“You’ve been crying,” I said once I approached her.

  She pressed her lips together before speaking.

  “I was,” she admits.

  I placed my hand on her waist and pulled her closer.

  “What happened, baby?” I spoke softly.

  She took a breath. “My mother.”

  That was all that she had to say. I wrapped my arms around her, and she just sank into me, and I held her.

  “Aw, my moms love each other,” Ryder said.

  I felt little arms wrap around me and Whitney. We both looked at him and smiled, and we moved our arms to wrap around him to hug him back.

  After the little family hug, Whitney and I washed up for dinner, and we all finally ate, and we spent time together with our son before it was time for him to get ready for bed.

  As Ryder showered, I pulled Whitney to our bedroom.

  “So what happened today?” I asked.

  “I don’t have a job anymore,” she says with no hesitation.

  My eyes stretched. There was no way in hell she was fired because she was phenomenal and everyone there loved her.

  “Did you quit, because I know damn well you weren’t fired,” I said.

  “I didn’t quit, and I wasn’t fired. My mother bought the ranch; she didn’t want me to be an employee, so she bought me the ranch. Her constant need to control me knows no bounds. That’s where I went, I went to confront her. I don’t want to be a part of anything that she has her hands on. I refused,” she says.

  “No, baby, I understand. That’s so crazy, I know she had to pay millions to get someone to sell a family legacy that spans over several generations. She really would go to any lengths to get to you.” I said.

  “She would, and I’m so tired of it. I loved my job, Nadine. I don’t have that anymore,” she was starting to get emotional.

  “I know you did, we will find something else for you, Whitney, I promise,” I told her.

  She nods. “I hope so, I was living a dream I’ve had for so long. I just want to do what I love.”

  “You will, baby, I just know it,” I assured her.

  “I know, I’m just really bummed about it, but I don’t have to figure it all out tonight,” she says.

  “You’re right, you don’t. Can I run you a bubble bath, that will make you feel a little better?”

  She smiles. “I think the only way that will make me feel better is if you join me.”

  “That can be arranged,” I returned her smile.

  I know how hard this was for Whitney. We have our family, but it’s important to have something that was all your own. I have that with my job, and Whitney had that with hers. I just really wanted her to have something that was her own again, and I would do anything in my power to make sure she had that.

  * * *

  Whitney

  “She bought the whole ranch, grandmother,” I said.

  I was having tea with my grandmother. I had nothing else to occupy my time. Nadine was at work and Ryder was at school, so I decided to spend time with my grandmother.

  “Your mother has been known to go to extremes when it comes to getting her way,” she says.

  “When has she done something like this before?” I wondered.

  I was tired of not knowing the truth about my mother and how she became this manipulative and controlling person.

  My grandmother took a breath. “Your mother always was controlling, ever since she was a little girl. Her father spoiled her, and she figured she could treat people anyway she wanted and get away with it. I never condoned it, but I never really did anything to stop it, so part of it is my fault. It started small, like controlling her “friends,” manipulating them by threatening them with secrets they entrusted her with.”

  “It took a turn for the worse when she met your father; the two of them together were a match made in hell. Your grandfather was insistent that they meet, and I wasn’t on board with it. Now, your mother was obsessed with your father, especially after hearing his credentials; she was in awe of him. He didn’t see her that way; he actually couldn’t stand her. That’s something that wouldn’t stop her, though. Your mother has always been determined, I’ll give her that. Your father was actually in love with someone else at the time. I believe that this woman was the love of his life, and I’m pretty sure that’s who your father is with now,” she says.

  “So how did they end up together if he was in love with someone else?” I asked.

  I was hanging on to her every word. I never heard the story of my parents getting together, and now I’m understanding why.

  “Well, Mitchell’s father didn’t like the girl he was with, but your father stood firm when it came to her. He would not give her up for anything; she had his heart, and nothing would change that. That was until your mother and her scheming. She had the most nefarious of intentions to get your father. Your mother befriended this girl, then she tore her world down from around her; she did it slowly but surely. I don’t know all the ins and outs of it, but I know how cruel Vanessa could be. All I know is she ruined that young woman’s life with no remorse. In the end, she got your father and locked him down as quickly as she could manage. She got pregnant with you shortly after they became an item, ensuring that he wouldn’t go anywhere. She was cunning and vicious most of her life, and I wish that I were more proactive in getting her to change. I failed her as a mother just as she failed you,” she looked regretful. “Just know that I’m so proud of you, Whitney, for breaking the cycle; you are everything I wish your mother were.”

  I smiled at her. “Do you think there is any redemption for my mother?”

  “I don’t know, change is hard for a lot of people. But I do believe that as long as you have life in you, there is always room for growth and change.”

  I nod.

  I understood that my grandmother believed that, but I didn’t believe that my mother could change. She was just rotten, and some people are just that way; once something is rotten, it’s never going to be good again. I just learned that my conception was because of how manipulative she was. No wonder she was alone.

  After leaving my grandmother’s to let her rest, I headed to the school to pick up Ryder. I left my grandmother’s house earlier than expected, so I got to his school pretty early.

