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Unless you weren’t Canadian. Then you might be complaining bitterly, like Trey had when he walked outside earlier.
“Jillian, that is not the stare of a woman who’s engaged to another man.” Heather looked me in the eye.
I took a sip of my hot cocoa. “I don’t know what you mean,” I lied my face off. Because the woman was right. I’d been watching Cash skate on the outside rink. He was the only one on the ice.
And I loved how he moved.
I couldn’t help but stare.
Heather took another swallow of her steaming hot coffee. “A mother knows,” she said with a look that said exactly that. “I see how you look at him.” Her head nodded in Cash’s direction. “And I definitely see how he looks at you.”
I shook my head and leaned on the railing. “There’s nothing going on.” I hated lying to Heather. Well, I hated lying to anyone. But lying to Heather somehow cut me especially deep.
She kept on talking as if I’d never spoken at all. “And you sure don’t look at your fiancé the same way you look at my son.” Heather set her coffee down on the top of the railing. “What’s going on?” Her eyes searched mine for an answer.
And everything in me wanted to tell her exactly what was going on.
Right now—I was ready.
Ready to share this heavy load with someone.
Ready to hand it off.
Ready to burn this whole situation to the ground.
But I knew I couldn’t.
“Oh, Jillian.” Heather’s eyes got all glassy. “I see the conflict in your eyes. If you’re worried that Cash won’t take you back—” She turned to look at her son. He was still skating on the ice, taking shots. “I can almost guarantee you he would.”
Oh, gosh.
Just the very suggestion of Cash taking me back made my heart explode.
If only that were possible.
I took a deep breath and let the cold Alberta air deep into my lungs.
And my soul.
“There’s nothing going on. Honestly,” I lied for the third time. Good grief. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up. “Cash is with Marissa, and I’m engaged.” My eyes floated back to Cash.
Crap.
I really couldn’t help it.
I loved his form when he took a shot.
I also loved his form every other second of the day.
And night.
“He’s my son, Jillian.” Her gloved hand touched my arm. “But please don’t forget that I’m here for you, too. If you need me.”
Now that made my throat clog up and I could barely breathe. I felt my eyes begin to water. I blinked away my tears. “Thanks, but I’m fine. Really.”
Good grief.
Lie number four of the day to her.
