Road to Absolution by Piper Davenport Page A

I
certainly thought we were, but she showed her true colors after he went off to
the Air Force, and quite frankly, I didn’t need the drama.”
    “Why didn’t you
tell me?” I asked.
    “Because you
didn’t need to be roped into her craziness, honey. It had nothing to do with
you after all.”
    I sighed. “So,
how do you know he never came home.”
    “Aidan kept me
updated. He keeps in touch.” Mom smiled. “Carter’s been to the beach once I
guess, but other than that, nothing… until now.” Mom smiled. “So, he’s announcing
to the world… at least our small one… that you’re his and he’s claiming you.”
    “Ohmigod, Mom,
he is not.”
    “Yeah, honey, he
is. Mark my words.” She smiled. “Now, go read or swim or whatever you want.
Mav’s happy, so you get to rest.”
    “I don’t even
know what that means anymore.”
    Mom laughed. “I
remember, honey.”
    I grabbed my
Kindle, but before I let myself relax, I went in search of Mia. She was in her
room, throwing things from her suitcase into her dresser.
    “Hey, can we
talk?” I asked from the doorway.
    “Oh, we do that
still?”
    “Mia,” I sighed.
“Babe, this all happened like three days ago.”
    She raised an
eyebrow.
    “Hand to God,” I
said, and raised my hand. “Saturday, actually, so what’s that? Six? I just
happened to be at a party and he was there. I did text you on Sunday, but you
didn’t respond.”
    “Well, if you’d
said the great Carter Quinn was sniffin’ after your panties, I might have.”
    Mia was always
colorful with her words. “Um… gross.”
    She giggled and
threw her suitcase into her closet. “Well, I would have.”
    “It wasn’t
something I wanted to text bomb you with. I figured if you had time, you’d
respond and if not, I’d talk to you this weekend.”
    She sat on her
bed and patted the mattress. “Assume the position.”
    I grabbed a
pillow and we laid down facing each other.
    “So, he was at a
party. Details.”
    I filled her in
on everything… and I mean everything. There really wasn’t anything I kept from
big sister Mia.
    “Holy shit,
Cass. The man finally pulled his head out of his ass? I don’t believe it.”
    “Mia, I’m really
the one to blame here.”
    “Bullshit.”
    I took a deep
breath. “Okay, well, we both have culpability in this and he’s apologized, I’ve
apologized, and we are making a conscious effort to move forward. I’ve missed
him, Mia.”
    “I know you
have, honey.” She smiled. “He went and got fuckin’ huge .”
    “Tell me about
it.”
    “Big dick?”
    “Mia!” I knew I
was beet red.
    “What? It’s a
logical question. Did him getting bigger increase or decrease the size of his
cock?”
    “How would I
know?”
    “What do you
mean? You haven’t seen it?”
    I rolled onto my
back and ran my hands down my face with a groan. “Ohmigod, Mia. No, I haven’t
seen it.”
    “I’d have
hoisted my sail up that mast and sailed the seven seas, or twelve. Let’s go
with twelve.”
    “Ohmigod.” I
giggled. “It’ll happen. I just want to take it slow.”
    “Then fast, then
slow again.”
    “Mia!”
    She giggled as
well and then took my hand. “He better do it right, Sass.”
    “He will. Now if
I could just get him to quit telling me we’re getting married and put some kind
of effort into asking me, we’d be good.”
    “He’s talking
marriage?”
    I rolled to face
her again. “He’s talking, let’s go down to the courthouse and take care of the
legalities.”
    “Romantic.” Mia
rolled her eyes. “Douche.”
    “Don’t call him
a douche. He’s not a douche.” I smiled. “He’s up to something.”
    “Oh really?”
    I nodded. “Yep,
he’s just seeing if I’ll blink first.”
    “Don’t blink,
Sass.”
    “Bitch, please .
I don’t blink.”
    Mia giggled.
“There’s hope for you yet.”
    “God, I hope
so.” I squeezed her hand. “Can I go read now? I need a time out from my
adorable but very busy little boy.”
    “I will go