Free An Heir At Any Price: The Billionaire's Obsession - Contemporary Romance by Forbidden Fruit Press Page A

to
have dinner. Think of what you might like and we’ll have it
delivered in. Have a good day. P.S. the check is for your first
week’s pay.”
     
    I picked up the check. It had a lot of
numbers on it. It was definitely more than I made at the cafe in a
week, even if you counted my tips. I read the note again. The truth
be told, I read it three times, looking for a sign that he enjoyed
our night together as much as I did. It wasn’t there, and I told
myself to stop looking for it. I was only going to make this harder
on myself if I didn’t stop. I took my coffee and went out onto the
expansive balcony. There were beautiful lounge chairs and two
little bistro tables, but I stood against the wrought-iron railing
instead and looked out over the city. I was on top of the world. I
looked down towards the sidewalk and wondered how painful it was
going to be to fall.
     
    ***
     
    I spoke to the nurse and picked up the
list of facilities before I went in to see Mom. She was sitting up
in bed, watching Young and Restless when I walked in.
     
    “There you are! I thought something
had happened to you since you hadn’t been here for so
long.”
     
    Guilt trip, check. “Hi Mom,” I said, ignoring her remark. “How are
you feeling?”
     
    “Like I got hit by a truck. Please get
me out of here, Holly, I need to go home and sleep in my own
bed.”
     
    I raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re
not going home right away, Mom. Remember?”
     
    “Oh, Holly. It’s out of my system now.
That’s the hard part. I don’t need to sit in one of those fancy
hospitals and listen to a bunch of fancy words. I know I need to
stop drinking. I heard everything the doctor had to say about
it.”
     
    “I’m not taking you home,” I
said.
     
    “Holly…”
     
    “No Mother, listen. I am not taking
you home. I can’t force you to go to rehab, but I’m done with this.
I am ready to have my own life and I can’t do that because I’m
always trying to fix yours. So here’s the deal. You go to rehab and
I will do everything I can do to make sure it all goes smoothly for
you. I’ll hire someone while you’re gone to clean up and do all the
repairs that the house needs and when you get out, I will still be
around. If you refuse to go, then you walk out of here on your own
and you stay on your own. I’m finished with all of this mother, I’m
done.”
     
    Mom looked shocked. It was the first
time ever that I had threatened to walk away. I wasn’t just making
threats either. I was ready to follow through on that promise. My
mother looked like she believed it too. I expected tears or an
argument so I was surprised when she simply said,
“Okay.”
     
    I waited for the rest. When it didn’t
come I replied, “Good, okay. I’m going by the house today to pack
you a bag. The nurse says you will likely be discharged tomorrow so
I have to work fast. You behave okay?”
     
    My mother smiled and said, “You forget
which one of us is the mother.”
     
    I bent and kissed her on the forehead
and said, “Hopefully that will change soon.”
     
    ***
     
    I had my mother’s things packed and
the arrangements made for her rehab. Within a couple of hours after
leaving the hospital. I was not surprised but definitely a little
bit amazed at how much easier money made everything. The last time
I’d tried to get my mother into rehab on only her Medicaid and most
of them had turned us down flat. The one that would take her had a
three month waiting list. This time when I was ready, willing and
able to pay cash, my mother was suddenly more than
welcome.
     
    After that was all taken care of, I
went by to see Joe. I went through the back and of course, found
him in the kitchen.
     
    “Hey Holly. Isn’t this your day off?
You just can’t stay away from this place can you?”
     
    I smiled, I really liked Joe. I was
going to miss him. “Actually,” I told him. “I came by to give you
my notice.”
     
    He was holding a spatula and dropped
it