by Lacey London
‘Call me sceptical, but I really don’t think that my mom is happy right now.’
‘Maybe, but I think that might have more to do with you and less to do with Randy…’ I leave that last sentence hanging in the air, hoping that he decides to do the right thing and be the bigger person.
As we sit in silence, we are interrupted by a tiny knocking at the door. Not wanting to be disturbed by room service when I am finally making progress, I ignore it completely and brush my hair up off my face. Quickly realising that they’re not going to leave in a hurry, I let out a huge sigh and begrudgingly slip off the bed. Throwing open the door, I manage a small smile as I take in the person stood in front of me. Her stiff upper lip is in full force, but Janie’s eyes reveal that she’s more upset than she will ever let you know. Stepping aside to allow her into the room, I say a silent prayer that Oliver goes easy on her.
Catching his eye, I manage a tiny wink before taking Noah into the bathroom to give them some privacy. Silently peeking through the gap in the door, I hand Noah a rubber duck and shamelessly eavesdrop on their conversation.
‘So, I spoke to my dad.’
‘I know you did…’ Janie whispers, gingerly taking a seat at the dressing table. ‘I’ve been stood out in the hall for a good fifteen minutes.’
‘So, you were eavesdropping?’ Oliver’s voice is still firm, but the edge that he had at the beach has melted away.
My cheeks flush pink and I suddenly feel a little guilty about doing the exact same thing myself.
‘Actually I was gearing myself up to come in here. Overhearing your conversation wasn’t really part of the plan.’
Oliver looks up from the ground and for a split second their eyes meet.
‘Look, I’m sorry, mom. I really am. I shouldn’t have said those things to you and I should never have allowed Paulie to speak to you like that.’
Janie manages to fight the Botox enough to raise a small smile and takes Oliver’s hand in hers.
‘I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have introduced you to Paulie. I should never have lied to him in the first place. I guess I was just flattered by the attention and I let it get out of control.’
Even though they can’t see me, I nod in agreement. We have all been there at some point in our lives, haven’t we? Before I met Oliver, I told a porky or two myself in my quest to find my prince. Granted my lies didn’t extend past my bra size but still, I can relate.
‘I know you have always wanted me to be the soccer mom, who bakes cookies and dresses age appropriate.’ She spits out age appropriate like it is the dirtiest word in the dictionary. ‘I’ve never been the mother that you wanted and for that I am truly sorry, but no one, no one could ever love you more than I do.’
I cover my mouth to stop myself from gasping and look at Oliver. I have never heard Janie open herself up like that, ever. That must have been so hard for her to admit. Understandably, he looks as shocked as I am.
‘You aren’t conventional, that’s for sure and I don’t always agree with some of the decisions that you make, but would I change you? I really don’t know.’ The two of them sit in an emotional silence and I feel frozen to the spot. ‘If you and dad are happy with this… separation, then I am happy for you. Well, maybe not happy, but I am OK with it and I am here for you if you need anything. Anything at all.’
Janie nods her head slowly and wipes what appears to be a tear from her cheek. Noah starts to grumble and I take that as my cue to step into the room. Holding out his chubby arms for his grandma to take him, I pass him over to Janie and stand between the two of them.
‘So, we’re all good?’ I ask, fumbling with my watch nervously.
‘We’re all good.’ Oliver confirms with a smile.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I flop down onto the bed and pull the sheets up over my head as Oliver and Janie discuss plans for the future. Now we can put this whole ordeal behind us, go back to our normal lives and pretend that it never happened. Thank the Lord. For a while back there I thought we weren’t ever going to escape the chaos of this holiday. I had an awful feeling that this unpleasantness was going to follow us around forever. My entire body suddenly feels ten pounds lighter as I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. The weight of this chaos finally leaving my shoulders and for the first time since we arrived here I feel like I am on holiday.
‘Clara?’ Oliver prods me in the side and I force myself to sit up straight. ‘Is that cool with you?’
‘What was that?’ I manage through a yawn, stretching my arms above my head and enjoying the delicious sensation.
‘My mom, she can come live with us for a while, right?’
