“Maybe so.” I shrug. “But I did this for you, not me.” I squeeze her arm and rest my head on her shoulder.
“Thanks.” She lets out a slow breath and looks at me out of the corner of her eye. “So, you and Adam, huh?”
“Me and Adam, what?” I know what she’s hinting at, but I need to hear her say it. She seems fine with us, but I need to know for sure.
“You know what. I see the way you two keep looking at each other. And I saw the kiss he dropped on you before he went into the barn. Something finally happened between you two while I was gone, didn’t it?”
I wince at the thought of telling my daughter what actually happened. We’re close, but not that close. “I don’t think I’mcomfortable talking to you about this. I mean, he’s not your … well, you know. Ever since your da—”
“Mom.” She cuts me off. “It’s okay. I like Adam. Maybe he’s exactly what you need. You know, to find happiness after Daddy.”
“So, you’re okay with me seeing Adam?”
She shrugs, and I see a hint of doubt in her expression. “I don’t know, maybe. I really like him. I do. Honestly, I want to see you happy. And I know for a fact he’s very sweet on you.”
“Sweet on me?” I chuckle. “Since when did you start talking like your grandmother?”
“Since my mom started dating a hot architect from Montana.”
“Hot?”
“Oh, please. You know damn well Adam is hot. Between that sexy salt and pepper beard and tight ass. He’s quite the looker.”
“Lizzy!” My jaw drops. I’m not sure how to think about the way she just described Adam.
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Come on, Mom. Don’t be a prude.”
“I’m not a prude. I just don’t think I’m comfortable hearing you talk about the man I’m seeing like that.”
“So, you admit you’reseeingAdam?” She waggles her brows with a smirk.
I want to deny it, but it’s useless. I am seeing Adam, and he makes me happy. I might as well own it. Especially with my daughter. “Yes. I think I am.”
A huge smile covers her face, and she hugs me tight. “Good. As long as he makes you happy.”
Adam’s familymay be small, but they make enough noise for an army. When we walk in from the barn, his two brothers are ragging on each other about something. There’s another young man about the same age as Joe sitting in a stool at the center island, watching them like it’s the best entertainment ever, while his mom is in the kitchen yelling at them to quiet down.
Adam clears his throat, and the room falls silent. All eyes are on us. The way everyone looks at us makes it feel like our presence is unexpected. I lean over to Adam and whisper, “You told them we were coming, right?”
He nods and places his hand on my lower back to lead me the rest of the way into the kitchen. Lizzy follows behind us.
“Momma, you remember Camille.” He steps toward his momma and kisses her cheek.
“Of course, I do.” Her face beams with joy. “I’m so glad you made it. It sure took Adam long enough to invite you over. I’ve been dying to get to know you better.”
She pulls me in for a hug and holds me tight. It throws me off. I’m not used to getting hugs like this. It’s the kind of hug a mom would give a child, not much different than how I hug Lizzy. But I’ve never gotten a hug like this from my mother. It’s nice, and I could get used to it. “Thanks so much for having me.”
“Anytime. I’d love to have you over more.” She steps back and smiles when her eyes catch a glimpse of Lizzy. “Well, who is this beauty behind you?”
“This is my daughter, Lizzy. She’s visiting from Georgia for a couple weeks. I hope you don’t mind that we brought her along?”
“Would I mind,” she scoffs. “Never. The more, the merrier at our house.” Rosie walks past me and pulls Lizzy into the same hug I just received.
Lizzy is a little stiff at first, but she quickly relaxes and welcomes Rosie’s embrace. Sadly, in addition to my parents, Mark’s parents aren’t huggers either. Both our families are what I’d call prim and proper, old-fashioned southern folks. Hugging and affection are not words they understand. In the twenty-seven years I was married to Mark, a scene like this never unfolded at either of our parents’ homes.
Rosie looks between Lizzy and me with her hands on her hips. “I do declare, she’s the spitting image of you. Both of you are such lovely, beautiful women. How’d my Adam get so lucky finding you?”
“Momma,” Adam groans. “Don’t start.”
