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“They’re good. I suspect I’ve pulled some customers from Java Coffee.”
Mom measured the flour and dumped it into a large mixing bowl. “How is Brooke? I heard she was renovating her shop.”
I kept an eye on Cammie while engaging with Mom. “She hasn’t said much about it other than it needed a face-lift.”
Mom tipped her head to the side, looking at a recipe she had up on her table. “I thought it looked fine. It’s only five years old or so.”
“I guess my opening prompted it.” Although she’d never discussed it with me.
Mom glanced at me. “You don’t talk business when you’re together, do you?”
Mom knew we were dating. Cammie talked about the times Brooke had been over, and Mom had walked in on several of our morning video calls. “We don’t.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
It was self-preservation, but now I wondered why I thought it was possible to separate our personal relationship from our businesses. “I’m starting to think it isn’t. Cammie mentioned how I’m not home as much as I promised.”
“We knew it would be busy at first, and you know how seven-year-olds are. They have no concept of time.”
“I feel horrible. I want to be here more. It’s why I moved here.”
“You’re working hard to provide for her. She’ll understand that.”
“Just not now.” Maybe when she was older.
Mom’s lips pursed. “I think it’s great you’re dating Brooke and taking some time for yourself. Before Maria died, you were all about work. Then it was all about Cammie.” She held up a hand when I wanted to interrupt. “I know that was necessary, but when do you take time for yourself? You’re not just a dad.”
“But that’s the biggest part of me. Dad and business owner.”
“You’re a man. You deserve to be happy, too. I know you hoped you’d make a life with Maria.”
“She was never interested in us being a family.” She was right not to push us into something that would never have worked. I could see that now.
“How does Brooke feel about things?”
“We haven’t discussed the future.” We started as friends with benefits, and I wanted to convince her we could be more, but I hadn’t anticipated it would be me who would pull back.
Mom’s lips pursed. “That’s too bad.”
Mom’s disapproval got to me more than anyone else’s.
“Maybe we can try again in a few months when the shop is doing better.”
Mom set the bowl to the side. “What if it’s too late then?”
I sighed. “I messed things up today. I told her she couldn’t possibly understand what I was going through with the business because I had a child and she didn’t.”
Mom sucked in a breath. “That wasn’t very nice.”
That was an understatement.
“You apologized.”
It wasn’t a question. She had so much faith in me that she assumed I did the right thing.
I grimaced. “Not yet.”
“But you’re going to as soon as possible.” Mom’s voice raised with each word.
