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I spin around, looking back at the handful of half-finished projects I need to work on before admitting I need to get some admin work done and heading back to my office. I think about what Ellis said for the rest of the day, her words ringing more and more true as the hours pass.
By the time I’m ready to close up for the day, I’m like a man on a mission, and after I lock up, I head over to Main Street and down to Happily Ever After. I spot Busy through the window, her eyes connecting with mine. She grins at me as I pull thedoor open and walk right over to where she stands behind the counter.
“Hey, you! What are you—”
I slip my hand into her hair and tug her forward, pressing a kiss to her lips. When I pull back, her eyes are soft.
“What was that for?” she whispers.
“Busy Mitchell, will you go on a date with me on Saturday night?”
Her lips tilt up on the side. “Like out to dinner?”
I nod. “Yeah. Like out to dinner.”
“Only if you promise to kiss me like this while we’re waiting for our table.”
Chuckling, I kiss her again. “More than happy to do that.”
I release my hold on her neck and take a step back, and Busy’s eyes glance around the store behind me. When I turn around, I spot a woman standing in the romance section, holding a book against her chest and staring at us with a gooey smile.
“I just have to see if my mom or Briar can watch Junie,” Busy says, adjusting the postcards and flyers I bumped when I pulled her over the counter.
“Okay. And if they can’t, Junie can come on the date, too.”
Busy laughs. “You don’t want a two-year-old at a restaurant. Trust me. It takes a lot of work.”
“Well, since I’m gonna know that kid for the rest of my life, and I intend to take you out to dinner on a regular basis, we should probably start practicing. Make sure she learns.”
Her nostrils flare, and her eyes get glassy. “You just know how to say all the right things, don’t you?”
And then she laughs and rounds the counter to kiss me again.
When my phone rings on Saturday night when I’m getting ready for my date with Busy, I consider ignoring it, but when I see it’s my mother, I answer.
“Hey, mom.”
“Well, hello there, son of mine,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice through the speaker.
“What are you up to?”
“Oh, just lounging by the pool at our hotel. We’ve been in New York City for the past week. But that’s not why I’m calling.” She pauses. “A little birdie told me you’re dating Busy Mitchell. Is that true?”
I finish trimming up the edges of my mustache then slather some lotion on my hands and moisturize my face.
“Itistrue,” I reply, leaning toward the mirror and giving myself a long hard look. “And even though Ishouldbe pissed that you talked to her without my permission, I guess I have you and your meddling to thank for it.”
“Well, I’ve never been so glad to have my meddling pay off, because I was prepared for you to cut me out of your life forever.”
I grab the phone and head into my room, tugging my closet door open.
“I would never cut you out of my life, mom. We have our disagreements, and…I’ve had to process a few things, but I love you. That will never change.”
She clears her throat, a telltale sign that she’s trying not to cry.
“So…how’s New York?” I ask, selecting one of my few dress shirts and slipping it on. Then, after a pause: “How’s Vance?”
There’s a beat before my mother responds.
