Page 57 of Battle Scars

“So tell me about yourself,” my mom prompted, and I felt my spine stiffen.

There was no telling how Gabe would react to her interrogation. My cheeks burned, because I was twenty-seven years old and both my parents still treated me like I was sixteen and going out on my first date. I could handle them one at a time, but both of them in one morning was too much.

“I’m thirty-four and from Texas,” he said between bites of fruit salad.

“And you’re in private security?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied thoughtfully.

“No ma’ams here,” she replied with a laugh.

“I have to,” he drawled with a smirk playing about the side of his full lips. “If I didn’t, my mom would beat my ass.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” he agreed. “My brother and I are still terrified of her in sandals.

“What made you choose to run a security service?” she asked.

“Mom,” I warned. “He’s not here to be interrogated like a criminal.”

“I was done with the marines but uncomfortable spinning my wheels,” he answered honestly. “It seemed like the next step.”

“I bet it did,” she said thoughtfully. “My husband says you’re the best.”

“I am,” he said honestly, confident but not steeping with arrogance. He was good, and that was the truth; all of it. There was no hiding it but also no bragging, and Gabe and I both pretended we didn’t notice how my mom slipped and called Dad her husband—not her ex.

“Now,” she said, turning to me. “What the hell are you going to do about Bobby?”

“Dad’s PR team is going to handle it,” I answered with a sigh. “I'm just going to focus on winning.”

“I never did like that boy,” she muttered while spearing bites of cake with her fork.

“Mom,” I scolded.

“What? It’s true.” She rolled her eyes. “He always was a little pissant.”

“Mom…”

“Can’t help but agree there,” Gabe muttered before shoving half a sandwich into his mouth.

Mom and I both turned and stared at him, me in horror and Mom with an approving look on her own face for all to see.

Shit.

She liked him, and worse than that, she liked him for me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting. After lunch, Gabe thanked my mom and then left to make his rounds again. This was both good and bad. Good, because his presence unnerved me and I was starting to spin out of control, feeling that constant state of unbalance that he made me feel. It was like walking a tightrope over the Grand Canyon when I didn’t even know how to tie my own shoes. It was bad, too, because it gave my mom time to dig into her I like Gabe for Adrienne campaign. Something that we both wanted, but I was the one who was sure both Mom and I would be left brokenhearted at the end of the adventure.

I spent a fair amount of time trying to convince her of the sad eventuality of my love life crashing and burning, but I gave up when it was clear Mom wasn’t about to give in.

Finally, it was time to go, and I had plans to go home and lock myself in my room until the end of time. Hope that my problems magically sorted themselves out. But I

had a feeling it was more likely I would discover the portal that Claire fell through to get to her highlander in the past than I was to make Gabe fall in love with me. Nevertheless, Mom was determined.

She walked us to the door. Hugo was napping somewhere, no doubt sleeping off all the chicken salad and ham sandwiches he’d stolen from the table. I was feeling a little fat and happy myself and could use a nap to sleep off all the carbs too.

Just after Gabe stepped through the threshold and beeped the locks on his car, Mom pulled me into her arms and whispered into my ear, “Take the leap.”