Even with the words he’d said to her that first night in her place about just being a mark checked off on her list.
It still boiled her blood, but she thought back to his life and his childhood.
That he hadn’t fit in. He was talked about. She’d bet he was used by women only wanting sex.
It wasn’t her and never would be.
She came off too strong as it was after their first night together, but was glad she’d stepped up and spoke her mind. He had said nothing stupid like that to her again.
“Nothing more than normal,” she lied. Not something she liked to do, but since Chance was keeping this in the fun zone, she wouldn’t bring her family along for the enjoyment.
She didn’t need nor want that lecture.
“You’ve been yawning a lot,” her mother said. Which she did just now. Her mother pointed at her. “See. Are you not sleeping well?”
Oh, she’d been sleeping just fine. Nice and hard when there was a warm body next to her in bed that had worn her out.
Ugh. Was it a lot of sex in her mind too?
She didn’t want it to be that way.
“Just going through phases like normal,” she said. “Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”
Her mother continued to stare. “Marjorie called me this weekend. She swore she saw you out at a brewery on a tour. I said you normally mention when you do things like that with friends.”
“I was at one yesterday,” she said. There wasn’t a way out of this without boldfaced lying and Marjorie was a busybody and would know for a fact that it was her.
“Who did you go with?”
“A friend,” she said. Her phone went off on her desk. Her eyes glanced over and she saw it was from Chance but ignored it.
“A guy or girl friend?”
“Mom,” she said. “Don’t you have work to do?”
Her mother stood up. “Got it. You’re not talking about it right yet.”
“I never do early on and you know it.”
Her mother sighed. “You’re right.”
“Why are you being so nosy now?”
“Because I worry about you. You know that. I just brought up the Fierces and I thought maybe you were trying to do this on your own and grabbing anyone you could so that you could tell them no.”
“I’d never do that. And I’m going to tell them no regardless. I said I wouldn’t do it unless I was desperate. When I’m ready to look for sperm donors, then you’ll know I reached that point.”
“Jocelyn!”
She burst out laughing at her mother’s appalled look. “You had it coming. Don’t be so nosy.”
Her mother left her office, so she picked up her phone to see the text from Chance. Nothing more than saying he’d be working at the pub tonight and tomorrow from lunch until closing, that someone was sick.
At least he was keeping her informed. She sent him a thumbs up back. What other reply would she give?
That she wished he didn’t have to and they could spend the time together?
That he’d be back at the firehouse after and tired and she’d be up at night worrying about him?
