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The waiter arrived, delivering two cups of steaming coffee with their slices of triple-layer chocolate cake. He poured cream into his coffee, then took a bite of the rich dessert which again reminded him of his time spent with Jo, but his mother held off on sampling her confection. Now it was her brows that creased and warned him she had something more serious to discuss.
“I know I’ve never said as much, but all I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy, Dean,” she said quietly.
His mother’s words touched him deeply. “It’s taken me a while to figure that out for myself, too, but I think I finally have a handle on what I want and need to do at this point in my life.”
“Oh?” she asked, seemingly catching the underlying thread of foreshadowing in his tone.
He washed down a bite of the chocolate cake with a sip of coffee and didn’t mince words. “I’ve had an offer for the company, and I’ve decided to sell Colter Traffic Control.”
Instead of the dread or fear he’d anticipated, her features expressed visible relief. “Will you think I’m an awful mother if I tell you that I’m glad?”
His brows rose. “Why would I think that?”
“Because I was hoping you’d sell the company from the day your father died,” she said. “I always suspected that you took over the business out of obligation, but I think I always knew deep in my heart that given tangible choices, you wouldn’t have chosen to carry on your father’s legacy.”
Dean’s jaw nearly dropped at that revelation. “Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”
A small, apologetic shrug lifted her shoulders. “It’s something you had to come to realize for yourself, and I didn’t want you to resent me for making the suggestion of letting go of your father’s business.”
He shook his head, stunned. “I had no idea.”
“I know.” Emotion tightened her voice, and she reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “For all your father’s faults, I do have to say you inherited his best qualities. You’re extremely dedicated and you take your responsibilities seriously once you make up your mind to do something. Don’t get me wrong. I’m proud of what you did, and I understand your reasons without even verbalizing them, but it’s time for you to make your life what you want it to be.”
“And you? You’ll be okay?” he asked, needing to hear from his mother that his decision wouldn’t hurt her in any way or make her feel any less secure.
“I’m more than okay, Dean.” She inhaled a slow breath before going on. “After living with your father for so many years and never really understanding his way of thinking, I just didn’t know what it was that would make you content and satisfied, if that makes sense. When you took over the business after your father died, I thought you did it because that’s what you wanted. Yet over the years I’ve seen you sacrifice so much to keep the company successful and thriving. Now, as a mother talking to her son, not to the single-minded businessman you’ve been, I’m so pleased to see you finally making your life and future a priority.”
He smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”
“And now, I have something to share with you, too.” She toyed nervously with her fork, then revealed, “I’ve been seeing someone for the past few months.”
More surprises, but Dean supposed this evening was a night for revelations. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You always seemed so busy and distracted, and I never imagined that things would turn so serious so quickly. Like you and your Jo, I’ve fallen in love with Ted, and I think it’s time the two of you met.”
He grinned broadly. “Mom, I think that’s wonderful, and I’d love to meet him.”
“He treats me like a queen, dotes on me, and makes me feel so pampered and spoiled.” She blushed like a young girl in the throes of a first crush. “I’m not used to that kind of attention, but I have to say I do like it.”
Dean laughed, enjoying his mother’s newfound happiness. “You deserve every bit of the attention, so enjoy it.”
“Oh, I plan to.” Her eyes sparkled with mischievous delight as she sipped her coffee. “So, tell me, what do you plan to do once you sell the company?”
Dean figured it would take a good four to six months to get all his personal business in order, and then he’d be free to strike out on his own, pursue interests, and start over. “I’m going to move to San Francisco.”
“To be near Jo?” his mother guessed.
“Partly,” he said, but knew he couldn’t count on the relocation making any difference with Jo if she wasn’t willing to commit herself to him and a relationship. “I really like the city and I know there are a ton of opportunities there, or wherever I might look. I just have to figure out which opportunity appeals the most.”
“It seems you and I have finally learned to put ourselves first for a change, haven’t we?”
“Yeah, we have.” And it amazed him how one very special, stubborn, vulnerable woman could bring about such a huge, life-altering change for him.
Unfortunately, he faced the possibility of living the rest of his life without her.
* * *
Jo tossed her pencil onto her desk and exhaled a heavy sigh. If the past two days without Dean were filled with such deep, emotional misery, she didn’t know how she was going to survive the rest of her life without him. She didn’t feel like eating, she couldn’t sleep at night, and her days were filled with distracting thoughts of him and their time together. She was even haunted by his final, parting words to her.
