AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But as soon as hope started to grow we might enjoy a long-overdue hug, it quickly evaporated when she looked around like a scared rabbit. “I should go before your father comes in.”
God forbid she go against my father’s wishes and say hello to her baby boy. Here I’d thought I’d be prepared for seeing her. But it was like a fresh wound had been re-exposed. “Right, wouldn’t want him knowing you’d said hi to your only son.”
She wrung her hands. “You know that’s not fair. You made choices.”
“Yeah, well, so did you. Only difference is my choices didn’t cut someone I supposedly loved from my life. Take care, Mother.”
Pride propelled me past her and into the elevator. The saving grace was feeling too angry for tears. Once I was on my floor, I walked down the hallway toward my door, which I saw open and Oakley step out.
She was stunning, with her hair down and wearing a long, navy dress and a cream-colored sweater. She looked up, pure pleasure in her eyes at the sight of me.
The sensation of meeting someone who was happy to see me was indescribable.
“Hi, did you work out?”
“I did. Where are you heading?” My voice was gruff with the emotion of my encounter with my mom.
“Ladies’ brunch downstairs.” She regarded me closely. “Are you okay?”
Last thing she needed was my baggage. “Yeah, fine.”
“No you’re not. Come on.” She took my hand and pulled me into the room. “What happened?”
I let out a long sigh. “I saw my mom.”
She swallowed hard. “How did it go?”
“She was afraid my father would catch her saying hello to me. I didn’t think it would—” I scrubbed a hand over my face, hating how vulnerable I sounded.
“Hurt so badly?” she finished.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
“I’m sorry, Max. I can’t even imagine how difficult this is for you to be here.”
I loathed the sympathy on her face and in her voice. Time to snap out of it. “It’s fine. You should go, or you’ll be late.”
She looked torn.
“Really, go. You look beautiful, by the way.”
Her pretty blush was already improving my mood. “Thank you. How was the workout?”
“I went for a run. Cut off two miles of my planned five with thoughts of waking you up. Sorry I was late.”
“Oh, yeah, what did you have in mind?”
My hands framed her face. “You’ll find out tonight. Now go before I ruin all your makeup.”
She shivered before moving forward and taking my lips. The kiss was slow, intimate, and everything I didn’t know I needed. “The day cannot go by fast enough.”
“No, it can’t.”
After a hot shower, and dressing in warm clothes, I left the hotel behind and drove the eight miles into the heart of my home town. It looked much the same. Like a beacon, Fran and Dan’s Diner called to me, still located at the end of Main Street. The parking lot was packed, which didn’t surprise me given how good their breakfast was. I could practically taste the bacon breakfast burrito I used to order every time I came here as a teenager.
Walking in was a stroll down memory lane with the chrome and Formica countertop, the red stools, and the old-time pleather booths with the mini jukeboxes on the table. I wondered if they still played music after all these years. Fran and Dan had long been friends and neighbors to my parents. Although they didn’t have children of their own, they’d never minded letting us kids come over to use their pool during the summers.
There was an open spot at the counter, and I’d shrugged out of my coat when doubt unexpectedly hit me. What if Fran’s reaction was like my mother’s? I wasn’t sure I could bear it. Deciding not to take the chance, I turned to go, but someone called my name.
