ford’s eyes light up as he pats his toned belly. “My favorite.”
Crawford flashes him an easy smile. “She made it especially with you in mind.”
The three of us head down the long stretch of hallway to the formally appointed dining room. The glossy walnut table is large enough to seat up to twenty guests comfortably.
And it has.
Crawford holds fundraisers and dinner parties a couple times a month. At first, I enjoyed dressing up in fancy gowns and having my hair styled and makeup professionally applied by a glam squad. But after a while, it got old. You end up having the same conversations on repeat while you smile, fielding questions regarding Crawford and his political agenda.
Now that Ford and I are in college, we’re not around for as many of them. Although, every once in a while, Crawford will ask me to accompany him to an event. After everything he’s done for me, there’s no way I would turn him down. Within months of him and Mom getting married, he set up a college account in my name and said that no matter what happened, it would be mine to use for higher education.
I owe this man everything.
Sarah greets us before serving the piping hot plates. The rich aroma is intoxicating. She was a head chef in a Michelin star restaurant before Crawford coaxed her into working exclusively for him. I nibble at my steak as the two men discuss the upcoming election.
“And what about you, Carina? How’s your solo coming along for the Winter Showcase?”
“There are still a few things that need to be cleaned up, but it should be perfected by mid-December.”
He flashes a smile. “That’s my girl. I’m excited to finally see it.”
After another ten minutes, I set my utensils down on my plate. “Would you mind if I use the studio for a bit?”
“Of course not. That’s the reason I built it.” His thick brows tug together as he glances at my plate. “You barely touched your dinner. Wasn’t it to your liking?”