“No, we wouldn’t.”
“What made you choose to run a security service?” she asked.
“Mom,” I warned. “He’s not here to be interrogated like a criminal.”
“I was done with the Marines but uncomfortable spinning my wheels,” he answered honestly. “It seemed like the next step.”
“I bet it did,” she said thoughtfully. “My husband says you’re the best.”
“I am,” he said honestly, confidently but not steeping with arrogance. He’s good, and that’s the truth; that’s it. There’s no hiding it but also no bragging. And King and I both pretended we didn’t notice my mom slipped and called my dad her husband and not her ex.
“Now,” she said, turning to me. “What the hell are you going to do about Bobby?”
“Dad’s PR team is going to handle it,” I answered with a sigh. “I’m just going to focus on winning.”
“I never did like that boy,” she muttered while spearing bites of cake with her fork.
“Mom!” I shouted.
“What? It’s true.” She rolled her eyes. “He always was a little pissant.”
“Mom!”
“Can’t help but agree there,” King muttered before shoving half a sandwich into his mouth. Mom and I both turned and stared at him, me in horror and Mom with an approving look on her own face for all to see.
Shit.
She liked him. And worse than that, she liked himfor me.
We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting. After lunch, King thanked my mom and then left to make his rounds again. This was both good and bad. Good, because his presence unnerved me and I was starting to spin out of control, feeling that constant state of unbalanced that he makes me feel. It’s like walking a tightrope over the Grand Canyon when I don’t even know how to tie my own shoes. It was also bad, because it gave my mom time to dig into her I-like-King-for-Adrienne campaign. Something that we both wanted, but I was the one who was sure both Mom and I would be left brokenhearted at the end of the adventure.
I spent a fair amount of time trying to convince her of the sad eventuality of my love life crashing and burning, but eventually I gave up when it was clear Mom wasn’t about to give in.
Finally, it was time to go, and I had plans to go home and lock myself in my room until the end of time and hope that my problems magically sorted themselves out. But I also had a feeling it was more likely I would discover the portal that Claire fell through to get to her highlander in the past than I was to make King fall in love with me. Nevertheless, Mom was determined.
She walked us to the door. Hugo was napping somewhere, no doubt sleeping off all the chicken salad and ham sandwiches he pinched from the table. I was feeling a little fat and happy myself and could also use a nap to sleep off all the carbs.
Just after King stepped through the threshold and beeped the locks on his car, Mom pulled me into her arms and whispered into my ear, “Take the leap.”
“Mom—”
“No buts,” she interrupted me. “Take the risk. This man is worth it.”
“He doesn’t want me.” Voicing my own insecurities did not feel good, but still, it needed to be said.
“That man wants you,” she replied. “He’s just not sure if he can let himself.”
“Mom—”
“Trust me.”
“Okay.”
“Take the leap.”
“Okay.”
“It’s going to hurt,” she warned. “But it’ll be worth it.”
