Page 117 of You've Got Hate Mail
So long as the bank doesn’t foreclose on the property, Mabel will be the sole inheritor of every last inch of this place when Pip passes.
She’s smart. She’s savvy.
She’ll pay herself back tenfold when she can run this place the way she wants, and I give her all the credit in the world for continuing to honor Pip’s wishes and desires while she’s still here.
But if I have my way, Pip will live to be a hundred and seventeen, which is still thirty years from now.
The Notorious P-I-P might cause trouble, but god knows she’s earned the right to have fun.
And unorthodox as it might seem, having Lav regularly around a woman comfortable with her body is good for her too.
But also fuel for my in-laws if they decide to try to take Lav from me again.
I don’t know if I ever won’t have that fear lingering in the back of my mind. At least not until Lav’s fully grown. And definitely not when my mother-in-law is still sending regular emails and leaving regular voicemails that I’m collecting as evidence of harassment in the event that she tries to take Lav from me again.
“So you have to take the extra commissions,” I say. “To pay back the loan. For—for Lav and me.”
“It’s not just for you. If any building here isn’t safe for Lavender, it’s not safe for Aunt Pip either. I have no choice. I have to fix the building or tear it down, both of which cost money, and I have to do it now, or I’m opening myself up to accusations of everything from neglect to intentional harm from Dean’s family if Pip has an accident.”
Mabel might not mention it often, but everyone who’s been here more than a few months knows Dean’s nephews are hoping for a payout when Pip’s gone.
They apparently have enough of their own money but still want Pip’s too.
Even with one building falling apart and several more in need of preventative repairs and maintenance, this property is worth millions.
But only if it’s sold.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and breathe through my increasing headache.
“I’ll understand if you still want to leave—I’m sure there are several factors you’re considering for both yourself and for Lav—but I wanted you to know that I’m making it safer.”
“I—I need to process this when my brain’s working right.”
“And your hormones?”
One more thing I don’t like about Mabel—she’s not afraid to go in for the kill.
I scowl at her. “I’m not attracted to Cricket.”
It’s a lie.
It’s a complete and total lie.
We both know it.
Cricket punched me, moved in under me, and something inside me came back to life.
Yes, my life is stressful. It’s hard. I carry a heavy dose of responsibility and guilt when I need help.
But it’s also my life.
Mine to grab by the balls andlive.
To enjoy.
Not just for thirty minutes by myself every morning, but all day.
With friends that want to help.
