Page 74 of Wild Highway (Runaway 2)

“I’m guessing since Liz arrived.” Mom shook her head, glancing over her shoulder to make sure we were alone. “I love your father, but that man can be thick as a brick wall sometimes.”

“Huh?”

Mom pursed her lips. “Like father like son.”

“What did I do?” I scowled.

She reached up and flicked the shell of my ear.

“Ouch.” My hand flew to rub the sting. Mom hadn’t flicked my ear like that since I’d been a teenager. “Seriously?”

“Shame on you, Easton Greer. If that girl stays after the way you treated her, I’ll be shocked.”

“What should I have done, Mom?” I stepped closer, careful to keep my voice low. “Gemma and I agreed to keep this between us. We don’t need anyone else involved when she’s just going to leave in a few weeks. And I couldn’t exactly ignore Liz. Dad invited her, not me. But I don’t blame him. She would have been alone at Thanksgiving.”

“I know.” She sighed. “Don’t get me wrong. I like Liz. I actually thought Cash would chase after her one of these days.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Not that he’d have any luck. She’s always had a crush on you.” She cast her eyes to the ceiling. “My boys are both clueless.”

“I’m not—wait, what? Liz doesn’t have a crush on me.”

Mom flicked my ear again.

“Jesus Chr—”

“Language.” She pointed a finger at my nose.

“Sorry.” I rubbed my ear again. “What was that for?”

“That was for Gemma. Because you were so busy not looking at her, you missed the way Liz was. That’s why Gemma left, fighting tears and faking a headache, because you are so worried she’s going to leave that you’re practically pushing her out the door.”

“Because she is leaving. Why drag all of you into this? Why get everyone’s hopes up that she’s going to stay when she won’t?”

After hearing Gemma’s story about her mother, I didn’t blame her for leaving. She deserved to find the place she wanted to stay. She deserved the life of her choosing. She’d been forced into too much.

So I wouldn’t beg her to stay for me. I wouldn’t guilt her into a life here simply because it would make my dreams come true.

I was in love with Gemma.

I loved her enough to set her free. This was her decision to make.

“She wants a home, son.”

“I know.”

Mom put her hand to my cheek. “Then give her one.”

If only it were that easy.

“Oh, sorry.” Behind Mom, Liz stopped at the edge of the room. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s fine.” There wasn’t much more I could explain to Mom without delving into Gemma’s past. And that was her story to tell, not mine.

“Should we have dessert?” Mom gave me a tight smile, then turned and walked for the kitchen.

“Actually, I’m going to take off.”