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That conversation wasnotover.
16
New socks.Avery mentally added that to the ever-growing list of items Jacob needed before his dad came and picked him up as she sat folding laundry. He also needed new jeans, shirts, and underwear.
He’d hit a growth spurt over the summer and the only clothes that fit him were his basketball shorts and a few t-shirts that Avery had bought purposely a size too big at the beginning of summer.
One of the only drawbacks to being in Whisper Lake was also one of the reasons she loved it so much. It was a small town. Which meant the nearest Walmart or Target was thirty minutes away. She would make the drive tomorrow.
She was actually looking forward to it. She’d love some time alone to process everything Keaton had told her today. It had been a lot of information, and she wasn’t sure what any of it meant.
He’d seemed desperate to tell her that he and Zara weren’t a real couple. He’d insinuated that he’d had to drink because being at the castle brought back too many memories.
Did that mean he still had feelings for her?
They almost kissed. Which, thinking about it now, mortified her.
What if Jacob had seen her? Yes, her son knew that she and his dad weren’t together anymore, but that didn’t mean she should be kissing random guys in front of him.
Not that Keaton was random. He was very specific. In fact, she specifically loved him.
And after today, there was definitely a chance he had feelings for her, too. But what about his rule not to date people with kids? Was that still how he felt?
That had been five years ago. Maybe his stance had changed.
He’d said that the conversation was not over, and she wished, more than anything, they could finish it now.
She was going to drive herself crazy with what-ifs.
Avery’s mom came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head and a robe on. After Jacob had gone to bed, she’d announced she was going to soak in the bath, read her latest romance novel, and enjoy a glass of wine.
She lowered onto the couch beside Avery. “Y’all looked like you were havin’ a real fun time by the lake today?”
“Yep. Jacob loves the water.” Avery pointed out, purposefully dodging any insinuation her mom might be making.
Her mom had shown up at the lake minutes after Keaton left wearing a knowing smirk on her face. Avery had a feeling that she’d either seen her and Keaton sitting on the blanket together or she’d seen Keaton leaving the private beach and was just assuming he’d gone there to meet her. But, so far, she’d yet to bring up anything about it.
She hadn’t even asked Avery about what happened when all Jacob talked about at dinner was seeing Mr. Keaton and playing with Mojo.
“I wasn’t talkin’ about Jacob, sugar. I was talkin’ about you and Mr. Savage getting real cozy on that blanket. What’s goin’ on with you two?”
“I told you. He’s a friend.”
“Oh, y’all lookedrealfriendly to me.”
Avery did not want to get into this with her mom. Mainly because she had no idea what this was. And she wouldn’t until she and Keaton got to finish their conversation. “Mom, I just got out of a ten-year relationship. I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon. He’s on a reality dating show. Do not make more of this than it is.”
“Honey, I’m not blind. That boy’s got the hots for you, and I think you might just have a sweet spot for him too.” For someone who claimed not to meddle, or give her unsolicited opinion, she sure had a lot to say about Keaton.
“Mom, nothing’s going on.” Avery really wanted to nip this in the bud. She knew that if she didn’t, her mom would be like a dog with a bone. Once she got it in her mind that something should or had happened, she wouldn’t drop it.
Her mom tsked her tongue against her mouth as she picked up her knitting needles and cast on.
Avery breathed a sigh of relief that she’d dropped it when she said, “You know, I was wonderin’ why his name sounded so… familiar. I just couldn’t shake the feeling I’d heard it before. I wracked my brain tryin’ to figure out why it was ringin’ so many bells. Then I remembered the day you got your wisdom teeth pulled. You remember that?”
Crap. She’d actually totally forgotten that three years ago after she got her wisdom teeth pulled her mom drove her home from the dentist. She’d been totally out of it but the next day, her mom looked at her and asked, “Who’s Keaton Savage?”
Avery had spit out the soup she’d been drinking. “Why? Why are you asking about him?”
