“Of course you could have,” she huffed. “You’re the one who put in the hard work. All those hours at the diner and catering. That was you, not me. And don’t think I didn’t notice you fixed the broken pipe under the sink before you went to work today.”
“It’s just a patch. I’ll repair it on my next day off.”
“Or we could call a plumber.”
“I know how to fix it.” He’d learned lots of home maintenance growing up in order to save money, and after he bought the diner, he’d have to economize more than ever.
“All right.” She smiled. “Now, back to Harper. If you’re not interested in her, then what about Anita? She’s such a sweetheart. Did you know her preschool Sunday school class made Valentine’s Day cards for all the older single people in church? What a thoughtful gesture, and the cards were adorable.”
“That’s nice.” And so like Anita. “But—”
“Is she single?”
“Yes.” At least he was fairly sure she was. He’d never seen her with a date or a boyfriend and hadn’t heard her talking about anyone special. Then again, he’d only recently been paying attention.
“Excellent,” his mother said.
“What is all this about, Mom?”
She got up and took her mug to the sink, rinsing it out slowly. Had she heard his question, or was she avoiding answering? Finally she turned around and looked at him. “You’re almost twenty-eight years old, Tanner, and you still live with your mother.”
Talk about a shot out of nowhere. “I didn’t know you had a problem with me living here.”
She sat back down, this time next to him. “Like any mother, I love having my children close to me. But most people your age in Maple Falls are either married, getting married, or living on their own. As far as I know, you’ve never even had a girlfriend.”
She was making him sound pathetic. He was also thankfulhe’d never introduced her to Heather. “I’ve gone on a few dates.”
“Maybe you should go on some more. Like with Anita.”
He ran his knuckles over the top of the table, not looking at her. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Why?”
Even if Anita were interested in him—and he was convinced she wasn’t—a romance between them was out of the question. Soon he would be her boss, and he considered dating an employee unethical. “I don’t have time,” he said, deciding on the simplest, not to mention most truthful, answer.
“You can always make time for the things you care about.” She patted his hand.
Right now he cared about keeping up with his business and making sure his mother wasn’t overworking herself. “Do you really want me to move out?” he asked, a little hurt at the idea.
“If you’re staying just for me, then yes, I want you to move out. When your father died, you took on his responsibility for the family. I didn’t realize it at the time, but now I clearly see that you’re putting your life on hold. I’m worried you sacrificed too much making up for your father’s absence.”
So that was it. She thought he might be staying here because of her. Which was true, but he had never minded living with her as an adult. And he’d never put his life on hold. Living here had allowed him to save money so he could purchase Sunshine, even as he helped her out with the bills and kept trying to convince her to slow down. But he couldn’ttell her those things right now. Once the deal was complete, though, she would understand.
“Mom, I never feel obligated when it comes to you, and I haven’t sacrificed anything.” A thought occurred to him. “Are you thinking about selling the house?”
She put her hand on her chest. “Heavens, no. I would never sell. I love living here.”
“Even with all the bad memories?” A lump formed in his throat.
Her eyes grew soft. “The good ones outweigh the bad ones.”
That might be so, but he was starting to warm up to the idea. “This is a big house, and it will be a lot for you to take care of by yourself when I do move out.”
“So you are planning to get a place of your own?”
“Yes, eventually.” But he wasn’t ready to leave her, not when she continued to work so hard. He wondered if they should have had this talk a long time ago, but he’d been too busy to think about it before now. “Maybe you should consider downsizing.”
Her lips flattened into a line, and he could see her mentally digging in her heels. “Maybe you should consider going out with Anita.”
