More Than Love (NG3)

14 - Not everything

Sasha felt like she was floating in no-man's-land with nothing to cling to except her jewelry. She had met Laney, but what did it mean? Although she had experience parenting an adult child, she wasn't Laney's parent. The beautiful young girl was another mother's daughter.

Her child called her after meeting with Jake. She tried to sidestep it, but it was obvious Jake wasn't any closer to forgiving her. Sasha was pleased they had met and were making plans for Laney to meet his family. If Sasha were honest, it threw her into a tailspin.

She was always optimistic and focused on her haves. Suddenly, her list of have nots was choking her. The biggest was Davis. On the surface, she had him, but not entirely. She would always want more than he was capable of giving. Being the one he always returned to wasn't enough.

As she thought of Laney meeting Jake's family, she felt an ache in her heart. Once upon a time, she had felt a part of the Watson family until she betrayed them all. If Jake hated her, Diane Watson probably despised her.

Reed complained about not being a part of his mother's family, but at least he had one. Reed was her only true family. Time and time again, he chose her over his own parents. Sasha suspected it played a part in the wedge between younger Reed and Marnie, although Marnie's son direly needed maternal love and affection when Sasha entered his life. She filled a void. It was the perfect union because Reed needed a mother and Sasha needed a child.

Feeling emotional over Laney, Sasha turned to Davis more. They spoke every night, and he offered to drive to see her. She felt the slippery slope of needing him more than she should and told him to stay in Boston.

It was a good thing because after her walk on the beach; she went to grab a coffee and ran into a familiar face. Reed was turning away from the counter with two coffees in his hand.

"Were you planning to surprise me?"

He smiled, but she focused on his tired eyes. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I missed you."

She followed him to his car and rode to the cottage with him.

She asked, "How long are you staying?"

"The night if it doesn't put a crimp on your plans."

She laughed. "I never have plans."

Once inside, they sat in the kitchen together while Reed bit into a double chocolate muffin. She smiled, thinking he was still the boy she fell in love with.

She asked, "How are things at work?" She meant things with Davis.

Reed shrugged. "It's not his fault that I hate our clients. He told me he would try. I wish he would try to sell some of my designs. Maybe they would want them if they saw them."

"Maybe you should suggest it. He's not a mind reader."

"Yeah, well, for a guy who gets bored easily, he's set in his ways."

Sasha laughed. Davis was a complicated man. She also didn't trust him not to show up on her doorstep. As Reed pulled out his own phone, she texted him.

Reed looked up. "Just telling the Rob-man I'm here."

Sasha smiled. "Is your father the reason you look tired?

He sighed. "I went out after the rink. It was Kev, Dylan and his girl's friends."

"How's Dylan? Does he still pout when he loses?"

Reed laughed. "That was like once when we were eleven. Kev probably cheated."

They laughed. Sasha used to know all his friends. "With his magic tricks, Dylan should have been the one cheating."

"He's getting married."