Page 6 of Second Chance At Love

“It’s beautiful,” agreed Cora. She looked at one wistfully then set it back. The price was staggering.

Addison could afford anything she wanted for her child in this designer store. She was a Ramesly and not under investigation by the FBI. Her accounts hadn’t been frozen in the recent investigation because she was only viewed as an employee of RameslyHotels. However, since Gerrit had goneinto rehab, Addison had stepped up to help Henry with the running of the hotel.

It also helped that Addison was married to Lincoln Waters, direct competitor to Ramesly Hotels and a multi-billionaire.

Lincoln was older than Addison but it was easy to see that he adored his young wife. From what Cora had seen, there was complete love and trust between the couple. They were expecting their first baby a few months after Cora was due with hers.

“Aren’t you going to get one?” asked Addison.

“I’m just looking today,” murmured Cora.

“You don’t have much longer to look,” noted Addison. She gave Cora an uncomfortable look. “If you would rather not shop for the nursery, we can do something else. It’s almost time for lunch if you’re hungry.”

“We still haven’t gotten those magazines you wanted for the designer. We should grab those. Besides, we were having fun,” smiled Cora as she deflected Addison’s question. “What are your colors again?”

Cora gently steered the conversation, successfully getting Addison to purchase some items and getting the much wanted magazines for her designer who would help her with the nursery she was setting up.

Addison was a very lucky young woman.

Cora pushed away any thoughts of envy. She was lucky too, in her own way. Henry was paying for the roof over her head and she had Ben funding her spending money. It was just a little frustrating to be in debt to them but she had no choice at the moment.

Maybe she could become some amazing entrepreneur start-up person. Cora smiled at the thought. She had no idea what she might be an expert at. She had no specialized knowledge or abilities that people would pay for.

She was a widow and mother.

The paperwork for the house had come through according to the lawyer. The money had been placed in Nick’s trust fund, as per Nate’s will, and she couldn’t touch it. There was nothing left to sell of any real value. Her jewelry had been the first to be liquidated by the estate.

Cora had nothing of value except her three boys. She had to figure out a way to take care of them.

A figure looking over the baby mobiles caught her attention and Cora sucked in a breath.

FBI agent Kepler. How she despised that man and his constant pushing questions. He haunted some of her nightmares. She dreamed he arrested her for the death of her husband even though she hadn’t killed Nate.

She hadn’t told the truth of his death either, the guilty voice in her head reminded her.

Addison was happily chatting to the clerk about patterns. Cora squared her shoulders and approached the FBI Agent.

“Mr. Kepler,” she bit out. “I am busy. It would be a better use of your time to harass someone else.”

Bill Kepler blinked at her. “Found some backbone, Mrs. Ramesly? I would tone down your ire. You are on slippery ground.”

She folded her arms over her very pregnant belly. “I am shopping with my sister-in-law as you no doubt have noticed. Whatever is going on, it can wait.”

Cora turned, heading back towards Addison when Agent Kepler’s words stopped her.

“We have the results of the autopsy back. Your husband did not die of a heart attack,” revealed Kepler.

Cora’s mind unconsciously flashed back to the day Nate died.

Nate would be jogging. He had exactly forty-five minutes more before he would come home, shower, and go to work. It was Tuesday. Nate liked to make Gerrit take the morning and he went to work in the late morning because he would jog. Cora looked at the clock. She had lots of time. She didn’t need to panic, she reminded herself.

Grabbing the suitcases, she pulled the boys' clothes and favorite toys first. A book for each. Just a few outfits. She would buy anything needed with Ben’s credit card. Her youngest brother-in-law had simply handed her the credit card one day and told her he thought she might need it. Cora had hidden it away and now it would be very useful. She pulled the two cases behind her to the garage before putting them in the SUV, leaving the hatch open.

Okay, she needed to grab her case and some snacks, Cora reminded herself. She had already gotten the passports out of the safe. She would take Nate’s with her and throw it out the window somewhere along the route, not that she expected it would slow him down. Nate could take a private jet and be wherever he wanted in the world without proper identification. There were perks to being that powerful and rich.

Cora’s mind laughed. There weren’t as many perks for her.

Well she was done. She was getting her boys and getting out. Earlier this week she had rearranged the dental appointments for Oliver and Nick to next week. However, she had left them the same with the school office so the staff at Livingston Academy wouldn’t think anything of her picking Nick and Oliver up from school. Cora didn’t want the dentist calling Nate when she and the boys didn’t show up or the school accidentally questioning her or calling Nate for verification.