Second Chances in New Port Stephen - Chapter 71

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Second Chances in New Port Stephen - Chapter 71

Nick’s breath left him in a whoosh. He felt like he’d been kicked in the stomach. “When were
you planning on telling me?”
“After the holidays,” she said. Her eyes flicked up to meet his. “I’m sorry, okay? I thought it
would be better for you and Zoe to have a normal Christmas before we discussed it. I didn’t
want some pall hanging over everything.” She sighed. “That didn’t work. Obviously.”
Nick couldn’t even form words, he was so sideswiped. After the divorce, they had both wanted
to keep things as amicable as possible. There was no courtrecorded custody agreement, only an
informal arrangement. With Laurie’s weird hours at the hospital and Nick’s changeable schedule
at the restaurant, they’d agreed to be flexible, playing it by ear when it came to dividing up
custody of Zoe. At the time, it had seemed better than coming up with a strict schedule. As long
as Nick had Zoe for Lunar New Year, he never complained.
Was he going to have to travel to Arizona for Lunar New Year? What about the restaurant?
What about his dad? He hated flying.
This was such a mess.
“You should have told me,” Nick said. “Hell, you told your mom before you told me.”

-- 174 of 228 --

Laurie’s nostrils flared. “I did not tell her, actually. She went through my phone and read my
emails. That’s how she knows.” Her voice dropped to a hissed whisper. “And honestly? It’s that
kind of shit that makes me want to leave
town.” Her eyes went all red the way they did when she was trying not to cry. “She’s impossible,
Nick. The stuff she says? Out loud? It’s grinding me down into nothing. I try to put up
boundaries, and she keeps steamrolling right over them!”