Page 196 of You've Got Hate Mail
I am.
I’m devastated that we can’t use what he created to keep us afloat, but I get it.
It would be like me setting my parents’ house on fire after they’re gone to burn down the house that made me feel like I was broken.
I wouldn’t, but I can understand the urge.
“You’re a good egg, ladybug,” Pip says.
“Being here makes me better.” I move to the fridge. She should eat. “We’ll find another way, Pip. Don’t live in regrets. We’re not out of options yet.”
She blinks at me, then shakes her head. “That man better be giving you good orgasms. You deserve them.”
Once again, my face floods with heat, but this time, I’m laughing. “Don’t ever change, Pip.”
She grimaces, then grins back at me. “Who’s got a mangy hip?”
“Ten does.”
Her bark of laughter fills the kitchen, and everything feels a little lighter.
Still heavy, but a lighter heavy.
“Get me some of that chicken alfredo, will you?” she says. “Some asshole gave me a wine headache.”
I fix her a plate, then sit with her, prodding her for stories of her Vegas showgirl days while my brain turns with questions about how many barrels of wine might be left.
The wedding will only take us so far financially, and we don’t know if we’ll be able to pull it off in a way that will get us more bookings.
We’re still struggling to identify potential investors.
And the wine that I thought would save us can’t.
This is a setback in my optimism, but I’m not done yet.
We’renot done yet.
Wewill figure this out.
As a family.
Because that’s what we are, and this family?
This family’s worth fighting for.
I just hope we can save us in time.
35
CHICKENHEART
Heath
Sunday dinner’sa noisy affair with Caro and Ten topping each other by telling stories about theirOn the Rhodesdays. Lav and I are here tonight since the majority of the wedding plans are set, and Caro and Ten are leaving tomorrow morning.
Haven’t seen Cricket alone at all since yesterday. She texted that she was tied up with wedding plans last night, and she disappeared tolook into somethingfor most of the day today.
I know she was on the property, but she hasn’t told me where or what she was doing.
