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“You know I could just look him up, right?”
Jacob laughed. “Okay, okay. You can have it. But tell me why you want it?”
Bentley couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he stared out the window at the vine-covered hills. “I want to ask him a favor.”
~ ~ ~
Alyssa wasn’t sure how she felt about going out for dinner with her mum and Alvaro. But they were going. She and Bentley were meeting them at the same hotel where they’d stayed at the weekend.
She pursed her lips. The hotel where her mum had been staying since – with Alvaro.
Bentley reached across and took hold of her hand as he drove the car slowly down the street, looking for a spot to park.
“Are you okay? You’re very quiet.”
“Sorry. I’m okay. I’m just thinking about Mum. This seems strange to me – going out for dinner with her and Alvaro. I’ve never been out to dinner with her and a date before, and this is a guy she’s known less than a week – and has been sleeping with for just as long.”
She shuddered and quickly pushed away the thought of her mum sleeping with anyone.
Bentley gave her hand a squeeze and shot her a quick smile. “I hate to say it, but I don’t think we’re in any position to judge them, are we?”
She blew out a sigh. “No, we’re not. But … You really think he’s a good guy? You know that I’m trusting you on this. If he turns out to be some serial killer …”
Bentley laughed. “He’s not. He’s a good guy. I wouldn’t say that I share his values, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” He looked more serious when he turned to meet her gaze. “I think what’s more important is that it seems to me that your mom does share his values.”
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”
“Come on. Let’s go and meet them. It might all turn out for the best. And if you insist on going back to the city for your meeting tomorrow, this might be the last chance we get to see them for a while.”
Alyssa let him take her hand when they got out of the car. She felt like he was leading her to the gallows, even though she knew that wasn’t fair.
He stopped before they reached the hotel and slid his arms around her waist, drawing her closer until he could press a kiss to her forehead. “Tell me what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to make of all this… of Mum and Alvaro, of us having dinner with them. I just … If we’re going to be having dinner with parents, I’d rather it was with Dad and your mom. Or even your dad and Gabriel – I haven’t even met them yet and I’m looking forward to that.”
“They can’t wait to meet you, either. I’ve told them all about you.”
Alyssa tightened her arms around him, wanting to feel his warmth and his strength seep into her to bolster her up for this.
“Come on, you can do this. It’s going to be okay; I promise.”
~ ~ ~
As Bentley watched Alyssa throw back her head and laugh at something Alvaro said, he was relieved that the evening had turned out so well. He hadn’t been entirely sure when he promised her that it would be okay.
Her mom turned to him with a smile. “I want to thank you, young man.”
He smiled back at her. She wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d expected before he met her. “Thank me, what for?”
“For making my daughter happy.” She reached out and squeezed Alyssa’s hand. “It’s true, Lizzie, I’ve never seen you this happy.”
Alyssa had a gleam in her eye when she smiled at him. He knew what it was about – he only called her Lizzie when they were in bed, just like she called him Lee.
“I’ve never been this happy, that’s why.”
He held her gaze as he said, “Neither have I.”
After the table had been cleared, Alyssa excused herself to go to the bathroom. Once she’d gone, Julia turned to him with a smile.
