I took a deep breath and didn't respond.
My phone rang, because of course it did. Emily would want to handle this verbally.
I glanced at the screen on my cell.
Then my heart skipped—and not in the good way Sloan had made it skip last night in front of the M&M Store.
This wasn't Emily. This was my mother.
I should answer it. I knew this, even willed my thumb to slide over the screen to take the call. Unfortunately, no matter what my mind said, my body wasn't into it.
Uh-huh, because my mother would kill me.
Emily: U kno I luv u. I'm worried.
Aw, that was sweet.
Maya: Headed bk 2 condo. Catch u in a sec.
I gripped the phone, and, with every ounce of myself, I willed my thumb to slide across the screen and answer Mom's call.
Aha! It worked.
"Mom," I said, holding the phone to my ear and forcing my voice to spill over with perky wedded-bliss happiness. "You won't believe it. I have news." I kept my voice as cheerful as possible, but it sounded fake. I knew it sounded fake.
Sloan turned us toward the fence in front of the Bellagio fountains. I didn't even stumble—not once!—as he pulled me to the side of the walkway, tucking me beside him so everyone else gave us space.
Was it odd that I caught a whiff of his scent and leaned in for more?
No, not odd. We were married. I could sniff him really good. Which wasn't bad because, gah, he smelled so… Sloan.
This wasn't his cologne from the night before. This scent was one-hundred-percent male and flannel. Yes, that was a scent combination. Oh boy, did it work.
"Maya," Mom said my name like a greeting. Like she didn't already know what had happened. But I wasn't a dunce, and I understood how the information tree shook all the gossip leaves over the many branches of my family.
"You have news?" Mom asked, with a note of steel that didn't bode well for me.
"Mom." I glanced up at Sloan, his brown eyes staring down at me and fortifying my defenses. That was nice. Lots of support emanated from him. "I got married. Again."
"Uh-huh," Mom said. "Your sisters both sent me the Instagram links. Which is why I called to tell you I'm not speaking to you." Mom let that sink in. "I just wanted you to know."
Well, fudge.
I thought over all the things I could say:
Don't worry. It's all under control.
You're gonna like him!
He didn't panic at all.
I really think he's a great guy.
Of those options, I said none of them. I opened my mouth and said?—
"You're gonna love Sloan."Say something else. Keep going, Maya.
Sloan's eyebrows raised, and his eyes got sort of melty. Then the edges crinkled along with his smile.
