The Surrogate's Secret Read Free Page B

is exactly where he’d planned to bring up his family. Once you receive the money due to them from Felipe’s business, you can afford a nice house in a much better neighborhood. You have right on your side, Sher. They are your children. Not to say some arrangements can’t be made to share down the road when they’re older. However, at this moment, what those two babies need more than anything else in the world is a mommy who loves them. Agreed?”
    “Agreed. Charly, I love you and your common sense. And when we get that house, I want you to move in there with us and be a part of our family.”
    “I love you guys, too. I’d move anywhere, anytime to be with you. Just a thought Sher, what about your love life? I could be in the way if you met someone and…” The look on her face stopped Charly dead.
    Sheri took her time answering. “I know you’ve never intruded or prodded me to talk about my past, and I appreciate that it would have taken a great deal of control on your part, but really, there’s very little to say.”
    “Fine . I’m not nosy. You can keep it bottled up, festering, your poor soul aching to share. Far be it from me to—”
    “Oh for heaven’s sake .” Sheri couldn’t keep the grin from bursting though. “All right already. My story is the same as hundreds of other silly women who got taken in by a womanizing snake.”
    “Scum-sucking toad! ”
    “Worse. He played me for a fool and I let him. He wanted to mold me into being the perfect girlfriend, and I made myself fit the role even when I hated being so vulnerable.  Back then, my father had fallen ill and most days I spent looking after him. When I got the chance to get out, I’d go to the gym. Doug trained at the same facility. He played professional hockey, and let’s just say, the jerk knew how to score, both on the ice and off.”
    “Knew how to use his stick, aye?” Charly chuckled.
    “Except he got benched for hooking.” Sheri played along.
    “ That’ll teach the rotten fore-checker to make a pass in the neutral zone.” Charly couldn’t stop laughing.
    “Yep, the player went offside and the game ended in a shut-out. Told him to get the puck outta there and he left.” By this time, the two friends were in near hysterics.
    Charly calmed down first. “It’s obvious you’re well over the bastard so I won’t worry. I’ll see myself out. Don’t forget to lock the chain.”
    After she left, Sheri leaned against the soft cushion and let the memories flood. Doug, the best-looking guy she’d ever met, had chosen her out of all the beautiful girls that used the same gym.
    Susceptible and untutored in the ways of men, Sheri had fallen hard for every line the slimeball came up with, and he had many. Afterwards, she could see what motivated him to settle on her, but at the time, blinded by her innocence and false illusions, she’d idolized him and he sucked it all up as his due.
    Months of living in her dream world crashed on the night she’d returned to the complex for her dirty workout clothes that needed washing. A lit room at the end of the hall drew her. Wails caught her attention, and thinking someone injured, she’d followed the sounds to the dressing room.
    Doug, her precious lover, stood with his black spandex shorts pooled at his ankles . He was screwing the panting, squirming, noisy yoga instructor against the mirrored wall.  Before she’d run, Sheri’s yelp of pain must have caught his attention because he looked up in time to see her shocked face and tear-filled eyes.
    Probably e xpecting his doormat girlfriend to crumble, Doug, dumber than lint, tried to talk to her about forgiveness. He kept sending flowers, showing up at her front door until she had enough of his nonsense. Calling the police about a peeping tom brought them to her house in time to catch him red-handed trying to get her attention through the picture window.  He’d promised to leave her alone if she dropped the charges. She hadn’t seen