From A to Z by Jean Shelby

Author:Jean Shelby [Shelby, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jean Shelby
Published: 2024-01-11T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 14 Never Ending Hallways

MY BICEPS ARE BULGING from the laundry basket full of clothes as

I corral the boys back home. I learned the hard way that the laundromat in the complex is shut down for a few days while Jason puts in new electrical equipment. I answer my phone out of breath as I slide my keys in the door.

“Hey, Zoo. Is everything okay?” Anthony asks, his voice coming through the speaker.

“Just because a person is in shape doesn’t mean she doesn’t still breathe hard after running up the stairs with a full laundry basket,” I tease, shutting the front door.

“Laundry day?”

“It was supposed to be. Jason is working on some electrical thing, so I need to search for a laundromat in town.”

“Why don’t you come to my house to do laundry? My washer and dryer are just sitting there being lazy.”

“Can we go, Mom?” Tanner asks, having heard Anthony’s invite on speakerphone.

“Me talk!” Morgan whines.

Anthony laughs into the phone at all the commotion. “I’m not busy.”

“Now?” I ask in surprise.

“Yes, now, mom! Now!” Tanner plops over on the floor and rubs his feet together like a cricket.

“Well...it looks like we’re coming over.”

“Make sure to bring your swimsuits.”

“Swimsuits? It’s almost January.”

“You heard me.”

We load up, and I type Anthony’s address into my maps app. The boys enjoy the half-hour ride, pretending their dinosaurs are on an adventure to another land. They call out the farm animals they see along the way, plastering themselves against the windows when the farmland turns into sprawling estates. Having not ventured much from Garden Valley, it’s quite a surprise to see the mansions with basketball courts and swimming pools on acres of green land.

“Are these houses or apartments?” Tanner asks.

“These are houses,” I confirm, absolutely shocked. The numbers on the street lead up a hill to where the map is telling me is Anthony’s house. “This cannot be true!” I do my best to keep the astonishment in my voice at a reasonable level when we come upon a tall security gate. “He must be in a gated community; no way is this just for him,” I say, punching in the five-digit PIN number Anthony texted me.

Apparently, the exercise business is good.

My tan Honda backfires as we drive up a long, winding driveway lined with mature trees and tall bushes. I swallow hard when the stone-faced mansion comes into view. My beat-up car is wildly out of place with its kid-streaked windows and chipped paint as I park next to Anthony’s Mercedes that I’ve never seen.

“What, are the four garages already full?” I mutter, not thrilled about Anthony’s obvious wealth. I take a deep breath, erasing the connection between Anthony’s money and Williams. I do know that not everyone with a lot of zeros in their bank account is a jerk like my ex-husband.

The fountain out front makes us feel like we’ve stepped right into Italy. With topiaries accentuating the terracotta roof and sculptures, I can see his homeland of Italy was the inspiration.

“Flamingo!” Morgan points to the row of sculpted bushes.

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