Cami’s expression shifted to one of confusion, and I understood why. I didn’t hate kids, but I’d never been maternal. I’d chosen to teach teenagers for a reason. The desire for motherhood had never been part of my plan.
“Their mother just… dropped them off,” I explained, the memory making my chest tight. “And Logan has spent the last two days treating them like a problem to be managed so they don’t ruin his career. One of the girls is deaf, Cami. And it took him over a day to even realize it.”
Camila shook her head, her face a mirror of my own shock and disappointment.
“It’s funny,” she said. “Michael was always seen as the irresponsible one. But the second he found out he was a father; he moved heaven and earth to be with Alice. He changed his whole life for her.”
“Yeah, well. Logan Turner is selfish. He can’t see past his own ambition. Is it any wonder the girls latched onto the first person who paid them any attention?”
“Poor babies… So, you’re going to New York with him. Are the girls going, too?”
“He said he’s leaving them with his mother.”
“And is Trinity aware she’s about to get two new grandchildren?”
“Honestly? That’s his problem to solve. He’s touring the hospital and meeting the board now. The actual interview isn’t until next month. It’s mid-December; the higher-ups will be on holiday break soon.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course not, Cami. But my options are limited. And you know this money will change everything for me. I just feel terrible about leaving your grandmother in the lurch at the bookstore.”
“Evy, you’re about to be a millionaire. No one expects you to stay a bookstore clerk.”
“Logan said he’d arrange and pay for a temp to cover my shift until our contract is over, and I can come back. If your grandmother will even have me. I won’t be a millionaire, Cami. I’ll be debt-free. I’ll buy a small apartment, maybe a car… and then I’ll keep working.”
“Grandma will miss you, but she won’t say no to someone else footing the payroll for a while,” Cami said with a wry laugh.
I managed a faint smile, more for her sake than from any real amusement.
“I’ll talk to her tonight. I hope she understands.”
“She will. She loves you like a granddaughter.”
This time, my smile was genuine, filled with a deep gratitude for having Camila and Jenna as my chosen family. Meanwhile, my own parents, who lived in an apartment in the very same building, had never been the type to care about my feelings.
All I’d heard from my mother after my breakup was that I was "incompetent at keeping a man" and was now an "embarrassment" as a newly single woman. She never once askedwhythe relationship ended. It was easier for her to just assume it was my fault.
Cami pulled me into a tight hug, whispering in my ear that I could always count on her and to please, for the love of God, answer my phone and keep her updated.
“And if that idiot treats you badly, you call me,” she finished, pulling back with a fierce look. “I’ll fly to New York myself to kick him in the balls.”
I had to laugh. I loved my best friend’s unique brand of affection. “Deal. But you know me. I’d make sure to get the first kick in myself.”
“Then he’ll get two,” she declared, standing up. “Alright, I have to run. I left Alice with Trinity, and I need to pick her up. My mother-in-law is at the hospital with Sebastian today. Michael’s meeting them there later.”
Oh, that’s right. Today was the day Bonnie Turner, the wife of the oldest brother, was having her heart surgery. From what I’d heard, it was a major, complex procedure.
I said a quick goodbye, and she left, the room falling silent once more. I was alone again with my half-packed suitcase and the whirlwind of my thoughts.
Chapter Nine
LOGAN
“Why didn’t Evy come with us?” Anna asked the moment I opened my apartment door, ushering them inside.
It was about the twentieth time she’d asked since we left the hotel.
I followed, juggling their massive suitcase, my own, and several grocery bags. We’d already been to the clinic for the DNA test—my blood, their saliva, results in a week. The grocery stop was a last-minute attempt to buy peace. I figured having snacks on hand immediately would help.
