Surrender by June Gray Read Free Book Online Page A

haven’t seen these in years,” I said.
    She walked over and took the frame, smiling ruefully. “You both look so happy.”
    â€œWe were.”
    â€œI’d love nothing more than to see you smiling like that again,” Elodie said, looking at me like my mother never did, with warmth and kindness.
    â€œI’m happy,” I said, feeling defensive about the life I’d built with Will. “I don’t know why people keep thinking I’m not.”
    â€œI’m sorry. I never meant to insinuate that you’re not. It’s just . . .” She looked down again at the pictures in her hand. “This is a different kind of smile you’re wearing here.”
    â€œThat’s also a different kind of girl,” I said, placing my hand over the frame. “And that smile is because she was crazy about your son.”
    â€œWell, what about the young man last night? The tall one with the nice smile?”
    â€œWhat about him? He was nice, but I won’t be seeing him again.”
    â€œHe just seemed very smitten with you. He didn’t take his eyes off you the entire ceremony.”
    I felt heat rise up my cheeks. “Yeah, but we live too far from each other. It would never wor—” I stopped, overcome with a sense of déjà vu. I had used the same excuse before, had wasted years pushing away the first guy I’d ever cared for out of some misguided idea that love would destroy my life. Would I have done things differently if I’d known our time would be cut short?
    â€œI like him,” I admitted softly. “But he’s leaving today. He asked me to come to Las Vegas with him for a few days . . .”
    â€œSo what’s the problem?”
    â€œWill,” I said, then quickly added, “Not that he’s a problem. Only that Neal doesn’t know that I have a son. And I can’t just go gallivanting off like I have no responsibilities, like I’m single again.”
    â€œDo you want to go with him?” Elodie asked.
    â€œNo.” I sighed in resignation. “Maybe. But I shouldn’t.”
    â€œYou can leave Will with us,” she said, touching my shoulder.
    I glanced up at her in surprise. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. Besides, I’ve never even spent a full night away from him before.”
    â€œWhich is all the more reason to go. You’re long overdue for a vacation.”
    â€œBut Will—”
    â€œHe’ll be okay. He’s a big kid now. He can handle it,” she said gently.
    A frisson of excitement wound up my spine but I refused to address it. I’d had my hopes up before and knew firsthand that what comes up will come crashing back down. That was life. Lesson learned.
    â€œHis flight leaves at four thirty,” I said, looking pointedly at my watch. “And it’s already three. I’d never make it anyway.”
    â€œHoney, we’re only ten minutes away from the airport.”
    My eyes flew back and forth between my watch and Elodie, still unable to make a decision.
    â€œWhat are you waiting for?” she asked, clapping her hands together. “Get packing.”

6
    Packing went fast, as we’d been living out of bags for the past two days. I moved decisively, leaving no room for doubt, afraid that if even a little bit crept in, I’d completely lose my nerve.
    I froze when the door opened and my son came in. “Grandma said you had to go somewhere?” he said.
    I crouched down and hugged him. “Yes, to Las Vegas,” I said, feeling my excitement slipping away. “But I don’t have to go. Not if you don’t want me to.”
    He scratched his head. “I thought you said you always wanted to go there.”
    â€œI do.”
    â€œSo you should go,” he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. You want to do something? Then do it. Sometimes I wished adults could still live by kid