“Do you think he will ever be ready?” I hate asking the question, but I force out the words because I know there’s a real chance that he won’t.
Reaching out, Mom smooths a hand down my shoulder. “I don’t know, honey.”
Tears prick in the corners of my eyes. I hate that—even though it was never my intention—I have effectively driven a wedge between a long-term friendship. Both men are hurting deeply.
“As for Maria …” Mom’s voice takes on a harsher edge, almost cutting. “Our friendship is definitely dead and buried.”
My eyes practically bust from theirsockets.
Mom waves a hand in front of her, metaphorically dismissing my boyfriend’s ex-wife. “Do you know how many hours I spent comforting that woman? In person, over the phone. Hell, I even got on a flight to Kansas once because she was inconsolable over their temporary split a couple of years ago. Vacations to Florida, where she cried nonstop over their divorce, and meanwhile, I was trying to get home to my pregnant daughter and injured husband, both of them heading for the hospital.” Her eyes narrow at the memories. “And all along, she was screwing half of the cabin crew behind his back while simultaneously slinging accusations about how he was cheating.”
I lower my eyes to Blake and cover my baby girl’s ears.
Mom flashes me a grimace and then continues her rambling. “When I confronted her about everything, she broke down, spouting more trash about you trying to steal her husband away from her.” She scoffs. “Maria only has herself to blame for the demise of her marriage, and petty jealousy makes her look even more of a fool. Going behindmyback to speak tomyhusband aboutmydaughter …”
Without another word, I pull her into my body, one arm wrapping around her slender shoulders. It feels like she’s dropped weight since she was last in my arms, and that breaks my heart.
She gazes down at Blake and then at me.
“There was nothing going on between me and Emmett before I returned from Austin. I promise.”
Mom shakes her head. “I know, and you don’t need to go there. Even Scott knows that too. Maria is all kinds of paranoid, and I’ve seen a side to her that I just cannot hang in with. I’ll always choose my daughter. Over anyone or anything.”
Our embrace with Blake nestled between us is all that’s left to be said, and we stay like that for the longest time until Mom eventually pulls away, checking her watch on a sigh.
“I have to get to work.”
I’m not ready for her to leave, even though I need to jump in the shower and get ready myself.
“Do you have plans today?” she asks, strolling into my living area and collecting her purse from the couch.
“I’m meeting some friends for coffee at that bakery, Rise Up.”
She looks intrigued. “Which friends are these, and do I know them?”
I shake my head, a slow smile creeping onto my lips when I think about the amazing women I’ve met over the past three months. “Remember that biker girl with pink hair and a banging body?”
Mom twists her lips to one side, snapping her fingers when she recalls Collins. “Ah, yes! The queen.”
I chuckle. “Well, it turned out that she is the wife of one of Emmett’s former teammates.” I gaze around my apartment. “And this is actually the place she rented before she met him.”
Mom’s mouth pops open. “No kidding! Small world.”
“Well, through Collins, I met a few other incredible women, and two of them have invited me and Blake for coffee this morning.”
Beaming on my behalf, Mom hangs her purse over one shoulder and heads for the front door. “Well, in that case, I’d best not keep you.” She pauses halfway out the apartment. “Tell Emmett that Freya says hi.”
“Billie!”Kate pushes back her chair and moves another one out of the way so I can wheel Blake’s stroller directly up to the table she and Felicity reserved.
Kate plants a single kiss on each of my cheeks, and Felicity does the same before I take a seat between them. Then Kate slides a warm cappuccino toward me.
“I have one question.” I begin talking, attention shifting from Kate to Felicity.
“Shoot,” Felicity replies, stirring sweetener into a cup of Yorkshire Tea.
“How is it that y’all can both smell and look so insanely good this early in the morning?”
Felicity blows out a harsh laugh, flicking her chocolate waves over one shoulder. “I’ll let my business partner answer that one. Jon kept me up all night.”
