Doing It Right_Harloe Rae by Rae Harloe

Author:Rae, Harloe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: novel
Publisher: Crooked Tree Press
Published: 2022-04-06T00:00:00+00:00

“Could Meadow Creek be any cuter? I mean, this entire street belongs in magazines and blogs selling small-town living. And this store? Adorable.” Vannah’s gaze is devouring the shelves cluttered with random knick-knacks and novelty items.

“You act like you’ve never been here before.” I swipe a glass figurine from Archer’s reach, turning the stroller a bit more to the left.

“Let’s be honest, it’s been a while.”

“Whose fault is that?”

“Mine, obviously. And what a tragic mistake.” She picks up a Dammit Doll, laughs at the description, and passes the stuffed coping mechanism to my son. “That will come in handy. My treat.”

“Pebbled Stones is a sight to behold.” I’m only being mildly sarcastic.

We’re treating ourselves to a random mid-week outing. My bestie lives almost an hour away in Minneapolis. To say I was shocked when she suggested we spend the day in Meadow Creek is an understatement.

“I made the right choice driving all this way. Just look at this. Who doesn’t need a House Mouse?” Vannah studies the small rubber animal with a smile. “I’m going to scare the shit out of Landon with this little treasure. He’s going to scream like the city boy he is.”

“You’re so sweet.”

“How kind of you to notice.” She skips her manicured nails along a display of handcrafted mugs. “The hubs is a bit more creative with his praise. He invented a few new words last night. I banged him hard enough to puncture the wall and it sent both of us over the edge at the same time. That just goes to prove how sweet I really am.”

“Please don’t use inappropriate language. We’re in the company of innocent ears.” I point a meaningful finger at my son.

Her wince is paired with a stumbled as she slams to a halt. “Oh, sh—crap. He’s repeating stuff now, right?”

Archie beams at her in answer.

I snort and roll my eyes. “Like an echo.”

“Echo,” he repeats with a giggle.

“Smart kid. I need to watch my mouth.” Vannah pouts.

“That’d be a first.”

“Well, this must be child-proofed.” She begins digging in a sticker box. “What we lack in population, we conquer with community.”

I smile at the bold letters in a doodled design. “That’s our motto.”

Vannah coos at the die-cut, tucking it under her arm. “See? Freaking charming. I get the appeal.”

“The free daycare doesn’t hurt.”

“Not a selling point for me.”

“Do you want kids?” This is the moment I realize we haven’t discussed the baby topic lately.

She swats at the air with nonchalance. “Sure. Once I’m thirty, we’ll start trying.”

“Oh, you’re one of those planner types. I forgot.”

She nudges me. “Hush. We can’t all be blessed with a beautiful accident.”

Before I can respond, a rapid flurry of whispers catches my attention. Three women I recognize from frequent sightings around town are darting glances over at me. They look young, maybe on the cusp of twenty. That’s old enough to hide their shit-talking better. The scene reeks of gossip. My suspicion is confirmed when I overhear part of their conversation.

“Do you think she

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.