  Ryder had lacrosse practice, and I usually picked him up when it was over, but he still had an hour left of practice. I parked my car, then I walked onto the field. Ryder was on the youth lacrosse team, and he was so in love with the game.

  Nadine and Ryder played together all the time, and she practiced with him in the backyard. Ryder was so much like her, it was insane; you would honestly think that Nadine gave birth to him; he shared absolutely none of my interests. It didn’t matter, though, because I love seeing the two of them together; it was so magical, and it made my heart swell.

  I watched Ryder do his thing. I didn’t understand the game at first, but Nadine taught me. I was so proud of him, and I was so happy that he was my little boy.

  I was watching Ryder, and a sound caught my attention. I turned my head in the direction of the sound. A smile suddenly appeared on my face; it was Castle.

  I stood from my seat and I headed over to the fields where the horses were.

  I approached the fence and I looked on as I saw the horses galloping, they took my breath away.

  “Whitney Delaney, is that you?”

  I turned to see my old riding instructor approaching me.

  I smiled at her. “Ms. Thorpe, it’s so nice to see you.”

  “You too, Whitney. What brings you here?” she wondered.

  “Well, my son is at lacrosse practice. I heard Castle, it’s been so long since I’ve seen her, so I came right over,” I said.

  She smiles. “You have a son?”

  “I do, Marshall Ryder, he’s nine,” I shared.

  “Nine?” She looked confused, then realization hit her. “Now I know why you suddenly disappeared.”

  I nod. “Yeah, my parents weren’t too happy, and my life took a drastic change.”

  “You have still been riding at least?”

  “Yeah, and I compete a little, but I’m mostly instructing now. I mean, I was at least.”

  “Why aren’t you now?” she wondered.

  I took a breath. “I was working at the Grand River Lands, but they recently sold the ranch.”

  She looked impressed. “That is such a prestigious ranch, I can’t believe they would sell it. Do you know why they sold it?”

  “It’s a long story,” I said.

  I turned to look at the horses again, and I was surprised to see Castle standing there. I moved over to her immediately.

  “Castle, hello girl,” I touched her muzzle, and she nuzzled me, and I giggled.

  It was like she remembered me, even after all these years.

  “I missed you, girl, you’re just as beautiful as ever.”

  “She’s at her prime, Whitney. You should ride her again. No one could ever handle her like you can; you have a way with horses,” Ms. Thorpe says.

  “I would love that,” I said.

  “Whitney, I just happen to need another instructor. I would love to have you on my team,” she offered.

  I felt a tug at my heart, and I felt like crying. “Are you serious?”

  She gives me a warm smile. “Yes, you were my star pupil, and I would love to work with you again.”

  “You don’t know how much that means to me,” I said.

  “Why don’t you come in tomorrow morning? We’ll get everything squared away.”

  “Thank you so much, Ms. Thorpe,” I said.

  “We’ll be working together now, Whitney. You can call me Florence, or Flo.”

  I smiled at her. “Okay.”

  “Hey, Mom,”

  Ryder was approaching the two of us with his gym bag and lacrosse stick.

  “Hey, baby, are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, I’m starving,” he says.

  “Of course you are. There is someone I’d like you to meet. This is my old riding instructor, Ms. Thorpe.”

  He smiles at her. “Nice to meet you, I’m Ryder.”

  She smiles at him warmly. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Ryder. With a name like that, I’m sure you’re just as talented as your mother.”

  “Not really,” he says.

  “Ryder has different interests,” I said.

  “Mom, I’m hungry,” he says.

  This is the second time he said it, we’d better go.

  “Alright, honey,” I said before turning to Ms. Thorpe. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Thank you again for the opportunity.” I said.

  “No problem, Whitney. See you tomorrow, and it was nice meeting you, Ryder.”

  “You too.”

  I gave her one more smile before Ryder and I left.

  I was so happy, I really couldn’t believe that just happened. I was coming full circle, and I now get to work with the person who taught me to become a skilled rider. I couldn’t wait to tell Nadine.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Nadine

  “Nadine, congratulations, you are without a doubt pregnant. There is a really strong heartbeat.”

  I looked at my doctor, who had a smile on her face.

  I returned her smile. “Thank you, I can’t wait to tell my wife.”

  Whitney and I have been trying to get pregnant for a few months now. After she got the job at the school, we decided that we were ready to have another baby. Now I’m pregnant, and I’m excited; it was a little scary, but still exciting.

  I didn’t want to get Whitney’s hopes up. We have had several failed attempts, so I decided not to tell her about the appointment today.

  “Here’s a list of prenatal vitamins you can take, and remember to drink lots of water. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. If you have any questions, give me a call,” My doctor says.

  I nod. “Okay.”

  I left the doctor’s office and I headed back to work; my appointment was scheduled during a lunch break, so I had to get back to work. I loved it at my mother’s firm, it’s what I’ve always wanted. I now have everything I want: the love of my life, an amazing son, and another little one on the way.

  I made it back to my office, going over my next case. I’m certain that they would want to settle outside of court.

  There was a knock on my door.

