AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I am. I think.” She stopped face-to-face with him before she climbed in. “Is it weird that I’m not worried about her?”
Bentley smiled. “I don’t think so. I know what you mean; you feel as though youshouldbe worried about her, don’t you?”
She let out a short laugh. “Err, yes, I do. I mean, think about it; my mum’s just flown away to Argentina with a man who neither of us even knew existed a week ago.”
Bentley leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and looked into her eyes.
“If it’s any consolation, I knew that he existed. I don’t know him well, personally. But I’ve known him in a business context for years. I know a lot of people who do know him well, and everyone speaks highly of him. And we hung out with them this week; I think he’s a good guy, don’t you?”
“I do. And he treats Mum like a queen.” Alyssa had to smile. “I was so mad at her when she showed up at the apartment. I thought she was crazy. But now, I understand her a little better, and not only do I hope that she’s found what she was looking for, I believe she might have.”
“I think so, too. But we’ll call her over the weekend, check in with her, and make sure that she’s doing okay.”
“Thanks.”
Bentley reached across to hold her hand as he drove back to the estate. She was glad that she had him all to herself for the weekend – and for a few days after that, too. She was still a little bit annoyed that Trent at Bayside Media had pushed their meeting out again, but it had worked out for the best. She’d enjoyed spending the last couple of days with Bentley, and she was glad that they’d had the chance to hang out with her mum and Alvaro.
“What do you want to do this weekend?” Bentley asked.
The way he said it made her give him a puzzled look. “It sounds like you already have something in mind?” She was hoping that he didn’t have big plans. She was kind of looking forward to the two of them just hanging out.
It didn’t look like that was going to happen when he waggled his eyebrows at her. “I was wondering how you’d feel about taking a little trip of our own.”
“A trip? Where?”
He obviously sensed that she wasn’t overly enthusiastic. “We can make it just a quick visit if you want, but I was thinking that we could go and see Mom and your dad.”
“Oh!” If they were going to go anywhere, that was the one place she’d want to go. She hadn’t seen her dad since he and Ria had paid them that surprise visit. And after having spent the last week with her mum, she liked the idea of evening things out again.
She smiled at Bentley. “Do you think I’ll ever get over my need to balance things out?”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean with my mum and dad. I feel like I need to see Dad now, to even things out after spending so much time with Mum.”
“Oh, I see. I know what you mean. I was like that with my folks after the divorce. It felt important to show Dad and Gabriel that I supported them. But every time I saw them, I felt like I had to make it up to Mom afterward. She never made me feel that way, but I needed her to know.”
“Yes, that. That’s exactly how I feel. I never feel like I need to make anything up to Mum, but I already feel like my dad missed out on so much and I want to make it up to him as best I can.”
“You know thatyoudon’t have anything to make up for, don’t you?”
“I do. If it were up to me, he would’ve been a part of my life from the beginning. I didn’t mean that; I suppose I’m just trying to make up for what Mum did.”
Bentley glanced over at her, and she smiled. “Okay, I know I can’t make up for it, and it’s not my place to. But you understand, don’t you?”
“I do.” He chuckled. “And I’m hoping that it will make you want to go and see them tomorrow. We don’t have to make a whole weekend of it. I’d like to have you to myself. How about if we just go for the afternoon tomorrow? Reaves and Ollie can fly us out there and we can be back here by bedtime.”
“That sounds like a plan to me. Especially the part about being back here by bedtime and having you to myself.”
~ ~ ~
Bentley wiped his hands on his pants as he followed Russ out to his truck. They’d left Alyssa and his mom sitting out on the deck overlooking the lake, chatting away happily. He was glad that the two of them got along so well. There’d been times inhis life when he doubted that he’d ever meet a woman his mom would get along with.
Now, he had no qualms about leaving the two of them alone together. He glanced over at Russ as he climbed into the truck. He was more nervous about this.
He’d promised Julia that he would talk to her before he asked Alyssa to marry him, but he’d wanted to talk to Russ first. Perhaps it was tied up in the way Alyssa saw the two of them – in the way that she wanted to make up to Russ for having missed out on so much of her life. Whatever the reason, Bentley had wanted to speak to him first.
