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The future? He’d never even considered the future, had never thought past tomorrow. For the first time, he looked forward to the day beyond tomorrow. And he began to feel regret for what he’d allowed himself to become.
Well, a day late and a dollar short. What was done was done. Right now, he’d enjoy watching Mia eat. She was freaking adorable.
A few minutes later, she pushed her plate to the side of the table. “I can’t eat another bite. That’s one big burger.”
“Yeah, they’re a good half pound. Haven’t you eaten here before?”
“Well…” She reddened again. “We don’t really go out to eat very often.”
God, he’d stuck his foot in his mouth. Of course she didn’t. She lived in a cracker-box house with a mom who worked nights at the convenience store. They were probably lucky to keep food on the table.
“We’ll change that, then.” He might no longer be an heir to the Bay fortune, but he did okay. He’d make sure Mia experienced a few of the finer things in life. Though a burger at The Bonnet could hardly qualify as luxury. Next time he’d take her to a real dinner at a real restaurant in the city. What kind of food did she like? No time like the present to find out.
“What’s your favorite thing to eat in the world?” he asked.
“That’s easy.” She smiled. “Mama’s beef empanadas. My daddy was Mexican, and he loved my grandma’s empanadas. So Grandma taught my mom how to make them, and Daddy said they were even better than Grandma’s. But we were sworn to secrecy. Of course, Daddy’s gone now.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up—”
“Oh, don’t be. It’s okay. I mean, you lost both your parents. It was doubly worse for you.”
Parents. Jeff hadn’t thought about them in ages. He’d only been a little kid when they’d died. But they’d been gone a long time. “What happened to your dad? If you don’t mind me asking…”
“Car accident. A drunk driver hit him.” Her lips quivered. “Ironically, the other driver came out almost unscathed. Just a few scratches.”
Drunk driver? What were the odds? Jeff reached across the table and took Maria’s hand. “My parents were killed by a drunk driver too.”
Her eyes glazed over. “I’m so sorry. How old were you?”
“Pretty little. I hardly remember them.” He hated talking about his parents, so he left out any more details. Had they lived, his life might be a lot different today.
“Wow. I was a little older. Ten. But Meghan was only three. She doesn’t remember Daddy at all. So you’ve lived with your grandpa all this time?”
“I moved out when he disinherited me. But otherwise, yeah.”
“Can I ask why all that happened?”
“Well, you can ask.”
“Oh.” She cast a glance down into her lap. “I’m sorry.”
“Look,” he said, “I like you. I really do. But I hate talking about my family. It’s nothing personal. Frankly, I’ve gotten screwed by my grandpa and my brother. Yeah, I’ve made a few bad decisions, things golden boy Wayne never would have done. But…” Hell, what else could he say? Maria was a good girl. She wouldn’t understand where his head was. He wasn’t sure he understood anymore.
Still, he’d promised Max he’d get those combinations…
“It’s okay,” she said. “We don’t have to talk about that. I’m sure you had your reasons for everything you did.”
Yeah, well… He’d thought so at the time. Now he wasn’t so sure. But damn, Wayne and the old man made him mad as a hungry grizzly! He was just as good as either of them, and he’d show them one way or another.
“So…if they disinherited you—you work, right?”
He smiled. “Yep. I work at the Harley dealership. I sell and fix bikes. It’s a decent living. I’m good at it.”
“I bet you are.” Her eyes lit up and glazed over a bit, as if she were in a trance.
And he melted. In that moment, he knew he’d do anything for this girl. For Mia.
He loved her.
