“Oh, nice. Those are the best kind.”
I snort and lean against the glass to absorb the morning sunlight. “Stan was your height, Mom.”
“Oh, I know. And I wouldn’t trade him for anything. But baby, those guys who stand over you and do that smirk they do because he thinks your tantrum is cute…”
“Jesus, woman. You’re projecting.”
“Yeah,” she laughs. “I am. But now you know how I got pregnant. Those tall guys are like kryptonite for me. They’re the fun ones. The wild ones. Then later, you can find yourself a Stan and settle down.”
“Solid plan. I’ll be sure to tell Luke my mom gave us the green light to fool around for fun.”
“His name is Luke?” She makes a noise in the back of her throat that makes my brows wing up. “That’s cute. And sure, have fun. Knock yourself out. But don’t forget the condoms. You’re not a teen anymore, but honey, give yourself a minute to be an adult without having a baby. I promise you’ll have fun with it.”
“Ya know, it’s surprising I don’t have insecurities after you announced I ruined your life. You bring it up often enough.”
She scoffs and slows at a set of traffic lights; I know, because I can hear loud conversation from a car nearby. “You didn’t ruin my life, honey. You saved it. I got out of a cult, I grew up, I learned how to be a badass and advocate for myself, and now I have a grown daughter, and I’m still kinda young and hot. It’s the best, really. Now you and I could go out together, and guys won’t know which one they want more.”
“You’re unstable.”
“They’ll be so confused for a minute. Like with you and your girl crush on those fighters you told me about last week. It’s a confusing time, because your head says you’re straight, but your hormones are thinking that Mom is hot as hell.”
“You’re crazy.” I burst out laughing and draw eyes from everyone in the consistently growing line waiting for their caffeine hit. “You have serious unresolved teenage fantasies, but I refuse to be your wingman for this insanity. You’ll have to find another victim to party with you.”
“I’m only playing with you, honey. Like, seventy-five-percent play. The other twenty-five percent is still in high school, looking at the seniors.”
“Iced coffee. No name.”
“Me!” I step back to the counter and smile for the barista as she hands over my drink. Dropping a couple dollars in the tip jar, I lope out of the bakery and onto the sidewalk. “They didn’t give my coffee to anyone else. Small town perks, I guess.”
“I give my name at the coffee shop by the house, and they still sometimes give my coffee to someone else.”
“Right! I know I was being judgmental last week, what with the horses and wagons and such, but there are positives for being in a small town.”
“Girl, you caught the bug already,” she teases. “What are the positives?”
“Everyone knows everyone.”
“Everyone is nosey and up in everyone else’s business.”
“The food is decent,” I counter. “There’s this diner here, and though it looks kinda plain and old-fashioned, the food is to die for. The lady boss who works there, she’s sassy and makes me eat my greens.”
Mom snorts. “She must be a mother.”
“There’s no traffic here.”
“Solid positive, and tempting enough to almost make me consider coming there.”
“It takes only ten minutes – at the most – to get anywhere. From one side of town to the other, ten minutes, tops. And that includes rush hour traffic.”
“I’m jealous.”
“And you can walk most places. Like, Sonia’s office isn’t so far from Main Street. And Main Street has a bit of everything – food, dentist, photography, accounting. It’s like a city, but condensed. I mean, they lack options, so if you don’t like the one vet, you’re kind of screwed. But so far, I’m not coming across people I don’t like.”
“Except the tall, hot, chatty guy named Luke.”
“Right.” I stop at the corner and check for traffic – none – then I cross over and head toward Sonia’s office. “But I don’t dislike him. I don’t even know him. I only saw him that one time, he tried his best to be charming, he smiled that smile he does, then it was done. I’ve been exploring a little since I got here, and the evenings are still pretty light, but I’ve yet to see him again. So I think that problem solved itself.”
“Shame,” Mom grumbles. “Every girl deserves one of those guys once in her life. I bet he’d have rocked your world.”
“You are sick, Mother. There’s something wrong with your brain.”
“I speak what I think,” she counters and laughs. “I don’t filter it out. I do enough of that while at work, so when I’m talking to my sweet child, I don’t have to censor myself.”
“Perhaps you should try.” I purse my lips. “Because after four years and an almost bachelor’s in psychology, I’m saying that something ain’t right.”
“Oh please,” she scoffs. “Talk to me when you get that doctorate, honey. Until then, mind ya business.”
“Harsh,” I snicker and move further away from the business district, and into a more residential part of town. “We’ll start with the degree, then I’ll consider the extra. This shit is expensive, Mom.”
“It’s really too bad I didn’t find me a sugar daddy, huh? Stupid me, I got knocked up, then I married Stan for love, and now look at us, scraping our pennies together.”
“Yeah right. How’s that Mercedes you’re driving, Mom? Smooth?”
“The leather is like butter,” she purrs. “I’ve considered selling the house and living in the car instead. I’m going to be paying it off for a while yet, so I may as well get my money’s worth.”
“Or,” I add with a shake of my head. “You should stay in the house, continue to pay off the fancy car, and keep going to the job you love. Then it all works out, huh?”
“Except for the sugar daddy thing. That’s a shame.”
“You win some, you lose some. I’m walking into the office in a sec, Mom. I’ll have to let you go.”
“Walk in with me,” she says easily. “I still have about ten minutes until I’m done driving. Tell me more about Luke the Tall Cutie.”
“What’s to tell? I don’t know him. I do, however, know he tells women freely that he loves them. The woman at the bakery confirmed my suspicion.”
“Love, like he’s charismatic and silly? Or love, like he’s looking for a sugar momma and a live-in maid?”
“The jury’s out on that. And I’m not entirely inclined to ask around to find out.”
“What’s he look like?”
“Tall.” I step up onto the lush green grass outside Sonia’s office and try to put my weight onto the balls of my feet, and not my heels. “Short hair, I think. But I don’t know for sure, since he wore a hat that time.”
“Beard?”