His Every Choice by Kelly Favor Read Free Book Online Page B

funk. Today, she was
     definitely in a funk. As she walked the isles, she couldn’t stop thinking about what
     to do back in New York.

    How can I make some money? How can I find a place on my own?

    She knew that it was wrong not to have those answers at this stage of her life.
    But the sad fact was, she had squandered too many years being self-destructive and
     it was catching up to her now, just when she felt most ready to change.

    A child’s voice broke her out of her melancholia.

    “Please, Mommy. Please.” The girl was pleading, somewhere over in the children’s
     section nearby.

    “I said no, Delia.”

    “Why not?”

    “Because.” The mother had that sharp, dismissive tone that reminded Scarlett of someone
     else. Someone from her past.

    She couldn’t help but try to get a look at the two of them. Feeling like a voyeur,
     Scarlett guiltily wandered into the children’s section, where a cute little girl with
     auburn hair that flowed almost to her lower back was looking longingly at a book on
     one of the shelves.

    Her mother, a very tall, thin woman with short hair of a similar color, was browsing
     in the youngest section with a little boy that couldn’t have been more than five.
    “You want this one, Toby?” she asked him, bending down and showing him something.

    Toby made some noises of interest and the mother began showing him some of the pages.

    Scarlett pretended to look at something, but her gaze returned to the little girl,
     Delia. The little girl was still staring at that same book. She pulled it off the
     shelf and started to read it. Her little mouth curved into an enchanted smile.

    Scarlett felt a deep pang of sadness and longing in her stomach. She wished she could
     reach out to the girl somehow. Something about her was so achingly familiar.

    The mother was coming back over now, with her young son in tow.

    “Come on, Delia. Time to go.”

    Delia clutched the book. “Please?”

    “No. Put it back. I told you we can’t afford anymore books for you this month.
    Next month we’ll get it.”

    “But that’s so far away, and—“

    “Back. Now.” Her mother pointed at the shelf. The girl returned the book to its
     rightful spot with tears in her eyes.

    Scarlett had seen enough. Once they moved from the aisle and started for the front,
     she quickly went and grabbed the book. Running at high speed, she got to the register
     and quickly bought it, using cash to speed up the transaction.

    She wanted to finish before they left and disappeared. Luckily, the man at the register
     was speedy. A couple of minutes later, he’d bagged the book and thanked her for shopping
     there.

    Scarlett went outside and spotted the woman putting her youngest in his car seat while
     Delia waited patiently nearby.

    “Excuse me,” Scarlett said. “Excuse me,” she said again, when the woman didn’t notice
     her.

    “Mommy, there’s a lady here for you,” Delia said, tugging at her mother’s shirt.

    The woman stood up straight, looking severe in the sunlight, taller than Scarlett
     by a good few inches. “Can I help you?” she said.

    Scarlett held out the bag to her. “I couldn’t help but overhearing your discussion
     in there,” she said. “About the book.”

    The woman frowned, hesitantly accepting the bag and opening it to look inside.
    Her eyes narrowed. “I can’t take this.”

    “Please. It’s my pleasure, really. It’s nothing.”

    The woman’s lips tightened. “We’re not that poor,” she said. “We just have to watch
     what we spend. That’s all.”

    “It’s fine. I’m not—I’m not judging.” Scarlett held up her hands. “It just seemed
     like something nice is all.”

    The woman nodded, seeming to cave in somehow. “Fine. Delia, thank the nice lady
     for your present.” She handed the little girl the bag and when she looked inside
     and saw her book, Delia squeaked excitedly.

    “Oh, thank you! Thank you! Oh!” She held it to her chest and