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The unsettled feeling was impossible. Tori had tried and failed one marriage already, and Miranda was right. It was work. But to not believe in happily ever after? What a cold life to live. “I’d like to find my happily ever after.”

“Then keep on dreaming.” Miranda grabbed her wine glass again. “There’s no reason you shouldn’t.”

There wasn’t. Tori reminded herself of that as Miranda walked away. She followed into the living room, sitting next to her on the couch when the kids came back out to play on the floor. At the very least, Tori knew that Miranda wouldn’t be interested. Not in anything. With a sigh, Tori changed the subject. She wouldn’t let Miranda’s doubts get her down. “How did that detangler work?”

ten

“Hey baby!” Tierney’s saccharine tone floated through the speakers in Miranda’s car.

Miranda cringed. “Rebel is napping.”

“Oh.” The surprise was shocking.

Miranda sighed heavily and brushed her fingers through her hair. She wanted to be done with today and this phone call. It had been a long day already, and she had spent more hours on her feet than she cared to admit. She’d managed to get Rebel from the daycare center in time, but barely.

“How is everything going in Mexico?” It was the only way she could nicely ask when are you coming home without being snarky about it and possibly starting an argument before she got an answer.

“It’s amazing here.” Tierney sounded wistful now. “Marcus is wonderful.”

“Marcus?” She thought it was Jason. Frowning, Miranda turned onto the highway so she could head home. The daycare was nowhere near her house, which had been a disadvantage to Tierney picking it, but she hadn’t wanted to move Rebel and upset her even more, considering she wasn’t supposed to live with Miranda for long.

“Yeah, we met in Tampico last week. He’s taking me to Cancun tomorrow.”

Did Tierney realize just how risky her behavior was? Probably not. She could easily end up dead in a ditch somewhere and no one would ever know. Miranda bit her tongue, attempting to figure out how to get the most information out of Tierney before the phone call ended. “What happened with Jason?”

“Not my soulmate.”

Miranda was instantly shoved back into the conversation she’d had with Tori. She hadn’t lied when she said she didn’t believe in soulmates, and Tierney was part of the reason why. That and her parents. She had never seen a more unhappy couple that somehow managed to stay married for years. “And Marcus is?”

“I don’t know. But he could be.”

The sun had already set. Miranda hated this time of year. It was always dark, and she never managed to get enough sunlight, especially with the rain clouds always overhead. “When do you think you’ll be coming home?”

There. The question was out there. Now she had to wait for Tierney’s avoidance.

“I don’t know. Another week maybe?” Tierney sounded so unsure, as if perhaps the lie she was telling wasn’t only to Miranda but to herself.

“Rebel needs you, T. Not me. She needs her mother.”

“I know.” Tierney pouted. Even though Miranda couldn’t see her face, she knew that was exactly the look Tierney had on her face. She’d seen it too many times over the course of Tierney’s life. It almost always got her whatever it was she wanted. “I miss my baby.”

“Then come home,” Miranda said as gently as possible. Five weeks with Rebel was enough. She really needed her mother and not the aunt who resented having to take care of her. And she did resent it. Not because of Rebel but because of Tierney and the circumstances surrounding why Rebel was in her care.

“Oh! I got to go. Marcus is coming! I’ll see you soon. Love you. Byeee!” Tierney elongated the last word of her send-off, putting emphasis on the last part of the word.

Before Miranda could say anything, Tierney had hung up and the other end of the line was quiet. She was so frustrated. She still didn’t have an answer as to when Tierney would be coming back. And she didn’t have an answer to why Tierney insisted on being an absent parent. Well, that one she knew. It was what she had been taught, and Miranda was determined not to continue that cycle.

She hit the button on her steering wheel and was about to tell Siri to call her mother when she stopped. Her mom had nothing to say. She’d brush it off as being another of Tierney’s stunts. Which it was, but she wouldn’t be any help in taking care of Rebel. No, Miranda needed to talk to someone who would actually listen, someone who could offer advice.

“Call Tori,” Miranda said clearly into the microphone.

The call went through immediately. Miranda was stuck in traffic, stop-and-go, and just ready for a glass of whiskey or something to take the edge off her day.

“This is Tori Frazee. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

Miranda hung up. What was she doing calling Tori? They barely knew each other, and what little time they had spent together didn’t make them friends. Not someone Miranda could call for help or to vent to anyway.

The ringing through the Bluetooth startled her. She answered out of habit before seeing the name and cringed when it was Tori. Now she had no choice. “Hello.”