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I listened to her talk to someone at the bar, until my phone rang again.

From the ring tone, I knew it was Mom. I grabbed it and strode out of the room. “Hey, Ma.”

“Hello, honey. How are you?”

“Good. Is something up?”

“I decided to come to your new apartment - Brandy gave me the address, but I didn’t get a unit number from her. Which one of these townhouses is yours?”

I gave her the number. “It’s toward the back, so you might want to drive until you find my building.”

“I will dear. See you in a minute.”

“What’s goin’ on?” Mickayla asked from the bedroom doorway. She was sexy as hell in my t-shirt.

“Mom’s here. She’s parking her car. Put your clothes on, honey. You’re not hiding from her either.”

She tilted her head back. “Oh, for crying out loud!”

I chuckled. “Hurry up. She’s pretty spry for her age.”

We’d both dressed in record time and wandered out to the living room.

“Don’t think of this is a test run with my brother - he has to work until one in the morning…so we’ll have to deal with him tomorrow or the next day,” she said, following me to the living room.

“Your brother’s gonna come to the table with his own issues, babe,” I said and went to front door.

I stepped out onto the front stoop and saw Mom getting out of her cherry red Audi.

She came up the walk with her purse held in the crook of her arm. “Don’t you move. I can walk inside on my own.”

“I can see that, Ma.” Once she was closer, I gave her a quick hug. “Listen, someone’s here that I want you to meet.”

Mom’s smile appeared to be knowing. “Oh, good. Brandy mentioned that you’ve met someone.”

I’d learned a long time ago statements like that were Mom’s way of fishing.

I held up a finger. “Before we go inside, you haven’t heard from Sarah since the holidays, right?”

Mom’s expression turned bewildered. “No. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, Mom, but blocking Sarah’s number is something I have to do for you now that you’re back from your cruise.”

“That seems extreme.”

I turned my head for a beat and exhaled hard. “She tossed me out right before Christmas, and admitted to cheating on me. You blocking her number is far from extreme, and she won’t be any the wiser.”

Mom nodded. “Maybe we should do that when your new friend isn’t around. I wouldn’t want her to get the wrong impression.”

I swallowed back my smile. “Mom, she heard me talking to you at Christmas. She thinks it’s sweet that I’m taking care of this for you, when it’s the very thing I’m supposed to do.”

Her shoulders rose up a touch. “Okay, fine. Lead the way, I can’t wait to meet her.”

From what I’d seen, not much rattled Mickayla, so it surprised me to see her wringing her hands when I followed Mom into the living room.

She stood and I quickly introduced the two of them.

Before she could chicken out and sit in one of the chairs, I put an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the couch while Mom sat in the arm chair.