Page 4 of Driven to Love

“That’s who you were seeing this spring, wasn’t it?” Her mom’s look was the same one from when Addison snitched chocolate bars from her mother’s private stash. Yup. Her mother’s expression said it all. Had she known all along?

“Okay, yes. We dated, but I didn’t sleep with him. Cross my heart and stick a needle in my eye.” One look from her mother brought out Addison’s inner child.

“Okay, you didn’t sleep with him, but you still dated your married boss.” Julie squeezed Addison’s hand.

Betty appeared beside their table, quiet as a mouse. She set their drinks down. “Food will be right out.”

Addison waited for the older woman to move on. Betty’s hearing was legendary when it came to gossip.

“How did you know?” Her mother’s psychic abilities, where her daughter’s life was concerned, always amazed Addison. But how did her mother find out about Mark? He didn’t live in town. They never met where people knew them. Heck, she didn’t even tell her best friends until it was almost over.

Julie straightened her napkin and then looked her daughter dead in the eye. “I’m your mother. I know everything about you. You don’t really expect me to give my secrets away, do you?”

Addison gave her a pleading look.

Julie examined her fingernails. Her lip hitched up in the corner. “Fine. When you were at the conference at the beginning of February, I called you one night to ask your opinion on Mitch’s gift for Valentine’s Day. I wanted to surprise him with a skiing trip. Remember?”

Hell, Addison couldn’t remember what she did last week, more or less what her mother wanted to buy her stepfather five months ago.

“Anyway, you didn’t answer or call back until the next day. I figured you were… out for the night. Then you started dating someone secretly. Oh, I knew. I could tell, even though you didn’t talk about it. However, the thing that made me put it all together was that you were working late and on the weekends all the time. That stopped when your new relationship stopped.” Julie sat back and took a sip of her soda, a smirk on her face.

“Well, shoot, Mom. You should have been a private eye.” No wonder she couldn’t put anything over on her mom growing up. Not that she tried. It was just the two of them for so long.

Betty came back and set the food down.

Addison bit her tongue. Last thing Addison needed was all of Gray Duck Grove knowing her lapse in judgment with her boss. Former boss.

Betty moved on, but Addison still didn’t want to take any chances. She leaned in and whispered, “I swear. I only went out with Mark after he told me he had separated from his wife. I believed they were getting a divorce.”

Nodding, Julie forked her pasta but didn’t take a bite. “Addison, you’re thirty-one years old.” She paused, as if trying to find the right words. “I won’t tell you how to live your life. Lord knows, I’ve made some mistakes in mine. But maybe you should try dating a different type of man.”

“I know, Mom. I thought I was with Mark. All the others were so handsome and charming, but not responsible or wanting to commit to a long-term relationship. Mark had already done that, so I figured he wouldn’t be like the others. I was wrong.” Embarrassed, Addison looked at her burger, quiet for a minute.

“Baby, don’t beat yourself up. I dated quite a few frogs before I met Mitch.”

Like her father. He took off so long ago, Addison could barely remember the man. She’d once found his photo in her mother’s drawer. The man had green eyes and dark hair, just like Addison. He was a looker. No doubt.

The next time Addison had snooped in her mother’s things, it was gone. Her mom only mentioned him one other time, when she’d told Addison he had died.

Addison blinked away the memories. Now was not the time to bring up old wounds. “Well, at least I didn’t sleep with Mark.”

In the few months they dated, something in the back of Addison’s mind slammed on the brakes every time they got physical. Maybe all those Sunday services as a kid. She hadn’t been inside a church in years, but the fact he hadn’t filed for divorce yet gave her pause.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, then her mother said, “Addison, that job and that man weren’t right for you. The right ones will come along. Be open to new options.”

Addison chewed and thought about what her mom had said. New options.

Julie finished her pasta and checked her watch. “I have some paperwork to do today. I’d better get back. But I meant it when I said I could use help at the shop if you need a job until something comes up.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll think about it.”

No way would she take the position at the salon, but she would be open to new options.

Both in employment and dates.

Chapter 2

Addison parked her car at the end of the long line of vehicles in front of Laney’s house. Parties were her thing. Especially Independence Day. The food. The fun. The fireworks. She loved all of it. So why did she want to turn the car around and head home?