Holden's Resurrection (Gemini Group Book 6)

decade.”
Yeah, I knew that’s what she wanted. People like Lizza had zero self-esteem and needed others to stroke their egos. Sadly, she was passing this trait down to her pretty teenage daughter.
Speaking of daughters, I needed to end this meeting and go pick up mine from Jameson and Kennedy Grant’s house.
“I have to get going, Lizza.”
For a moment she looked like she was going to argue, then at the last second thought better of it. It was a Saturday—not only that, the Saturday before Christmas—and she was lucky I’d come out at all to deal with her latest hissy fit.
“Yes, of course.”
No “thank you for coming out” or “I appreciate you dropping everything, finding a sitter for your child” not even a “sorry to bother you on a Saturday”.
Nothing. Pure entitlement.
Annoying.
It had taken nearly the entire drive to Jameson and Kennedy’s for me to put my irritation aside. The only good part about my impromptu meeting was Faith got to spend time with Kennedy. My daughter loved helping Jameson’s wife make jam and honey. Now that it was winter and there was no garden to tend to or wild berries to pick, Kennedy was teaching Faith the art of bread making. Today was sunflower seed bread. Faith would totally love that. My heart constricted at the thought of moving her away from the people she’d bonded with.
I wish she could’ve had this her whole life. Good men to help protect her. Good women to help me guide and teach her. Even Chasin’s fiancée Genevieve was kind to Faith, though it was very obvious she disliked me. But that hadn’t stopped the former country megastar from giving Faith guitar lessons. And Bobby, Genevieve’s best friend, was a riot of laughs and was welcoming and friendly to my girl. Though she was firmly in the I-hate-Charleigh Camp.
As long as they were nice to my daughter, they could hate me all they wanted. I deserved most of their ire. Most—not all. Though I did understand why they’d shifted all the blame from Holden onto me. Holden was theirs; it was natural they’d protect him from an outsider. But part of me did wonder if they knew the whole truth.
You know the saying, ‘there are two sides to every story, and then there’s the truth?’ They only knew Holden’s side and I found it doubtful he’d been forthright.
By the time I pulled into the Grants’ driveway, my heart ached. When would I stop loving Holden? Would there ever be a time when I could move on and not pine for a man who didn’t want me? After all of these years, I still loved him the way I did the first time I saw him. So at this point, it was a good bet I’d die loving him. That thought made me sick to my stomach. Faith would grow up an only child of a single mother, who never taught her how to love a man or be loved by one. She’d grow up without a family. It would always be just her and me.
I hadn’t even exited my car when the front door opened and Tank the giant German Shepherd that Jameson should’ve named Giganto—the dog was that big—came barreling across the yard, Faith’s little legs trying but failing to keep up.
“Mom!” Faith shouted. “Auntie Kennedy’s baby kicked. And I felt it.”
The “auntie” designation was new and I wished with all my heart that I could find joy in my daughter’s closeness with these women. But all it did was grind me to dust. I was going to selfishly yank her away from the first healthy family she’d ever had.
Good God, I’m a horrible mother.
“You did?” Faith came to a skidding halt in front of me, Tank danced around, his tail thumping my thigh with such force I’d be surprised if I didn’t have a bruise. “I see you, Tank.” I reached down and gave his soft fur a rub.
“Can we get a Tank?”
“No, sweets, we live in an apartment.”
“Then can you have a baby in your belly so I can feel it kick all the time?”
Dagger to the heart.
“Nope. I already have my best girl. No more babies for mommy.”
“But you can have a baby in an apartment.”
Good Lord, twist the knife.
“You sure can. But lucky for you, Kennedy already has one in her belly so you can feel hers kick.”
“I guess you’re right.” Faith’s lips twisted but she dropped the subject.
“Hey. How’d it go with L-I-double-Z-A?” Kennedy asked as she made her way to my car.
“About like I assumed it would go. She wanted to triple-check that her fifteen-year-old would have the premiere party of the decade. I shouldn’t complain; between my fee and my commission, I’m making a fortune on this party. But it feels so wasteful to spend all that money on one day. It works out to being a little over ten thousand dollars an hour.”
Money I certainly needed since I was moving again.
“My whole wedding didn’t cost ten thousand dollars.”
Neither did mine, but I wasn’t going to comment. “That’s ’cause you’re smart. I hope little miss was well-behaved.”
“Pal-leeze. You know she’s always a doll. The bread she made is in the oven and she entertained Tank while Jameson put together baby furniture.”
As if Kennedy’s words summoned her husband, Jameson came out onto the porch, and when his gaze settled on Faith chasing Tank, his whole face softened.
This was a new look for Jameson. In all the years I was with Holden, the one adjective I never would’ve thought to use when describing Jameson was gentle. He’d always been surly, broody, grumpy, and that was how he behaved around friends. If the man didn’t like you, watch out, he could be downright menacing. I was happy to see that whatever had weighed him down had been lifted. Kennedy was a sweetheart. I loved that Jameson had found himself a good woman.
All of them had.
And one day Holden would, too.
On that thought, I shivered, and it had nothing to