My blood runs cold and I swear I feel my heart stop beating. Janie looks at me with eyes like Bambi as every single part of my body silently yells no! I open my mouth to speak, but she throws her arms around my neck and lets out a scream.
‘This is fantastic!’ Her voice tears down my ear canal, causing me to clutch my face in horror. ‘You, me, Oliver and Noah are going to be so happy together!’
He can’t be serious! I can’t live with Janie! It will kill me! I will kill her! We will all end up killing each other! Oliver catches my eye and mouths thank you gratefully. Not knowing what else to do, I drop my head to my knees and let out a silent sob. This cannot be happening. Janie pulls my hands away and plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek. Flinging her arms around all three of us, she throws back her head and cackles loudly.
‘Watch out London, I’m coming for you…’
Sometimes good people make bad choices.
It doesn’t make them bad people…
It simply makes them human.
Epilogue
‘Damn dog! What the hell is the matter with you?’ Holding a tennis ball by the tips of her fingers, Janie curls her lips into a snarl and tries once more.
Not giving in, Pumpkin plants her furry butt in front of the fire and flops onto her side. Not even bothering to glance in Janie’s direction, she stretches out her legs and wags her tail happily. Looking up from my position on the couch, I hide my smile behind my newspaper and pretend to be lost in thought. Good girl, Pumpkin.
‘What kind of dog doesn’t like to play fetch?’ Janie sneers, looking at Pumpkin as though she is her worst enemy.
Shrugging my shoulders, I reach down and run my fingers through her soft fur. ‘That’s strange, she always brings it back for me.’
Janie mumbles something under her breath that I wouldn’t want to repeat and throws herself into the armchair. Carefully sneaking a dog treat out of my pocket, I discreetly lean over and drop it in front of Pumpkin. Call me childish, but the fact that our new dog doesn’t like Janie makes me secretly very happy. Not that you can blame her. Would you warm to something that refers to you as mutt, hound and mongrel?
To be completely honest, having Janie living with us has been harder than I ever imaged. Yes, when I agreed to this I knew that it wouldn’t be plain sailing, but this is not what I signed up for. What started as a temporary arrangement to help her out whilst she divorced Randy has slowly escalated and now we are approaching the six-month mark. Our daily bickering over the laundry quickly accelerated into fully blown rows and my patience is starting to wear thin. With Oliver seeming to finally have made a connection with his mother, I feel a little torn. After all, would you like to be the woman who makes her husband choose between his mother and his wife? No, me neither.
Tearing out the property section from the newspaper, I carefully fold it and place it on the coffee table in front of her. Will Janie ever leave? Who knows! What I do know is that we can’t go on living together for much longer. Something has got to give…
To be continued…
If you have enjoyed this book, I would be so grateful if you would leave me an Amazon review.
I really appreciate you taking the time to do it.
It means a lot!
Lacey
xoxo
Follow me on Twitter - @thelaceylondon
/> Have you read the other books in the Clara series?
Meet Clara Andrews
Book 1
With a love of cocktails and wine, a fantastic job in the fashion industry and the world’s greatest best friends, Clara Andrews thought she had it all.
That is until a chance meeting introduces her to Oliver, a devastatingly handsome American designer. Trying to keep the focus on her work, Clara finds her heart stolen by Michelin starred restaurants and luxury hotels.
As things get flirty, Clara reminds herself that inter-office relationships are against the rules, so when a sudden recollection of a work’s night out leads her to a cheeky, charming and downright gorgeous barman, she decides to see where it goes.
Clara soon finds out that dating two men isn't as easy as it seems...
Will she be able to play the field without getting played herself?
Join Clara as she finds herself landing in and out of trouble, re-affirming friendships, discovering truths and uncovering secrets.
Clara Meets the Parents
Book 2
Almost a year has passed since Clara found love in the arms of delectable American Oliver Morgan and things are starting to heat up.
The nights of tequila shots and bodycon dresses are now a distant memory, but a content Clara couldn't be happier about it.
It’s not just Clara things have changed for. Marc is settling in to his new role as Baby Daddy and Lianna is lost in the arms of the hunky Dan once again.
When Oliver declares it time to meet the Texan in-laws, Clara is ecstatic and even more so when she discovers that the introduction will take place on the sandy beaches of Mexico!
