Page 39 of Never Let Go

Surprise widened her eyes and lifted her brow, but then she grinned and leaned forward. “You’re seeing someone? Wow, baby. I’m so happy for you. Give me the details. How long has this been going on? When did you meet him? Who is he?”

Mentally steadying myself, I decided to focus on the important stuff first. “It’s really new. We’ve only been on a couple of dates, but I like him a lot. He’s a great guy.”

“He would have to be if you’re interested in him,” she said. “Tell me more. Give me a name, for heaven’s sake. What is he like? What does he do for a living? He’s not some freeloader looking for a successful girlfriend, is he?”

“No.” I laughed. “I’m not successful enough to be used for my money, Mom. Besides, he’s not a freeloader. He’s got a job, and more importantly, he gets me. He makes me laugh. He makes my heart race. Isn’t that what really matters?”

She looked back at me from across her table, her brow puckering slightly. She rolled her lips into her mouth. “Are you deliberately being cagey on giving me details about this, or is there a reason for it? Oh, my god. He’s not in prison, is he?”

“What?” I laughed. “No, of course not. I’m not being cagey. I just don’t have all the details.”

“Excuse me?” She frowned. “You’ve been on a couple of dates with this guy and you’re telling me that he’s great. That you really like him. How is it that you can really like him and not be able to give me the basic details like his name and his job?”

“Well, I know him as Tyler who works in finance, but that’s not his real name or his real job,” I admitted, speaking fast so I could get it all out. “I met him through Sight Unseen, that blind-dating agency? They don’t allow clients to give each other information that could lead to you finding out who the other person is before the reveal. I’m learning all about who he is and what makes him tick, but I can’t tell you his real name, his job, or what he looks like.”

For a long moment, Mom just sat there, staring back at me with her mouth open and anxiety building behind her eyes. “You signed up for that? That’s absurd, honey. You can’t possibly trust anything this man says. You’re not learning anything about what he’s like. All you’re finding out is what he wants you to know.”

“That’s not true, Mom. He’s not feeding me a pack of lies. Trust me. I’m the one who’s been on these dates with him and he’s being honest.”

She tutted her tongue, annoyance flashing in her gaze, and she shook her head. “You don’t know that, honey. What kind of creep signs on to date only people who can’t see him? You’ll never find a real, lasting relationship this way. Never. You don’t want to waste time on him, Shelby. Life is too short.”

Irritation rippled through me, but I did my best to stay kind and patient instead of giving her yet another reason not to like Tyler if I snapped at her because of him. “I’m not wasting time and I’m not saying that we’re going to last forever, but I do like him and I’m enjoying our dates, so I’m going to keep going on them.”

Mom’s eyes cooled, but she jerked her head in a nod and used the waitress’s interruption to deliver our drinks and to take our food order as an excuse not to look at me. The rest of our lunch was strained, and we didn’t talk more about Sight Unseen or Tyler.

She avoided the topic like the plague and didn’t say another word about it even as we were saying our goodbyes. I hated being on the other side of this with her, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from seeing him.

I couldn’t.

As she’d repeatedly pointed out to me, today and before, I was all grown up now. I had to make these decisions for myself and my decision was to keep taking a chance on Tyler. If I ended up regretting it, then it was what it was.

At least I would know it had been my call, my risk, and that I’d taken it.

After I got back to the office, I called Ashley and vented about my mother, but my friend remained calm, comforting me when I finally ran out of steam. “This is exactly how I met Chase, Shel. Your mom is wrong. She just doesn’t understand, but she will. Eventually. Just give it time and don’t give up, okay?”

I nodded, closing my eyes. I groaned and leaned back in my chair. “Thanks. I just hope this is worth all the drama, you know? You and Chase are perfect for each other and you’re getting your happy ending, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen the same way for me.”

That was the real worry. It was my decision, and sure, I’d made it, but if Mom got to say I told you so every day for the rest our lives, I just wasn’t sure the regret was going to be worth living with.

19

FOSTER

At home after work, I popped the top off a beer and settled in to watch the game. After my brief freak out on the day the money had been deposited, I’d finally realized that nothing had really changed.

Sure, I had money now, but that didn’t mean I had to go out there and spend it like I was on some game show to see how fast I could blow through it all. I could stay right where I was, live exactly as I was, and be the same guy.

The truth of the realization had been so obvious that I didn’t know why it had taken me some time to fully comprehend it. Ultimately, I’d chalked it all up to how unexpected this had all been and I’d forgiven myself.

I was back on track, no longer worrying about a decision I hadn’t made. My grandfather had made it, and Mom and Porter weren’t pissed. That was what I’d chosen to focus on.

As I leaned back on my sofa, I drank my beer and watched as two college teams faced off on the football field. Since I didn’t have any loyalty to either of them, it was relaxing to be able to just watch them play rather than being stressed about the score.

My phone rang about thirty minutes in and I reached for it absently, trying to decide if the player who had just scored a touchdown was good or if he’d just been lucky. I was about to press the phone to my ear without even checking who it was when I realized the call was from a number I didn’t have or recognize.

Immediately, football, the touchdown, and my mellow state of distracted relaxation vanished and I sat bolt upright. Maybe it’s Amanda.

I didn’t know how she’d have gotten hold of my number and the notion was crazy, but the call was local so it wasn’t impossible that it was her. I pressed the device to my ear, my heart racing.