  “Come in,” I said.

  The door opened, and the person who entered the room was the last person I ever expected to see in my office.

  Whitney’s mother.

  I know that this woman has lost her mind.

  “Why are you here?” I said, looking back down at my work.

  I didn’t have the patience for her.

  “Trust me, you’re the last person I want to come to about this matter. But seeing as you’re the only one my daughter listens to, here I am,” she says arrogantly, then she takes a seat.

  I looked at her. I believe she lost her mind.

  “I am in the middle of working,” I told her.

  “You’re a lawyer and a very good one, from what I could gather. How are you okay with my daughter’s mediocrity?” she says.

  I dropped my pen on the desk, and I looked her dead in the eyes.

  “Are you going to come in here and talk about my wife, because I will not allow it,” I gritted.

  “Is it that you just like her being beneath you?” she says.

  I almost laughed at her use of words. Of course, I liked Whitney beneath me because I topped.

  “Get out,” I said.

  “I tried to do something for my daughter, but she would rather be unemployed than take my help,” she says.

  “You’ve hurt her; she doesn’t trust you,” I said.

  “I thought that I was doing what was best for her. I just wanted her to be the best. I honestly didn’t think that I was doing anything wrong,” she voiced.

  “You were, and I’m sorry, but the relationship between you and Whitney was severed a long time ago. Long before I even came into the picture. She is happy she is living her life, and if you care about her like you claim to, you wouldn’t interfere; you would just let her be,” I said.

  “I want to be a part of her life.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  She looked at me, confused. “What do you mean, why?”

  “Just what I said. Why do you want to be a part of her life?” I sat back in my chair.

  “Because she’s my daughter.”

  “I’m sorry, but that’s the wrong answer,” I said.

  “You are a very unruly girl,” she bit.

  I smirked. “Unruly, not submissive to rule,” I defined. “Am I supposed to be submissive to you? You’re nobody to me, so I don’t know who you think you are coming into my office and talking to me about my wife. You know, I would maybe try to hear you out if I hadn’t witnessed firsthand how terrible you were to Whitney. I would never let her around you again unless that was something that she wanted, but I don’t ever see that happening.”

  “I want to have a relationship with my daughter,” she says.

  “You are incapable of having a loving relationship with your daughter.”

  “I am perfectly capable.”

  “You just called her mediocre, and you said that she was beneath me. That doesn’t bode well for you. Quite frankly, I’m done with this conversation. I will no longer entertain you. Now, can you please leave?” I had to stop all of a sudden because I was hit with a wave of nausea.

  I grabbed my waste basket and brought up my lunch.

  I felt a hand on my back and my hair being pulled back.

  “Alright, you’re okay.”

  Whitney’s mom was consoling me.

  I sat back in my chair once my stomach was empty, and I looked at Whitney’s mother, who was looking at me with a foreign look in her eye, it looked like concern, possibly.

  “You’re pregnant,” she says.

  I took a breath. “Um,”

  She walks back over to the chair she was sitting in and digs in her bag for something, then walks back over to me. She reached out and handed something to me.

  I looked at what she was holding in her hand, and it was a peppermint.

  I frowned at her. “I’m not very concerned with having fresh breath right now,” I said.

  “It’s to settle your stomach. You should also invest in some peppermint or ginger tea if you suffer from morning sickness,” she suggested.

  I looked at her for a moment before taking the mint from her hand.

  “Mints helped me when I was pregnant with Whitney,” she shares.

  I put the mint in my mouth and sucked on it, and she watched me.

  She was being nurturing right now, and I’m pretty sure this woman hates me.

  “Why do you treat Whitney the way you do?” I wondered.

  She walks back over to her chair, and my eyes trailed her; she was thinking deeply.

  “I guess I’ve always been this way, and I wasn’t going to be any different with my children. My mother warned me that I would end up alone, and she was right. I have no one, no one that matters anyway.”

  “Have you ever thought of changing?” I asked.

  “It’s not that easy to change,” she says.

  “Maybe you should try therapy. Just being sorry isn’t going to help if you’re still treating people the same way.”

  “Therapy is quack medicine,” she scoffed.

  I laughed. “See, it’s that right there. Stop thinking that you are above any and everything. If you want things to be different, you have to change your way of thinking.”

  “How does talking about things help? That isn’t logical to me?”

  “You and I are talking right now. Sometimes that is the only way. Therapy has helped Whitney, our son, and it’s helped me.”

  She was in deep thought.

  “Listen, Dr. Delaney, I’m not sure if Whitney is ever going to want a relationship with you because you hurt her. I just know that she responds to genuineness; if you’re trying to buy her love, it’s not going to work. She grew up with it, so she can see right through that,” I said.

  “Why are you telling me this?” she wondered.

  “You have scarred Whitney more than you know; you have no idea the harm that you caused. She is still affected by it to this day; you trigger something in her. She is so much stronger than she was when I met her, but it’s still a constant struggle. If I could say something to you that will get you to change, that would not just help you, but it helps my wife. If you want to fix the relationships in your life, you have to first fix yourself,” I said.

 

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