Lana nodded.
Her mom reached across the table and gave Lana’s hand a squeeze. “I can go with you if you want.”
Lana smiled. Her mother had always been there for her whenever she’d needed support the most. Offering to drop everything and go to Alaska with her was just one of the reasons Lana loved her so much.
“I appreciate that, Mom,” she said. “But Max already offered to go with me. You don’t mind, do you?”
Her mother smiled, but before she could say anything, their server interrupted to take their order. Lana glanced down at her menu and chose the first thing she saw: salad with a chili-lime vinaigrette and a cheese enchilada on the side.
The waiter, a blond guy she probably would have thought was attractive until she’d met Max and had her entire definition of the word changed forever, gave her a smile. “Orders are usually two enchiladas, but I can put in a good word with the chef, see if I can get him to hook me up with a single one.”
“I wouldn’t want you to waste any of your favors on me,” she said as she handed him her menu. “You can go ahead and bring two. I’ll share with my mom.”
Realizing his charm wasn’t working on Lana, the waiter turned his attention on her mother. Her mom lifted a brow, shutting him down before he started and sending the would-be Romeo off for their food.
“There was a time not too long ago when you would have been thrilled to have a cute guy like that trying to charm you,” her mother observed as she sipped her iced tea.
Lana shrugged, wishing she still had her menu so she’d have somewhere else to look other than at her mom, who was currently regarding her with a knowing expression. For once, she’d rather her mother didn’t know her so well.
“I’m not eighteen anymore, Mom.”
“Uh-huh.” Her mother regarded her thoughtfully, apparently not convinced. “You sure it doesn’t have something more to do with a certain SWAT officer?”
“Maybe,” Lana conceded. “You don’t mind if Max takes me up to Alaska, do you?”
Mom waved her hand. “Don’t be silly. I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather you go up there with.”
Lana had spent the morning telling her mom about what had happened down in Austin, from finding out all the horrible details surrounding Denise’s murder to the hours she’d spent at the diner with Max afterward. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he’d saved her sanity.
“He is rather amazing,” she admitted with a smile.
“You like him a lot, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Lana would have said more, but their server appeared with their food. He was less charming and all business this time, she noticed. She picked up her fork and speared a tomato.
“I know this is going to sound crazy. We just met, but I already feel like we’re perfect together.” She glanced at her mother. “You don’t think I’m crazy, do you?”
“Not at all. Sometimes, we really do fall fast for the person we’re meant to be with. If Max is that person for you, there’s nothing wrong with admitting it.”
Lana sighed. “But how do I know for sure if Max is that person? What if my feelings for him are being affected by all this stuff with Denise? That makes a lot more sense than the idea I’ve stumbled over my soul mate.”
Her mother shook her head and dipped her spoon in her soup. “You really are your father’s daughter, aren’t you? Always trying to logic your way through a situation. Maybe just this once, you should put your head on cruise control and let your heart lead the way.”
Lana smiled at the analogy. “I think I can do that. Though I don’t think Dad is going to be too thrilled with any of this. He’s especially not going to like the idea of me going up to Alaska with Max.” She snorted as a sudden thought occurred to her. “I can just imagine him wanting to go up there with us, so he can chaperone and make sure we don’t get too close.”
“You let me worry about your father,” her mom said.
Lana was only too happy to do that. She ate a bite of her enchilada, chewing thoughtfully. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, Mom.”
“What’s that?”
“The other night, you said Dad didn’t want me to get involved with a cop. Why not? I would think he’d be all for it, especially since Max is on his SWAT team.”
Her mother sighed. “Who knows how your father thinks? He can be stubborn as hell sometimes for no apparent reason. If it’s any consolation, my father never wanted me getting involved with a cop, either.”
Lana’s jaw dropped. This was the first she’d heard of that. “What? But Grandpa was a cop, too. Why didn’t he like Dad?”
