AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But what if…
I think of his words in the parking lot.Mia, I’m insanely, unbelievably attracted to you. I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you. When you walk into a room, I can’t fucking think straight.
That sounds like lust to me. He doesn’t actuallycareabout me, does he?
I mean, besides the fact that he gave me a brand-new apartment. And that he cared about my daughter enough to buy her a small gift. They were only socks, but I have a feeling he would know how much they meant to her. Apart from not telling me that he was TallDarkandHandy, Des has been considerate, thoughtful, and caring.
I can even forgive him for raising the rent. As loath as I am to admit it, it was in line with the market. It was fair—and he was still willing to negotiate with me to make sure I wasn’t out on the street. Maude and Arthur obviously have no idea about our deal—so he must be paying three months of my rent out of his own pocket.
My heart feels three sizes too big for my chest. I don’t want to rely on him. Ican’t. I can’t trust that a man will sweep into my life and make it better. What if he leaves? What if this is some passing fancy? What if this really is just about some stupid family tradition? He wants to win that three-legged race, and I happen to be a convenient woman in his new town.
But what if it’s real? What if he cares? What if I could rely on him for support, for love?
Maude touches my cheek. “You’ve brought my grandson back to life, Mia, and I’ll always be grateful.”
Before I have time to think of a response, a car pulls up outside the house. Desmond is here to take me home.
“There he is,” Maude says, smiling wide as she hurries to the door. She pulls it open and waves at her grandson with vigor, gripping my arm with her other hand. “There, there, Mia. You go with Des. Bye-bye now.”
She shoves me off her porch and smiles from the doorway, urging me toward the car with little shooing motions. My mind is reeling. I don’t know what to think.
Desmond exits the vehicle and walks around to the passenger side, opening the door for me. I risk a glance behind me to see Maude with her hands clutched at her breast, a dreamy expression on her face, and I know I can’t possibly disappoint this sweet, old woman by refusing to go to Thanksgiving dinner with Des.
Even worse, I think I actuallywantto go.
18
DES
The atmospherein the car is tense. I knead the steering wheel, glancing over at Mia while I scrounge around my empty brain for something to say.
She sits in the seat, eyes forward, hands clasped on her lap. I can barely tell if she’s breathing.
“Mia…” Not knowing where my sentence is going, I let it trail off.
“You told your grandparents about me,” she says, voice flat.
“Have you ever tried dodging my grandmother’s questions?” I protest.
To my horror, Mia buries her face in her hands.
“Hey.” I drive down Cove Boulevard and turn off on her block, heading for the back door. “Mia. You okay?”
“No.”
I pull up outside her home and cut the engine. “You don’t have to come to Thanksgiving with me. We can talk about your rent, find something that works for both of us. Hey…” I gently pull one of her hands away from her face, needing to see her expression.
It’s bleak. She looks at me with wide, worried eyes, shaking her head. “I can’t cancel Thanksgiving. It would kill them. Maude looked sohopeful. I can’t do that to her.”
It would kill me too.
She takes a deep breath. “Your grandmother thinks we’re seriously dating, Des.”
“I never told her that. I just said you’d agreed to come to Thanksgiving with me.”
Her head falls back onto the headrest with a soft thump. “I can’t believe I agreed to this.”
“You don’t have to come.”
