Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 386-The Long…Long Road

Ella

It takes me just a little over an hour to realize that…I hate road trips.

“Oh my god,” I murmur to Cora as the vibrations of the gigantic RV continue to

shake through us, making poor Rafe grumble uncomfortably. “Is it night yet?

Can we stop?”

“You’re being a baby, Ella,” my sister replies, looking up at me with a smirk,

jumping her red king over three of Roger’s black checkers and capturing them.

“It’s fun!”

“You’re only having fun because you’re kicking Roger’s ass for the third time at

that game,” I murmur, sighing as I glance out the window.

“Seriously,” Roger sighs, leaning back against the white leather of the

kitchenette’s booth. “You should quit that, Cora. For Ella’s sake – she’s trying to

enjoy herself.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, staring at the board.

“Yes,” Cora replies, laughing. “For Ella’s sake, I’ll go easy on you.”

“I just thought it would be prettier,” I sigh, looking out the window at the endless

highway miles. “Like, purple mountains majesty. Fruited plains. Etcetera.”

Instead, it’s just hour after hour of looking at cars, and asphalt, and the sad little

pine scrub that borders the highways.

“Maybe when we get further out,” Cora offers, hopeful. “Nah,” Roger replies,

making his next move on the checker’s board. “After the forest it’s all corn for

days.”

I groan, leaning my head back. “I hate corn.”

“No, you don’t,” Cora chides, instantly making her next move on the board and

capturing two more of Roger’s pieces. He gasps in protest and then slumps

back again.

“How are you doing this,” he murmurs, studying the board. “Are you a witch?”

“Maybe,” she says with a shrug.” Guess we have to ask mom.”

I smile at her then, bouncing my fussy baby in my arms. And I inhale a deep

breath, silently ordering myself to cheer up because even if I decidedly do not

like riding in the RV, I’m still excited to take this trip for my sister, to get her the

answers she so desperately wants.

Eventually Cora and I retire with the baby to the bedroom where Sinclair

not feel the movement of

front, studying maps and

endlessly fascinating for some weird

shrug and leave them to it. Cora

spend our time chatting, watching movies, and

baby between us.

day in the little sun-soaked

with my sister, reconnecting with her and

from my life since that terrible day when those

broke through my window.

her in a quiet moment as the sun starts

sink to the horizon.

I’m talking about – she

honestly. “I think…well,

lives. I think we’re going to have to

have them because the next challenge

going to have to fight to make that peace

is always going to try to steal

napping baby, trailing a little finger

I ask quietly. ” Did we choose wrong?

We picked this…should we have chosen

laughs, and I look up at

shaking

sitting up straight, ” Cora, I was a nanny – I was ready to be

live

says, waving a hand at me in dismissal. “That

you were always going to

head to the side, “but…you were never going to stop

I think it kind of makes sense that you ended up being such a

you to help thousands when

was always

considering what she’s saying. And I guess…well, I guess

perhaps always the life I wanted, even if I

I wanted a simple

adds, her voice dropping lower. “I’m actually…I’m not

isn’t my fated mate,” she

eyes going wide. ” But you’re

she says, frowning. “But… Ella, this thing between us,” she

head. “It feels really big. I don’t…know

that.”

a mating bond snap into place?” I

to me.

in that rainstorm – that day when we had to stop at the

motel.”

what happened that day, and she blushes

eagerly, wanting to know.

his mate,” Cora replies, giving a little shrug. “But the way

Not I choose you as my mate. Just…that I

say, impressed, a little jealous. I have

what’s between us is far

own fated mate. But still – it’s an experience I’ll never have. “Well,”

ask him about

she says,

“Why not?”

idea. I don’t want him to

scooching forward on

gasps, grabbing my