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“You know I am. Max will be fine. The other choice is I don’t go back for another month and stay with you. But I don’t want to put that pressure on you either.”
She blinked her eyes a few times and he wasn’t sure if it had occurred to her or not. To more or less live there for a full month. He was probably rushing.
“You could, but we are pushing off the inevitable. We have to do it at some point. I know that and so do you.”
There was part of him that was hurt she’d said that, but the other part of him knew she was right.
“Then we’ve got a game plan. I’ll go home on the twenty-ninth and get set up again. I’ve got to babyproof the house and a bunch of other things on top of it. That will be fun.”
“How about I go home with you that weekend? I’ll drive myself. I can keep an eye on Max and help you get everything put away and set up. Then I’ll drive home. This will give me a tease of when I visit you.”
The fact she offered that so early meant the world to him. “I’d appreciate that. I’ll stay there a week, then come back and so on. If you don’t want me to, tell me that.”
“I want you to,” she said.
“Zara!”
“Crap.”
“Who’s that?”
“I’ll explain when she leaves, which I hope is fast.” She paused until the older woman made her way over. “Hi, Gretchen. What brings you out to eat in the middle of the week?”
“I’m meeting my sister for dinner. She wanted to take me out as an early birthday present. I keep wanting to get some items of Poppy’s, but she said she’s been dying to come to dinner.” Gretchen leaned closer. “She’s kind of cheap.”
“Must be a family trait,” Zara said with a big smile. He couldn’t help but grin. Zara never said anything mean or negative about anyone, so this came pretty close.
Gretchen ignored Zara and turned to him. “Ren Whitney. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Do you remember me?”
“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t.”
Gretchen waved her hand. “I know your parents well. Sorry about your father. Though you and he never saw eye to eye either. I wasn’t surprised to find you were back in town after he passed. Now is the time to get part of the business and sell it before it’s too late.”
He ground his teeth. He had no idea who this woman was but didn’t want anyone to think he was back for that. “Actually, it’s my mother’s business and her decision to sell. It has nothing to do with me. I’m only here to support her.”
Gretchen shook her head. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry. I don’t mean anything by it, but no one would think poorly of you if you were doing that. You’ve got a baby now, right? Need to look after your future with him. And I didn’t know you two were an item. Zara, how come I’m just hearing this now?”
“We don’t talk much, Gretchen.”
“I know, but I’m at Lily’s store all the time and they never said a word to me.”
“I don’t believe there was a reason they would,” she said.
“They are too excited with the baby coming and now Rose’s engagement. I can’t believe Rose found a man and is getting married. And that it’s Thomas Klein. Those three girls sure did find themselves some good men to take care of them.”
If fire could come out of Zara’s eyes he was pretty sure the woman in front of him was going to be ashes on the ground. “If you knew those girls as well as you thought you did, you’d know not one of them needs a man to take care of them. They are all very strong and independent.”
“Of course they are,” Gretchen said.
He could tell right away this woman was looking for gossip and something to talk about whoever the person might be. The last thing he wanted was to be on her radar or to have Zara there.
“Is your sister here yet?” she asked.
“No,” Gretchen said. “I’m early as always. She’s never on time. Ren, are you moving back to the area now to be closer to your mother?”
“You don’t think I’m going to tell you our plans, do you?”
“Our plans?” Gretchen asked. “Guess you’re more of a couple than I realized. Good for you.”
