I swiped a tear from her cheek.
Fuck!
This was exactly the reason why I hadn’t wanted to get into this discussion.
Lauren was way too empathetic, and I hated to see her cry over something that Asher and I hadn’t felt grief about for decades.
“You’re giving me way too much credit for sensitivity, angel,” I insisted. “I barely remember my mother anymore.”
“That’s not the point,” she sniffled. “It hurt when you were little and vulnerable. Not having your mother in yourlife changed your childhood. I hate that for you and Asher. Somebody should have been there to protect both of you. Your childhood can shape your entire future, Cole.”
I snorted. “And sometimes it’s just something you have to get over once you become an adult.”
She swatted my shoulder. “Stop doing that.”
“What?” I said as I looked at her in surprise.
“Blowing off the fact that it took a lot to overcome all of the things that happened to you. You and Asher were both so brave. You succeeded despite the horrible things you had to deal with in your childhood. It’s a lot, Cole, yet you’re one of the best men I’ve ever met. I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t believe that.”
Fuck!What in the hell was I supposed to do with a woman like her?
There wasn’t a damn thing that I would change about Lauren, but the way that she seemed to care about everyone and everything had to be emotionally exhausting.
Somebody really needed to protect her tender heart, though, and I was more than willing to step into that job.
“So, Ralph Norton wasn’t at Asher’s place to talk about your father’s murder,” she said in a contemplative tone. “Asher was talking to Ralph about your mother.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “The only reason my brother talked to the chief of police was to find out if he had anything new on my mother’s disappearance.”
“Your unfinished business here wasn’t to solve your father’s murder. It was to look for your mother.”
“Unfortunately, it’s still unfinished business for us,” I answered.
Hell, I really wanted to drop this subject and see my woman smiling again.
“Movie time?” I asked her.
She sent me a suspicious look. “Are you just trying to stop talking about the search for your mother?”
“Yes,” I said without a single ounce of remorse. “I have an amazing new woman in my life, and I’d really prefer to spend our limited free time doing something we both enjoy.”
She nodded and smiled at me. “I think I’d like that, too. We can discuss the other stuff later.”
We wouldn’t.
Not this weekend.
I had plans for every available moment we had together, and none of that included discussing anything depressing.
The beautiful smile she was tossing my way right now was a look I wanted to see as often as possible.
She’d had more than enough sadness and trauma in her life. Losing all of her immediate family by the time she’d turned eighteen had been difficult enough, but it wasn’t like she’d done much except go to college and work her way to success as an adult, either.
That shit needed to change.
I wasn’t exactly an expert on happiness, but it was time for Lauren to prioritize her happiness. She’d succeeded at all of her life goals.
“Science fiction or musical?” Lauren asked.