Will Clara be able to win over Oliver’s audacious mother?
What secrets will unfold when she finds an ally in the beautiful and captivating Erica?
Clara is going to need a little more than sun, sand and margaritas to get through this one...
Meets Clara Morgan
Book 3
Wedding bells are ringing for Clara and Oliver in Meet Clara Morgan - the much anticipated, third instalment in the Clara Andrews Series.
When Clara, Lianna and Gina all find themselves engaged at the same time, it soon becomes clear that things are going to get a little crazy.
With Lianna and Gina busy planning their own impending nuptials, it’s not long before Oliver enlists the help of Janie, his feisty Texan mother, to help Clara plan the wedding of her dreams.
However, it’s not long before Clara realizes that Janie’s vision of the perfect wedding day is more than a little different to her own.
Will Clara be able to cope with her shameless mother in law Janie?
What will happen when a groom gets cold feet?
And how will Clara handle a blast from the past who makes a reappearance in the most unexpected way possible?
Join Clara and the gang as three very different brides, plan three very different weddings.
With each one looking for the perfect fairy-tale ending, who will get their happily ever after...
Clara at Christmas
Book 4
With snowflakes falling and fairy lights twinkling brightly, it can only mean one thing - Christmas will be very soon upon us.
With just twenty-five days to go until the big day, Clara finds herself dealing with more than just the usual festive stresses.
Plans to host the perfect Christmas Day for her American in laws are ambushed by her BFF’s clichéd meltdown at turning thirty.
With a best friend on the verge of a mid-life crisis, putting Christmas dinner on the table isn’t the only thing Clara has got to worry about this year.
Taking on the role of Best Friend/Therapist, Head Chef and Party Planner is much harder than Clara had anticipated.
With the clock ticking, can Clara pull things together - or will Christmas Day turn out to be the December disaster that she is so desperate to avoid?
Join Clara and the gang in this festive instalment and discover what life changing gifts are waiting for them under the tree this year...
Meet Baby Morgan
Book 5
It’s fair to say that pregnancy hasn’t been the joyous journey that Clara had anticipated. Extreme morning sickness, swollen ankles and crude cravings have plagued her for months and now that she has gone over her due date, she is desperate to get this baby out of her.
With a lovely new home in the leafy, affluent village of Spring Oak, Clara and Oliver are ready to start this new chapter in their lives. The cot has been bought, the nursery has been decorated and a name has been chosen. All that is missing, is the baby himself.
As Lianna is enjoying new found success with her interior design firm, Periwinkle, Clara turns to the women of the village for company. The once inseparable duo find themselves at different points in the lives and for the first time in their friendship, the cracks start to show.
Will motherhood turn out to be everything that Clara ever dreamed of?
Which naughty neighbour has a sizzling secret that she so desperately wants to keep hidden?
Laugh, smile and cry with Clara as she embarks on her journey to motherhood. A journey that has some unexpected bumps along the way. Bumps that she never expected...
Clara in the Caribbean
Book 6
Almost a year has passed since Clara returned to the big smoke and she couldn't be happier to be back in her city.
With the perfect husband, her best friends for neighbours and a beautiful baby boy, Clara feels like every aspect of her life has finally fallen into place.
It’s not just Clara who things are going well for. The Strokers have made the move back from the land down under and Lianna is on cloud nine – literally.
Not only has she been jetting across the globe with her interior design firm, Periwinkle, she has also met the man of her dreams… again.
For the past twelve months Li has been having a long distance relationship with Vernon Clarke, a handsome man she met a year earlier on the beautiful island of Barbados.
After spending just seven short days together, Lianna decided that Vernon was the man for her and they have been Skype smooching ever since.
Due to Li’s disastrous dating history, it’s fair to say that Clara is more than a little dubious about Vernon being ‘The One.’ So, when her neighbours invite Clara to their villa in the Caribbean, she can’t resist the chance of checking out the mysterious Vernon for herself.
Has Lianna finally found true love?
Will Vernon turn out to a knight in shining armour or just another fool in tin foil?
Grab a rum punch and join Clara and the gang as they fly off to paradise in this sizzling summer read!