Page 22 of Can't Win 'Em All
“Meh.” I lifted one shoulder. “Personally, I think I’ll probably be happier without one. I know you are.”
That earned a small mouth quirk. “Well, you’re right that I need to sit with this. Just for the record, though, I will not be referred to as Grandma. We will come up with a different name for me.”
“How about Nana?” Pearl suggested. “Grandma is a mouthful for a kid anyway.”
Mom murdered her with a single glare. “Nana is worse than Grandma.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ll come up with something.” I smiled and stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to go back to my suite and take a bath. It’s been a long day.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Zach asked.
“To watch me take a bath? No, I think I’m good.”
He scowled. “No, to talk. I just figured you might want someone to talk with.”
“Yeah, you just want to know who the father is so you can pick a fight. I’m good on my own. Thank you though.” I headed toward the door. “As for the rest of you, I expect you to do better when you’ve had time to adjust.”
“We’ll get right on that,” Pearl said dryly.
“Thanks. I knew I could count on all of you.”
I DID EXACTLY WHAT I SAID AND RETURNEDto my suite so I could relax in the bathtub. I made sure to avoid the casino floor because I didn’t want to run into Rex. He definitely needed time to adjust. My plan was to hole up in my room and start figuring things out. With that in mind, I bundled up in my robe and sat down with my tablet. It was time to come up with a to-do list. I’d only made it through three items when there was a knock on my door.
I expected to find Zach waiting for me when I opened it. He wasn’t the type to just let something go. Instead, I found Olivia. She had a covered tray in her hands and a huge, scary smile on her face.
“Congratulations,” she blurted.
I eyed her for what felt like a really long time. In reality, it was likely only two seconds. The silence dragged on to infinity and back in my head, though. “Hey,” was all I could manage.
She didn’t wait for me to invite her in. Instead, she used her hip to nudge me out of the way and carried the tray to the small dinette set near the kitchen. “I thought you could use some food.” Her voice was unnaturally chipper. “Have you eaten?”
“Not since I lost my breakfast on my father.”
“I figured.” Olivia tilted her head toward one of the chairs. “Sit. I got you chicken noodle soup and bread. It’s healthy and delicious.”
“Are you gearing up to go into advertising?” Even though I didn’t think I was hungry, the smell of the soup had my stomach growling. Maybe it wasn’t the worst idea in the world.
“Since your siblings appear to be in shock—your brother too, even though I know he at least tried to put on a happy face—I figured I should be the one to take care of you tonight.” She sat across from me and waited for me to butter the bread. She didn’t speak again until I took a bite. “I’m very happy for you.”
She meant it. She wasn’t the type to say something she didn’t mean, even if she was trying to make me feel better. “Thank you.” I dug into the soup. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled this soup.”
“I didn’t want you to be alone.”
“I’m fine being alone.”
“Yes, well, you shouldn’t have to be.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m not happy with your family right now. I want you to know that.”
I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t all that happy with them either. “Yes, well, they just need some time. Eventually they’ll get over their shock and be happy for me.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“At least you’re happy for me.”
“I am,” Olivia agreed. “I’m also curious.”
“About what?” I was more focused on my dinner than her, so she caught me completely off guard with the next part.
“About whether or not my brother is the father.”
