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

feel the movement of the

maps and discussing ridiculous things

mileage things. they find endlessly fascinating for

and leave them to it. Cora and I curl up in the

watching

baby between us.

a wonderful day in the little sun-soaked

talking with my sister, reconnecting with

from my life

broke through my window.

think it’s all really over?” I ask her

sink to the horizon.

what I’m talking about

me honestly. “I think…well, Ella,

lives. I think we’re going to have to snatch at moments of

them because the next challenge is always coming.

to make that peace

always going to try to

my napping baby, trailing

” Did we choose wrong?

our fated mates. We picked

life,” Cora laughs, and

her smiling and shaking her head at

I ask, sitting up straight, ” Cora, I was a nanny –

single mom, to live quietly alone with

she says, waving a hand at me in dismissal. “That was just the start

Ella, always. Yes, you were always going to be a

to the side, “but…you were never going

that you ended up being

opens a door for you to help thousands when he is king, and

that was always your

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

That this was perhaps always the life

I wanted a

dropping

isn’t my fated

going wide. ” But you’re

Ella, this thing

“It feels really big. I don’t…know how to explain it except

that.”

a mating bond snap into place?”

says, turning back to me. “But

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

motel.”

grin at her, knowing what happened that day,

forward eagerly,

I was his mate,” Cora replies, giving a little shrug. “But

Not I choose you as my mate. Just…that

little jealous. I have no hesitations about

that what’s between

with his own fated mate. But still – it’s an experience I’ll never

“did you ask him

she says, shrugging

“Why not?”

don’t

-” I say simply, scooching forward on the bed, ready

gasps,