“She’s nice.” Mom continued studying him with a curious eye. “How long have you known her?”
“About a month.”
“You seemed pretty into her.”
Nope, he refused to take the bait. He was twenty-seven years old, for crying out loud. He should be able to make out with a woman in his own house and not be made to feel like a seventeen-year-old caught breaking curfew.
He smothered the smile threatening to break free. Kissing Hallie hadn’t been in his plans for coming home early, though no part of him complained about that accident. Guilt wiggled in his chest at how much he enjoyed it. With their situation being what it was, he shouldn’t have. He hadn’t just overlooked the code of ethics by kissing his kids’ temporary nanny, he’d tossed the whole dang book into the fire.
And that was on top of all the other reasons marring the pleasure of that glorious kiss. But he wouldn’t be discussing any of that with his mother.
He gestured toward the bags at Mom’s feet. “What’s in there?”
Some of the sparkle dimmed from her eyes, but she didn’t press the issue. She pulled out a chair and lifted one of the sacks onto it. “I picked up a few things for you at the store.”
“You didn’t need to do that.” Judging by the four heaping bags, she’d bought enough groceries to last them a week.
“I wanted to. There are some surprises for the girls in there too.”
She pulled out a carton of Penelope’s favorite chocolate milk, the expensive brand that Christian never bought. Leave it to his mother to spoil them all. She took the grandma role very seriously. Even after almost a decade of living on his own, she still went out of her way to make sure his cupboards were stocked.
Not that he’d ever complain about free food.
A scratching came at the back door, followed by high-pitched whining. While Mom continued unloading the groceries, Christian opened the back door for Pumpkin. The dog sauntered inside, heading straight for Mom, who paused long enough to give her a few pats.
Christian refilled the empty water bowl and tossed a couple dog treats onto Pumpkin’s bed, before helping his mother with the groceries.
“How was your cruise?” He pulled out a loaf of bread from one of the bags.
Mom’s demeanor brightened. “Oh, Christian, if I’d known how wonderful the experience was going to be, I would’ve let Anita talk me into doing it years ago.”
She launched into a day-by-day summation of the entire vacation. By dinner of day two, Christian’s mind had already drifted back to Hallie.
How was she feeling about the kiss? She’d seemed into their surprise make out, but could she be having the same doubts he did now?
He hated feeling so conflicted. That kiss had been the most incredible, jaw-dropping kiss of his life. In the moment, all his reservations had taken a back seat to the euphoria of it, awakening a part of him that had been dormant for so long.
“We were at sea on Monday, so we spent the whole day relaxing by the pool…”
Christian emerged from his thoughts long enough to nod at Mom’s tale. But as he slid a box of Cheerios into the cupboard, he slipped back into his own internal monologue.
For years, he’d stoked the bitter fire clutching his heart. He’d craved it even, convincing himself that it would block out the pain resulting from Sabrina’s abandonment. If he never gave his heart away again, he’d never set himself up for the inevitable pain that would follow.
Then in waltzed Hallie, like some mythical fairy who, without him realizing it, started breaking down his walls with every wave ofher magic wand. Yet the possibility of surrendering the very weapons that kept him afloat all these years terrified him. Could he really put himself in a position to finish him off entirely?
“And on the last night, we went on this romantic dinner and Paul?—”
Christian’s head whipped in her direction, and he closed the cupboard door a little too hard. “Who’s Paul?”
“The man I’ve been telling you about this whole time.” Mom looked at him, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her eyes. “Weren’t you listening?”
“I am now,” he muttered more to himself than to her.
She went back to unloading the final grocery bag. “We met at dinner the first night. I haven’t connected with someone like him since your father. He’s a widower, in fact, from Fullerton.”
Now that Christian had come down from the clouds, he studied her closely as she talked about this mystery man. The slight smile gracing her mouth as she listed his qualities. The twinkle in her eye when recalling some witty conversation they’d had over drinks one evening. She practically radiated giddiness while recounting their nights on the dance floor or talking under the stars.
It was all too much. In the back of Christian’s mind, he always knew there’d come a day when Mom might fall in love again, but hearing about it didn’t sit well with him.
