A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

I don’t know why I laugh, but I do. Wren shrugs, trying his best not to grin. “She’s right. It’s only fair I get her anything she wants. Two bikes okay for now? I can give you the money if you don’t want me taking you shopping for them.”

It’d be smarter to deny him both of those options. Buying things for her is one thing. But buying me things is not okay.

“You can buy her one. We can go look when you’re free.”

“I’m free tonight. And tomorrow. Whenever. And it’s her request for two bikes. Don’t make me let her down so soon.”

Ah, hell. Why does he have to be so nice?

“Fine. Two bikes.”

Angel squeals excitedly and rushes to hug me, surprising me with her enthusiasm. I hug her back before picking her up and kissing her nose. Wren stands from his crouched position and just watches us with genuine interest.

“I need to go tell Aunt Bella.” Angel wiggles free from my grip and rushes toward the house, abandoning me with Wren and leaving us alone for the first time all day.

“Um… I asked your friends to stay for beer and pizza. To say thanks for all the help.”

He smiles while walking toward me, and I step out of the small shed to give us more breathing room. Once he’s outside with me, he says, “You didn’t have to do that. We help each other out all the time. They call, I come. I call, they come. I promise they all owed me a favor or two.”

He acts like those favors are extended to me, considering this was my move.

“I’d like to thank them. And you. Will you stay for beer and pizza, too?”

I sound like a nervous girl, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Love to. I’m starving, and it’ll give me more time with Angel. She’s different when you’re close by. She’s not so standoffish. I think she’s more comfortable with her being on her own turf.”

So he noticed it, too.

“Yeah. I saw that. What happened to your mother?”

Melanie Prize is… not easy to get to know. She seems as scared of me as I am of Wren.

“She went to buy some things. I apologize in advance. Just remember that Angel is the granddaughter she has always wanted. Right now I’m in deep shit for making her miss so much of Angel’s life. I couldn’t stop her, so don’t get mad at me.”

I start to question what that means, when three trucks roll up. One looks like a moving van, similar to the three Wren rented for today’s move. Even though we only used two. I wondered what happened to the third. Two are just pickup trucks, both weighted down by things I can’t make out under the freshly darkened sky.

“What’s that?” I ask as Wren starts walking toward the new arrivals.

“The things my mother bought you. Again, I’m sorry.”

I stumble over my own feet. What the hell?

People hop out of the trucks, and the guys inside move to the outside, carrying our sofas and chairs.

“What’s going on?” I ask, catching back up with Wren.

“Your sofas and chairs were falling apart. Mom wanted to replace them. And Angel told her she wanted a bunk bed for her new room so she could invite friends over. Allie, if you want her to stop, I can put an end to it. I’d rather have her pissed at me than you.”

I have to remind myself not to melt when those words leave his mouth. But I can’t accept so much stuff from a woman I don’t—

“Okay…” Melanie’s uncertain voice startles me as she appears from the shadows, her eyes warily gauging me. “I realize you probably like me about as much as you like my son, considering the dickhead move he pulled all those years ago, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve been unsure and feeling like I couldn’t cross a line all day, but I’ll be damned if I treat you any differently than I do anyone I care about.

“Before you reject my gifts, you should know that I’m as stubborn as they get. I don’t hear no, which is why I’m a very successful and extremely rich woman. What I spent today doesn’t compare to what I wanted to spend, so I did show some restraint. Wren begged me not to do this, but I had to. I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but Angel gave me your dream magazines, so I went to the local stores and matched everything up the best I could.”

My jaw falls. My dream magazines? Angel and I play around with those. I’ve circled things we would buy if we ever won the lottery. Those things are just ridiculous ideas. There’s no way she—

“And I hope you’ll let her see me more. Maybe even consider letting me babysit some. You can have lunch, dinner, breakfast… as many meetings as you need to have with me until you feel comfortable enough for that. I just… She’s my granddaughter, Allie. And I really want to know her.”