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“Listen, I’m fine. I just forgot about my phone.”
They both look at me as if I’ve suffered a stroke.
“You?” Parker laughs in between his words. “How could you ever forget about your phone? You once left it at a restaurant and nearly lost your shit until you could to return to get it. You had like fifty missed phone calls in those five minutes you were without it, and I remember you saying something like, ‘I wish there was a way to glue the phone to my hand so I’d never leave it anywhere ever again.’ You were obsessed about it. You even missed my ballgame once because you had to take a call.”
I shove both my hands into my jeans pockets. “Yeah, I was sort of an idiot back then.”
There’s a better way to live, and I’ve found it. I control my destiny, not my phone. Not my money.
My mother rushes over to me, cupping both my cheeks in her hands. Tears pool in her eyes, and now I feel worse for not answering her call. “Ryan, you need to get out more. It’s not healthy living out here all by yourself. You need a woman.”
I laugh, loud and short. “I don’t think a woman would solve my problems.” Not that I have any. But my mother apparently thinks I do. “No, I definitely don’t need a woman.”
“Mom, he’s right,” Parker backs me up. “Remember Alexa?”
I cringe hearing that name float around my kitchen. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard it, and I’d much rather I never did again. However, I nod at my brother, because he has brought up the best point. “Yeah, I definitely don’t need that again.”
Mom shoos her hands at him. “Oh please. Alexa was just the wrong woman. Ryan needs to find the right one.”
“True that,” Parker says with a smile. “I don’t think the right woman would like him as he is right now.” He looks me up and down.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He steps closer. “When’s the last time you’ve shaved?” He smacks my beard, and I swat at him. He rushes behind Mom and I laugh.
“Enough, boys.” She turns her attention back to me. “He’s right. When’s the last time you’ve showered and shaved?”
I roll my eyes, moving to the fridge to grab another beer. “I’m fine.”
“You need a woman here. To be able to check on you. Help you. When you worked in the city at the office, I took comfort in knowing that if you went missing, at least someone would notice.”
I rub my hand along the back of my neck before opening my beer. “Are you saying that out here, nobody would miss me?”
“Honey, you know we love you and would miss you. I just hate you being out here all alone. You need a woman.”
"You know I don't need that complication in my life."
"Hogwash. The right woman will love you for who you are and not the size of your bank account. You can't die out here alone with your wood art and a few horses.” She gets this goofy smile on her face, and I cock a brow.
“Mom?” I question her. “What did you do?”
“Now, don’t be mad.”
I glance at Parker, and he shrugs. “What did you do?” If she has a woman waiting in her car to move in, I’ll disown her. “I don’t need you setting me up.”
She parks both hands on her hips. “I didn’t set you up, per se.”
“Mom,” my voice raises. “What did you do?”
Parker steps closer the same time I do. My mother has definitely done something bad. Knowing her, she probably signed me up for some reality TV show. Or worse.
“I made you a profile.”
“A what?” I ask. What is she talking about? A profile? For what?
Oh no.
Before she can answer, I’ve already figured it out and am stepping back out of the kitchen. I move toward the sliding door that leads to my back porch. Rusty’s hot on my heels. So is my mother. Parker isn’t that far behind her.
