I settled myself on a stool at the counter. “We had SWAT team training this morning, so I thought I’d swing by after I had lunch with Walker.”
A gentle smile tipped her lips. “How is Walker?”
“He’s good. Nothing but trouble, as usual.”
My mom shook her head. “It seems to me trouble abounded whenever thetwoof you got together.”
“Must have been his bad influence. You know I’m an angel.”
She laughed. “You’ll always be perfect in my eyes, but I have no illusions that they’ll be nominating you for sainthood anytime soon.”
I clutched my heart in mock affront. “How can you wound me so?”
My mom pushed a plate of cookies across the marble counter. “I love you just as you are, trouble and all. So, how are Taylor and Walker doing? Should I be thinking about wedding gifts anytime soon?”
I’d taken a bite of my cookie and promptly began choking. My mom filled a glass with water and handed it to me. “You okay?”
I swallowed a mouthful, clearing my throat. “Yeah, sorry, wrong pipe. I don’t think there are any wedding bells in their future anytime soon. At least not that Walker’s said to me.”
A little twinkle sparked in my mom’s eye. “I don’t know. He’s head over heels for that girl, and she’s a keeper. If he has a lick of sense, he’ll lock that one down.”
I guess she had a point. I knew that Taylor was the one for Walker, had known it from the moment he’d mentioned the new tenant at his family’s guest cabin. I just hadn’t thought things would move this quickly. Life would look differently when everyone around me started to settle down.
My mom poured some coffee into a mug. “What about you?”
“What about me, what?”
“Any ladies catch your eye lately?”
I was glad I didn’t have another bite of cookie in my mouth. “Lots of ladies catch my eye,” I said with a grin.
She grimaced and shot me a disapproving look. “You need to settle down. Find a woman you can build a life with. Someone who won’t let you get away with everything most of those girls do. You know who I always thought you’d be good with—?”
“Mom,” I cut her off, “I’m not looking to get serious with anyone.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that would be the case forever.
Her face fell. “I know your career is important, but so is a happy life.”
“And are you happy?” I regretted the words as soon as they left my lips.
Pain flitted across my mother’s face. “When you’ve been in a relationship as long as your father and I have, there are bound to be ups and downs.”
I gripped the edge of the countertop, the marble edge cutting into my palm. “I don’t remember a hell of a lot of ups.” My gaze bored into hers, begging her to really hear me. I gentled my tone. “At some point, isn’t it time to call things a loss and move on?”
Her face hardened. “Tuck, I made vows. And I intend to keep them. Marriage is meant to be forever.”
Whatever my father was doing now had shot those vows to shit. And I found it hard to believe that they’d ever mattered much to him to begin with. “He treats you like crap.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her the depth of it. I couldn’t bring myself to say that I’d known since I was eight years old and had walked in on him and some woman in the barn. I wasn’t sure what would destroy Mom more: Dad’s betrayal or my own. But I’d been keeping the secret for so long, I couldn’t seem to let it out now. And I wasn’t sure it would matter if I did. She seemed to have an excuse for it all.
My mom busied herself cleaning an invisible mess on the counter. “Your father works hard. He likes to blow off steam. Do I wish things were different? Sure. But I love him, faults and all.” Her gaze met mine. “None of us is perfect.”
I shut my mouth with a snap, my teeth clacking together. Whatever I wanted to say wouldn’t be helpful at this point in time. I inhaled slowly through my nose, changing tack. “I love you, Mom. I’m here if you ever change your mind. And you know you can always come stay with me if you need to.” I glanced down at my watch. My dad usually got home in about an hour, and I didn’t want to risk any run-ins if he was early. “I need to get going.”
“Oh, honey. Don’t. Please stay for dinner. I’m making pork tenderloin and potato leek au-gratin.”
My stomach rumbled at the mention of one of my favorite meals. “I really can’t tonight.”Or any night Craig Harris will be at the table.
My mom’s shoulders fell. “All right.” She rounded the counter and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m sorry we argued. You know I love you, right?”
