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10
“Is Grandma here?” Libby asked, closing her backpack.
Brit turned off the TV and sat the remote on the coffee table. “No, she should be here at any moment.” She’d taken Libby shopping, and was going to take her to her mother’s when her mother texted her and said she was on the way to pick her up. So they’d returned home and waited—and Brit also waited for a text or call from Damian, ever since the previous day.
“Cool.” Libby grabbed her favorite pair of tennis shoes and slid them on. “Mom, are you dating Damian?”
A chilly sensation brewed in Brit’s stomach, pinning her to the spot. She cleared her throat, looking at her charming daughter who now perched her hands at her waist. A flicker of challenge touched Libby’s eyes—the warning that Brit couldn’t lie to her. Hell, she didn’t want to lie to Libby. But how to delicately talk about it? “What gave you that impression?” She shielded herself behind the safe question. She hadn’t talked to him ever since they returned from sailing the day prior.
“Hmmm… the way he looks at you.”
Brit erased the gap between them and leaned down to her daughter’s eye level. “Honey, it’s complicated. I like him but he’s a good friend and—”
“Mom, I’m not Amanda. You can be honest.”
Fear knotted her midsection. “Does Amanda suspect anything?”
Libby waved her off. “Nah. But tell me, pleaaase…”
“He’s a great friend. I don’t know if we’ll ever be something more. I don’t want you to think we’ll be this big happy family. He’s going through a lot,” she said. The previous day at the ocean, she’d shared a conversation with him that definitely opened more doors to a future together. But she’d mentioned she could meet him today, and she’d texted him a quick hello earlier, and he hadn’t replied. Maybe he regretted being so open with her—maybe he did want to be open, but he didn’t know how and that could be a huge problem.
Libby sighed. “I know. I like him, though. He’s cool.”
Brit bit back a smile. “He likes you too.”
“And maybe Amanda wouldn’t be against it,” Libby said. “Do you want me to ask her?”
Brit shook her head violently. Telling Amanda would have to be Damian’s job—if and when he decided she was ready. Hearing from someone else would probably crush the little girl’s heart. “No, please don’t. Promise me you won’t say a thing to anyone.”
Libby gave her a rueful smile. “Do I get to go to bed later on weeknights?”
“You get thirty more minutes,” Brit said between her teeth. Of course Libby would use the situation to her advantage—though, could she blame her? At least her daughter hadn’t seemed disappointed when Brit didn’t give her a more positive answer.
“More iPad time?”
Brit waved her off. “Don’t push it.”
“I promise.” She stuck out her pinkie.
Brit curled her pinkie on her daughter’s. Soon, her mother knocked on the door.
“Are you ready for some fun?” Lori asked. “I went to the grocery store and bought some more stuff to make slimes.”
Libby jumped up and down. “Yay!”
“Take care, you two.” Brit closed the door behind them and checked her cell phone again. Nothing. Maybe Damian didn’t find a sitter for his kids, or preferred to cool it. When he’d talked about less than ideal situations, she’d become defensive, yes, but also wary. She’d dealt with too many jerks in life to let a seemingly ambiguous comment go.
She braced herself. Maybe she wasn’t ready for a relationship, even a loose one. Her mother never had luck in love, and ended up not trying anymore. What if I’m the same way? Brit fluffed the pillows, just in case Damian showed up and surprised her. Then, she glanced at her phone, toying with the idea of texting him again. They’d ended the day on good terms, so why hadn’t he reached out? Perhaps an emergency surgery had pulled him from his plans unexpectedly. Even so, he should still get in touch, shouldn’t he?
She lit a candle on the coffee table. Nah, she wouldn’t end up like her mom. She cared too much to be alone in the long run. Not that there was anything wrong with being on your own—she’d done it for too long and knew she could do it forever. But the idea of having a guy like Damian in her life without an expiration date…
A knock startled her, yanking her from her musings. She dashed to the entrance and opened the door, smiling.
When she found Nikki looking at her with a frown on her face, her stomach dropped. No Damian.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were banging Violet’s husband?” Nikki asked.
Oh, great. Her day was about to get a lot worse. She opened the door for her friend to enter, which Nikki did. “Lara?” she assumed out loud.
