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“I know, you’ve said. And he said the same thing.”
That came as a surprise. “When?”
“Earlier, when he told me you weren’t on the same page.”
Right, he did say that.
“We were in the backyard before he asked you and Aunt Mia to go out. He asked me first. Not to go, but if it was okay if he asked you.” Jimmy shrugged. “Not sure why he wanted my permission, but when I said that it was cool with me, he told me it didn’t mean that you guys were hooking up.” I felt my eyebrows literally hit my hairline. Jimmy laughed. “Notthathooking up, just together. I don’t know, Mom. This is all just weird. Can we not talk about it?”
“Sure. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Anyway, go out. Have fun.”
Thanks. I leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “I’ll see you later.”
Right before I walked out of the room, he said, “And Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“I mean it. I want you to have fun. You deserve it.”
“Thank you. I’ll try.”
God, I loved my son.
My best friend, not so much. As soon as I stepped out into the hallway, my phone chimed with an incoming message.
Mia:Hey, sorry. I can’t make it tonight. Something came up. Namely ... Mr. Tillman. LOL Have fun! Do all the things I would. *wink emoji*
I can’t believe you’re ditching me.
Mia:You’ll have fun. I would have just been the third wheel anyway. Love you.
I don’t know why at this moment, but I love you too.
Mia:HAHA talk to you later.
Great. I thought of canceling, but I didn’t want to be that person. This wasn’t a date, I told myself. Except even I didn’t believe that.
Chapter19
Cash
As soon as Mia sent me a message telling me she couldn’t go out tonight, my plans changed. Something told me Mia had become my ally. Suddenly I didn’t want to be in a noisy bar. I wanted to talk to Hannah without shouting over the sounds of a band or dealing with a crowded room. Instead, I thought about where we could go, and one place came to mind ... our place.
The sun was still shining brightly as I hurriedly set up the surprise picnic in the park. I carefully laid out a blue-and-white-checkered blanket on the grass, placing cushions I took from the sofa in my house next to each other to create a little settee area.
I ordered some takeout from the Italian restaurant in town and bought a bottle of red wine that the chef at the restaurant paired with the meal.
Taking a step back, I admired the scene I had set. The best part of this spot was that it was where we used to go and hang out with each other. We’d sit under the big maple tree and make out for hours. It was one of my favorite places to be—when we were together.
We made good memories before we both decided to go our separate ways. Young and foolish. That was what I kept telling myself. But since none of that could be changed, we could move on and be a family.
Because I didn’t want anything to happen to my romantic setup, I hired a driver to pick her up. Hopefully she wasn’t upset by it, but when I spotted her walking toward me, her radiant smile told me I was safe. Her eyes widened with surprise as she looked at the scene before her.
Damn, she was stunning. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which I loved. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup, another thing that made her special, and her casual attire of jeans, a light sweater, and flat shoes was all Hannah. Never overdone and always perfect.
“Hi. You look beautiful.”
