“She hasn’t talked about him much, but I don’t think that’s what we’re looking at.”
She nods, sympathy filling her gaze. “Then you be the best damn partner and role model that family has ever seen. If she’s the one for you, and you’re pulling your weight in the relationship, she’ll be just as quick to stand up for you as you are for her. And, since you let me get up on this soapbox, there isnothingwrong with learning right along with them.”
“What do you mean?”
Mama scoffs good-naturedly, like she can’t believe she has to explain this. “Lana is gonna have to learn how to be with a younger man who treats her like a queen and is a partner so she’s not caring for another child.”
“Makes sense.” I grin because I’ve been called exhausting a time or two.
“It should. She’ll probably be reluctant to accept help and she’ll be skeptical of things goin’ well—like waiting for the other shoe to drop. And her kids are going to see the way their mother is when you’re not around. Is she smiling? Is she happy? Or is she worried or stressed?”
Letting my eyelids flutter shut, I let her words sink in, the enormity of the pull I feel toward Lana weighed down by a minefield of what-ifs.
The truth is that I’d worked most of this out myself, but hearing it said out loud makes it more real—raises the stakes to something that feels unobtainable.
“She’s so incredibly lucky to have you,” Mama says quietly, my eyelids flying open as I look at her.
“What?”
Her smile is soft and full of love. “It has been a true blessing seeing you grow into such a wonderful young man. Lana is going to see the work you’re putting in for her and her family, and it’s going to be beautiful to watch.”
I’ll never regret coming here.
The thought echoes in my head as I stare at the woman who never misses a chance to build me up. The guys razz me about being an instant mama’s boy, but I’ll wear that badge proudly.
“It was worth all the days before this to finally have a mother like you.”
Tears fill her eyes as she gets up from her seat and moves around the table. I stand too and embrace her as she wraps her arms around me and squeezes.
“It is an honor to be your mama,” Flora whispers and I hold her tighter, relishing in the way it feels to have such high praise bestowed on me. “I love you so very much.”
“I love you too,” I say before releasing her, my eyes a little misty too.
“Now,” she starts after clearing her throat, “what can I pack for you and Bodhi? Make sure he’s the one who brings back the containers. I haven’t seen him in so long I barely remember what he looks like.”
I chuckle. “I’ll be sure to let him know his presence is required.”
Mama shakes her head as she hands me a tote bag with half a dozen containers. “That’s not subtle. Your brother and I keep a very delicate balance. I like to give him a little nudge so he doesn’t become a hermit over there, but I also want to respect his desire for solitude. Heknowshe doesn’t have to be the one to bring these back, but when he does, it’s like a small win for both of us.”
Crushing her to me, I drop a kiss to her head and thank the stars above for dropping us in the middle of such an incredible town.
8
LANA
The sound of my alarm is like nails on a chalkboard, and I hit the snooze button— becausewho doesn’t want five more minutes—when my phone vibrates, mocking my need to hide away for just a little longer.
When it goes off a second time, I growl and kick the blankets back, snatching the stupid thing from the nightstand as I stomp across my room.
MASON: Good morning, Dream Girl
MASON: I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I left your bed
I squint at the screen,the harsh bathroom light doing me zero favors as I brush my teeth.Good morning, Dream Girl. Ugh. He even sounds peppy through text.
It’s too early to admit that he’s adorably sexy, and it’s obvious we’re going to have to have some ground rules about morning communication if whatever we’re doing is going to survive.
Still, it warms my jaded, tired heart, and I purposely ignore the second message because if I start thinking of him and this weekend, I’ll be late for work. That and Ireallydon’t have time to get myself off before I need to wake the feral beasts my children become in the morning.
