Gwen stiffened her spine, her gaze brimming with tears. “It’ll all work out somehow. I could sell some of my pieces on the internet. Maisie said she’d make me some sort of online shop.”
Lexi smiled, tried to be gentle. “I think an online shop would be wonderful. You’re very talented. But Mom, we can’t afford to stay here.”
“You have a friend coming over. I need to get ready.” Gwen lowered her head as she left the room.
Lexi closed her eyes, leaned against the work table, and counted to ten.You’re pushing too fast.It was true. She’d gone running every morning since she’d promised herself she would and it was as if she’d lit a fire under herself, a drive to… not get back to who she used to be, but become the person she wanted to be. Lexi went to her own room to get ready but her thoughts refused to settle.
Will’s mother had been no peach but she wondered how he’d react to Gwen. He was clearly no stranger to the wear and tear parents could create on a grown child’s life. Maybe they weren’t so different in that respect. The realistic part of her figured she was just shoving the final nail in the coffin. He’d see she wasn’t his type. She had too much going on and if he was going to date a high-maintenance woman, itmight as well be one with a pedigree so he could get his mother off his back.
But damn she liked him. Liked the way she felt when she was with him. Her mother wasn’t the only one who’d lost the person she used to be. Will made Lexi feel like her old self again. Older, wiser, a little more sarcastic and realistic, buther.
“Do I look all right?” Gwen’s soft voice, like a scolded child, came from the archway between the hall and the kitchen.
Lexi turned to see her mom in a pair of soft, faded blue jeans and a navy-blue cable-knit sweater, her hair brushed so it looked like dark silk and a hint of makeup adding to her delicate features.
“You look beautiful, Mom.”
Gwen wrung her hands together, looked at the floor. “I don’t mean to make your life harder. I’ll try, Alexandria. I will. I’ve got an appointment with the counselor for next week. But I’m not ready to let go of the house. I know we can’t afford it. I’m not completely unaware. I just… need more time.”
Lexi nodded, tears stinging her eyes. They didn’t have any more time. It’d been over three years. They were floating on the surface but the undertow was hovering. They’d be no match for it.
Walking over, she pulled her mom into a hug.
“Let’s just get through today. One step at a time. I love you.”
Lexi held tighter as Gwen cried softly against her shoulder, apologizing and breaking Lexi’s heart a little more.
Lexi hated feeling unsettled. And she was. Thetummy tangled in knots, checking her makeup thirteen timeskind of unsettled about a guy meeting her mother. It was a first. Track had kept her too busy to maintaina steady boyfriend and while she’d had a few crushes, she’d never brought a boy home to introduce him. In college she was even more focused, because keeping her scholarship was everything. She knew she couldn’t run forever. Athletes had a sweet spot. She’d met a few guys, hooked up a couple times, but she’d never found a guy who made her want to wander off her path.
When Will knocked on the front door, she was already standing there, waiting to open it. Staring at the wood separating them, she smoothed down her pale-yellow sweater. She’d gone with a sweater, jeans, and a pair of cute, dark-brown ankle boots with cozy beige cuffs. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, held it, let it out softly.
She opened the door telling herself it was just a date. She could admit to the term this time while also acknowledging that a date was no big deal. Then she looked at him, felt her heart thump like an overactive puppy tail, and knew she was lying to herself. Will Grand was not just a date.
His eyes widened with obvious pleasure, those kissable lips tipping up in a smile warmer than her sweater.
“You look amazing,” he said, his gaze roaming down, then up to meet her eyes.
“Thank you. And hi.”
She caught just a hint of nerves in his laugh. He leaned in, kissed her cheek. “Hi,” he whispered.
She wished she could settle her pulse. Closing the door, she gestured to the stairs. “Come on in.”
He let her go first but with every step, her feet grew heavier, the nerves acting like cement, slowing her down. About halfway up, she turned and faced him. They were eye-to-eye.
“My mom,” she whispered. “I told you; she hasn’t gotten over losing my dad. I just want you to know that in case she says anything weird or—”
Will pressed a finger to Lexi’s lips, and she resisted the urge to bite it.
“We love our moms. We don’t have to explain them.”
He made everything seem so easy. Lexi nodded and Will replaced his finger with his mouth, giving her a quick, bolstering kiss.
When she turned, he patted her butt, nudging her up the stairs, once again making her laugh.
Gwen was in the kitchen, sitting ramrod straight on a stool, her hands cupping a mug.
“Mom, this is Will Grand. Will, this is my mom, Gwendolyn Danby.”
