Forever Hers by Walters, Ednah (top 50 books to read txt) 📕

Another arched entrance opened to a huge and bright living room with a big balcony. Maybe it was because he’d been gone for weeks, but the house didn’t have a lived-in air. He showed her the two bedrooms, the master bedroom on one side done in, surprisingly, palettes of blue, and a guestroom done in neutral colors. TV-room and workout room definitely had a lived-in feeling, which meant he spent most of his time in those two rooms

“You have a beautiful home,” she said.

“Thank you. Come on. Let’s rescue Raelynn before my sister turns her into a carbon copy of herself.” Eddie shuddered.

“She’s not that bad.”

“She is.” His phone rang. He checked the caller ID and frowned. “Ah, I need to take this.”

“Go ahead.” Amy found the door that led to the pool and a hot tub, paused to watch her daughter and Lori seated by the pool, shoes off and feet in the water. Her daughter was giggling.

Smiling, Amy joined them.

***

Hours later, they pulled up outside a stone-walled compound. Eddie punched in the security code and the gate swung open to reveal a winding road. Amy gave the well-maintained landscape flower beds, palm trees and shrubs a passing glance, her mind on the people she was about to meet. It was one thing to have the Fitzgeralds visit the lake house, where she was comfortable and at home, and quite another to enter their den. That she was nervous annoyed her. From the cars lining the cobbled courtyard of the Mediterranean villa, quite a number of them were dining with them tonight. Her nervousness increased when Eddie pulled up beside a red Ferrari with the license plate CHASE and they piled out of Lori’s car. Eddie, as though tuned to her emotions, took her hand after lifting Raelynn into his arms and led them toward the arched doorway. A dog barked somewhere then another.

“I’m going to check on the, uh, dogs,” Lori said and disappeared around the building.

Estelle Fitzgerald opened the door, her thick mass of black hair pinned up, her make-up flawless. As usual, she wore a designer pants set and heels with ease, like most people wore jeans and T-shirts. Amy in her simple print dress and five-year old Manolo sandals felt like little orphan Annie.

“Mrs. Fitzgerald, thank you for inviting us to your home,” she said.

“Estelle, dear. I thought we’d agreed to be less formal with each other. I am so happy you could make it.” She hugged her, then moved to Raelynn and Eddie. “Sweetheart, look at you.”

Amy wasn’t sure whether the older woman’s “sweetheart” was meant for Eddie or Raelynn because the rest of the family descended on them. She barely noted the grand staircase, soaring ceiling and the rope columns before she was being introduced to the others and hugged.

They were all there—Chase and the in-laws who’d visited them the previous week. Jade and Vince had their three year old fraternal twins. The boy, Sean, was a carbon copy of his father while Siobhan, his twin in pink ruffles, looked just like her mother, except she had her father’s dimples.

Ashley had a noticeable bump and her daughter, Ella, carried by her husband Ron, was about three or four.

Kara had a bump and a definite glow about her. Amy had suspected she was expecting when they’d visited the lake house a few months ago. She’d kept throwing up. Baron had been worried, but from his contented look, Kara must be doing better.

Then there was Faith, Ken’s wife, who was probably the most gorgeous woman Amy had ever met. She looked like a swim suit model.

Amy couldn’t keep up with who said what, but their warm welcome put her at ease right away. Her daughter stared at everyone with rounded eyes from the safety of Eddie’s arms.

“You poor darling, we heard you were sick,” Faith said, touching Raelynn’s hand.

“She’s adorable.” Ashley beckoned Ron forward. “Honey, I want Ella to meet Raelynn.”

While they introduced her daughter to the children, Chase hugged Amy and held her longer than necessary

“I hope you’ve considered my offer,” he said in a low voice but Eddie, who hadn’t moved far from Amy’s side, heard him.

“What offer?” he asked.

“That’s something I’d like to know too, you naughty boy,” Estelle jumped in. “What mischief have you been up to now?”

“Mischief? Me?”  From everyone’s expression, no one bought his fake outrage. Then he winked at Amy and added in a staged whisper, “Should we tell them?”

Amy flushed and glanced at Eddie. When she spoke, it was loud enough for everyone to hear, but the explanation was really for him. “He said there was a chef position for me at his new restaurant if I decided to relocate to L.A.”

Everyone started talking at once. They all seemed to think the idea was brilliant, but Amy was more concerned with Eddie’s reaction. Whether he liked the idea or not wouldn’t influence her decision, but she hoped he’d want her living closer. His hand slid down and wrapped around hers, but his expression stayed unreadable, making it hard to tell what he thought.

“Will you accept Chase’s offer, dear?” Estelle asked and the silence that followed said they all wanted to hear her response.

“I don’t know. With everything that’s been happening, I haven’t had time to think about it.” And just like that, the lively mood of the group changed and everyone grew serious. It was obvious they all knew about her situation. She didn’t know how she felt about that.

Estelle patted her hand. “With Eddie on the case, all this mess will be over in no time. Has anyone seen Lex?”

“I’m right here, Mother,” a deep voice said from a room to the left of the foyer.

Amy turned and her jaw almost dropped when he stepped into the light. He was huge. All the Fitzgerald men were very masculine, tall and handsome, but something about Lex set him apart. Maybe it was the arched eyebrows, the intelligent honey-brown eyes or the way