Our Chance (Los Rancheros #4) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Brandace Morrow
jaw is clenched tight and I can see muscles bulging.
My eyes fill with tears, and I lift my hand to my mouth as I clear my throat again. "I didn't... They were my names, too. I couldn't see my kids with any other names than those. Excuse me, I need to go." I grab a suitcase out of the trunk and bolt for the stairs.
When I get up to my grandma's room—full of rose wallpaper and white frilly comforters—I drop the suitcase and fall onto the bed, stuffing a pillow over my face. I cry as I remember a boy who lay under the stars with me as we planned out our lives. We had six names, but only wanted three kids; just in case we had three of one gender we were covered. They would be dark, of course, because both of us are, and would be four years apart so that we would have one kid at home for quality time before they went off to school. The perfect life, decided by two teenagers in love.
I sniffle in a breath as I feel the bed compress beside me. I toss the pillow, the springs squeak in the old mattress, and look to the side. My mom is lying beside me on her side, smiling sweetly at me.
She whispers, "It's always been you and that boy. You made a bittersweet mistake that got you a loving husband and three beautiful children. That wasn't your time, then. Now is your time. Don't waste it."
I smile and shake my head at her. Brody's mom Glen and mine have been so sure we were meant for each other since before we were even born. To say I broke their hearts by marrying Sebastian is an understatement. She softly wipes my mascara from my eyes. "Come on, I've got something to cheer you up."
She sits up and then pulls me to my feet. I hug her to me tight. "I love you, Mama."
She squeezes tighter. "Oh, my baby, I love you, too."
She leads me past my kids that are unpacking in their selected rooms and down the stairs. We walk through the foyer to the back of the house next to the kitchen. She goes through a doorway that I know leads to the butler's pantry. It's at the last part of the house; just a long, skinny room that runs along the kitchen wall full of cabinets on one side, floor to ceiling. The other side has cabinets, drawers and counter space. My mom pulls open cabinets quickly and I squeal like a little girl, splaying my arms out wide on the shelves.
I vaguely hear my kids running down the stairs like elephants and Trigg explaining quickly, "She makes that sound when she gets overexcited. It means she's probably going to do something funny."
"Oh, I remember what that means," I hear Brody rumble back, but even he can't pull me from the perfection in front of me.
"Look at this! Gooseberry, Scrolls, Starburst, Flirtation, Friendship! Do you know how amazing this is?!"
Brody's looking at me in confused amusement. My kids are nodding sagely, but don't say anything so I explain to Brody, pointing at Trigg holding up a camera. "They will know how amazing this is. I had no idea Grandma Pierce had so much Pyrex! It's like a museum!"
My mom replies, "Grandma Pierce knew how much you loved her stuff, and we've all grabbed new pieces when we came across them at thrift stores and yard sales. She's been keeping it here for you."
"Oh, you guys are the best family ever! I get to make new dishes with this stuff every day. How lucky am I?" I ask rhetorically. I spin to talk in the camera. "I need recipes! Whole foods! Casseroles! Things I can make from my garden. I still have to see what we have, but I know we have cows and chickens, so I need egg dishes and different things I can make with raw milk. Send me links to your recipes, or post them down below. This is going to be so great!"
Jet yells, "Cut," really loudly and then mumbles he has to get his clapper out of the car.
Brody asks, "What the hell just happened?"
My mom steps around me, gazing back at my bakeware and bowls to explain to him. "Jules has a blog and video blog on YouTube. People learn to do things by watching her, and they give her ideas. It's like her video diaries
My eyes fill with tears, and I lift my hand to my mouth as I clear my throat again. "I didn't... They were my names, too. I couldn't see my kids with any other names than those. Excuse me, I need to go." I grab a suitcase out of the trunk and bolt for the stairs.
When I get up to my grandma's room—full of rose wallpaper and white frilly comforters—I drop the suitcase and fall onto the bed, stuffing a pillow over my face. I cry as I remember a boy who lay under the stars with me as we planned out our lives. We had six names, but only wanted three kids; just in case we had three of one gender we were covered. They would be dark, of course, because both of us are, and would be four years apart so that we would have one kid at home for quality time before they went off to school. The perfect life, decided by two teenagers in love.
I sniffle in a breath as I feel the bed compress beside me. I toss the pillow, the springs squeak in the old mattress, and look to the side. My mom is lying beside me on her side, smiling sweetly at me.
She whispers, "It's always been you and that boy. You made a bittersweet mistake that got you a loving husband and three beautiful children. That wasn't your time, then. Now is your time. Don't waste it."
I smile and shake my head at her. Brody's mom Glen and mine have been so sure we were meant for each other since before we were even born. To say I broke their hearts by marrying Sebastian is an understatement. She softly wipes my mascara from my eyes. "Come on, I've got something to cheer you up."
She sits up and then pulls me to my feet. I hug her to me tight. "I love you, Mama."
She squeezes tighter. "Oh, my baby, I love you, too."
She leads me past my kids that are unpacking in their selected rooms and down the stairs. We walk through the foyer to the back of the house next to the kitchen. She goes through a doorway that I know leads to the butler's pantry. It's at the last part of the house; just a long, skinny room that runs along the kitchen wall full of cabinets on one side, floor to ceiling. The other side has cabinets, drawers and counter space. My mom pulls open cabinets quickly and I squeal like a little girl, splaying my arms out wide on the shelves.
I vaguely hear my kids running down the stairs like elephants and Trigg explaining quickly, "She makes that sound when she gets overexcited. It means she's probably going to do something funny."
"Oh, I remember what that means," I hear Brody rumble back, but even he can't pull me from the perfection in front of me.
"Look at this! Gooseberry, Scrolls, Starburst, Flirtation, Friendship! Do you know how amazing this is?!"
Brody's looking at me in confused amusement. My kids are nodding sagely, but don't say anything so I explain to Brody, pointing at Trigg holding up a camera. "They will know how amazing this is. I had no idea Grandma Pierce had so much Pyrex! It's like a museum!"
My mom replies, "Grandma Pierce knew how much you loved her stuff, and we've all grabbed new pieces when we came across them at thrift stores and yard sales. She's been keeping it here for you."
"Oh, you guys are the best family ever! I get to make new dishes with this stuff every day. How lucky am I?" I ask rhetorically. I spin to talk in the camera. "I need recipes! Whole foods! Casseroles! Things I can make from my garden. I still have to see what we have, but I know we have cows and chickens, so I need egg dishes and different things I can make with raw milk. Send me links to your recipes, or post them down below. This is going to be so great!"
Jet yells, "Cut," really loudly and then mumbles he has to get his clapper out of the car.
Brody asks, "What the hell just happened?"
My mom steps around me, gazing back at my bakeware and bowls to explain to him. "Jules has a blog and video blog on YouTube. People learn to do things by watching her, and they give her ideas. It's like her video diaries
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