10 months later

Weeks turned into months, and the Hotel was nearly unrecognizable. It was just four rogue women and three babies doing what I thought was impossible when we started. At times we saw no end in sight, and all of us wanted to give up. Fix one thing, find another issue, yet we managed it. We had four days before the health and safety inspector came out to check our progress, the first time he came out. He gave us a list of issues and snorted his laugh at us when we told him it was only us fixing it up. He shook his head and said it was impossible and that the place should be bulldozed.

Nearly a year had passed, in that time , we had fixed all the hotel rooms into immaculate rooms that simply matched or surpassed the other Hotels in the City. Macey and I went hotel shopping, as we called it, and sussed out the other Hotels in the City. We hired a room for a night to see the services and check out the rooms and decoration to develop our own ideas. The function room was one thing most of the Hotels didn’t have, whereas ours was big enough to hold weddings and formal functions.

Walking into the function room, it looked like something out of a fairytale wedding. Twinkling fairy lights hung from the ceiling joining in the center to a crystal chandelier which was one the most expensive thing Valarie paid for but the centerpiece of the room. We had done it up as a winter wonderland inside, elegant yet also sophisticated if needed, depending on the function.

All the hotel rooms were transformed, the pool area was restored, and the property’s gardens were trimmed and well maintained. In the rear gardens, we found four water fountains that still worked. After a good tidy up, it had a tropical oasis feel.

The restaurant in the main building was fully functional, and all appliances have been removed and replaced with better stainless steel and energy- efficient ones. It had a children’s play area that was fully enclosed and would eventually offer child minding services for employees and those staying in the Hotel. We still had so much to do, but our most challenging task was passing the health and safety inspection and finding people to help run the place.

We had made do with just fixing it up with little help from Zoe’s child’s father and Macey’s brother. We still needed more workers to run this place. Four women couldn’t be everywhere at once. Solar panels had been placed on every building to save money on the power for running the place when it eventually opened.

All that was left was the front gardens and painting the exterior, which was nearly done, but we had just run out of paint. Macey’s brother was currently trimming the front hedges, and Macey was mowing the lawn with the ride-on mower she borrowed from her neighbor. Then on top of all the renovations.

Three nights a week, I went to the community college on the street behind us, and Valarie paid for my business courses, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I attended campus.

will have finished my studies in accounting, business management, and admin, I just hoped I lived up to Valerie’s expectations. Since meeting Valarie and her taking us in, for the first time I was hopeful for

want to get back quickly. Hopefully, we will have enough daylight to finish

call back to her while climbing in Valarie’s truck. Zoe climbs in the passenger side, and I start the old beast up. Valerie waves from the top balcony with Valerian and Caasey in her arms,

” Zoe says, and I

go see the doctor last week, but she refused as always, ” I tell her. Zoe shakes her head and sighs. Last week I walked in on Valerie during one of her coughing fits, only this time it was much different as she wiped her

all made worse each time her mate stopped in to see her. I had been there nearly a year, and he was like a ghost. I saw his car come and go, but I was yet to see the man’s face even after a year.

you worry that he is slowly killing her, that all this time coining and going is killing her? ” Zoe asks. I say nothing because I know her mate was the reason she

smaller. My health deteriorated; I was always sick with the flu or stomach issues, and no matter how much I ate, I could never put on weight. My hair fell out in clumps sometimes, especially when he had been busy fooling around with women. Other times I felt drunk, making me question if he was an alcoholic. So I could only imagine how badly Valarie

went on, the more I felt him, and it was horrible. It was like the mate-bond was pulling me toward him, and resisting took its toll on me. He had no idea; I tried to reach out to him, fear of him taking Valerian stopped me each time. Valerian is mine; I raised him, I looked after him,

hardware store, Zoe and I hop out of the car, paint code in hand and the cash for the paint. ”We need a new paint tray too ; I cracked the other one by accident, ” Zoe

I tell her, and we split off down different aisles. Walking down the paint section, I looked for the correct paint tray. It needed to be big enough for the roller brushes, finding it. I grab a spare just

should be

much left to do now,“ I tell her, turning to

and I swallow as I stare at the man’s frame in front of me. Tall and intimidating as ever. I would recognize that scent anywhere as I stared at the back of

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