Page 4 of The Banned Books Club
“My mom isn’t doing well.”
“That’s terrible news.” She frowned as she sat down next to her husband, who shifted to put his arm around her and help keep her warm. They could’ve gone inside, but the one thing Gia had in common with the men she associated with was a love for the outdoors.
“It is. I wish that wasn’t the case, but...” Gia let her words trail off before taking the last sip of her beer.
“How long will you be gone?” Eric asked.
“I’m not sure. Shorter would be better. I have so much history there. But it’ll depend on how things go with my mom.”
Coty leaned forward to reclaim the wineglass she’d set aside when she left. “What kind of history are you talking about?”
That was hard to explain. Even Eric didn’t know. “Just people I’d rather not see and things I’d rather not remember.”
Coty’s forehead creased. “How long’s it been since you were there?”
“About six months. I can handle a short visit over the weekend here and there—one where my family is all I see. But this could be for the entire winter, until I have to return to help open Backcountry Adventures.”
“If you need to stay longer—” Eric started, but Gia cut him off.
“I’m hoping that won’t be necessary. You’re doing enough covering the rest of October. But...we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess.”
“Well, if your mom needs you, you’ll be glad you went,” he said.
“I don’t know that sheneedsme. She has Margot. They’ve always been close, understand each other a lot better than she and I do. But...”
“Your mom’s your mom,” Coty said gently.
Gia nodded and got up to toss her can in the recycle bin a few steps away.
Eric followed her lead, thechinkof his can hitting only seconds after hers. “Have you told Mike?”
Gia shifted on her feet, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Mike was an aviation maintenance technician—he serviced and repaired helicopters. She’d met him when he did a thorough inspection of their craft right after she moved to Coeur d’Alene, but it had only been lately, after his divorce, that they’d started dating. “Not yet.”
“He’ll be heartbroken,” Eric predicted.
“No, we’re not that far along in our relationship.” She’d been ready to bail out, anyway. She liked Mike as much or more than some of the other men she’d dated over the years. They both enjoyed flying and had a good time together. But she had a problem with intimacy. Getting close to someone required too much trust—more trust than she seemed capable of cobbling together. So whenever a romantic relationship began to grow serious, she’d break away and move on, and that usually only took a few months.
“Doesheknow that?” Eric asked wryly.
“I told him from the beginning that I’m not looking for anything serious, Eric. Believe me, he was warned.”
Eric laughed. “All that does is create a challenge, G. I’m sure he’s hoping he’ll be the one to change that.”
She settled back in her seat while Eric remained standing. “I don’t think anyone can change it. It’s just...me.”
“When will you be leaving?” Coty asked.
“As soon as possible. Margot’s in a panic, acts like she can’t wait for me to get there.”
“I bet she needs your support as much as your mother does,” Eric said.
Gia pursed her lips. “That could be true. She has such a crappy husband. I doubt he gives her much of anything.”
“You’ve talked about him before,” Eric responded with a laugh.
Gia crossed her legs. “I don’t understand why she doesn’t demand more from him.”
“I know Eric’s heard this, but I haven’t,” Coty said. “Why don’t you like him?”
