She just wanted to hug the stuffing out of him. And then give him a really hot congratulatory blow job.
That was definitely something she could do for him that no one else in the family could to thank him for a job well done.
She needed to be with him, and she was pissed and frustrated that there were twelve hours and six inches of snow in her way.
Finally, she called her mom.
“Hi, honey.”
“Hi, Mom. Is it too late?” It was almost ten o’clock at night. She’d left Autre around six that morning. Between the slow down because of the storm, getting stuck, and then getting settled in the B&B, it had taken her longer than the twelve hours the online map showed between Peoria and Autre.
“Of course not. Josie told me where you are and everything.”
Paige pressed her lips together. Why had she called her mom? What was Dee going to say? She wasn’t going to care about a bunch of otters. Or that Mitch had done this really amazing thing. She might even be annoyed that Paige was choosing to go back to Autre instead of to Piper and Ollie’s wedding.
Because Dee didn’t really know Mitch. She didn’t understand how this could be a big deal for him. Or for Paige.
And that was Paige’s fault. She’d kept her family from getting to know him when he’d been in Appleby to visit, because she hadn’t wanted them to think anything serious was going on.
Now she wished they all knew him. She wanted her family to understand why the big moments in Mitch’s life were important to her too.
She was such an idiot.
“Yeah, I’m fine, and I should be able to get home tomorrow, but…” She blew out a breath.
“But? What’s wrong?” Dee asked immediately.
“I want to go back to Louisiana.”
Dee was quiet for a moment. “Oh.”
Paige couldn’t tell if the “oh” was twinged with simple surprise, or anger, or disappointment.
“Is everything all right there? Is everyone all right?” Dee asked.
Paige took a breath. “Yes. They’re all good. In fact, they’re opening up the new otter exhibit. It’s a new part of their business.” God, she hadn’t even really told her mom about the tour company or the otters or the petting zoo. She swallowed. “The family has several businesses in town. One of them is a swamp boat tour company that I’m working for.”
“Right. Boys of the Bayou.”
Paige frowned. “You know the name?”
“I looked them up online. It’s an impressive operation. They have wonderful reviews. A lot of them talk about how handsome and charming the tour guides are.” Dee laughed lightly. “But they seem to do a great business.”
Paige blinked. “You looked them up?”
“Of course. You’re working for them. And it’s Mitch’s family. And Ellie’s. I’m always interested in what’s important to you.”
“You…” Paige wasn’t sure what to say. “You think they’re important to me?”
“Of course, they are. It’s like when you got into yoga. I looked that up.”
“You did?” Paige knew she sounded shocked. She was shocked.
“I did. It didn’t all make much sense to me, and it isn’t my cup of tea, but I wanted to know what you were doing.”
Wow. She hadn’t known that. Why hadn’t Dee told her that?
Maybe because you would have thought—and said—she was being nosy and intrusive.
She really probably would have.
Or maybe she would have told you if you hadn’t shut down every conversation about yoga because you figured she was going to lecture you about doing more with your life.
That wasn’t pure projection. They’d definitely argued about Paige’s choices. But Paige hadn’t worked especially hard to make Dee understand. She’d really just wanted Dee’s acceptance. Which was a fair expectation from your mother. But in lieu of that, Paige could have probably tried harder to explain why she loved the things she did.
“Well,” Paige said, trying to focus. “The otter encounter is an off-shoot of the company.”
“Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild,” Dee said. “I read about it on the website. That’s funny. Those cute little otters don’t look very wild. And the goats and llamas and the pot-bellied pig they have are so cute too.”
“Actually, they’re alpacas,” Paige said, absent-mindedly. “You saw all of this online?”
“Yes. And they’re having a Grand Opening for the otter enclosure on Tuesday.”
Wow, Paige could have just looked at the website, apparently. “Yes. They are. And Mitch built that enclosure.”
“You want to be there for him.”
That sounded simple when Dee said it.
“Yes,” she replied after a moment. Again, simple.
“You should be there,” Dee said.
“I should? Really?”
“That’s what you do when you love someone.”
“You… you know I love him?” Paige asked, her voice suddenly scratchy.
“Honey, I’ve talked to you over the past couple of months,” Dee said, a touch of humor in her voice. “I’ve never seen you happy like you are now.”
Paige felt warmth spread through her. She did love him. She was glad Dee could tell.
And her mom hadn’t said a thing about bouquets and hadn’t emailed her a single wedding dress website to look at.
“Were you planning to talk wedding cakes with me while we were celebrating Piper and Ollie?”
Dee laughed softly. “No. You running away from home made the point loud and clear that you want to do things your way.”
Paige didn’t even think about denying it.
“I was really hoping you’d invite us to your wedding,” Dee added a moment later. “But I think I would understand if you didn’t want to.”
Paige’s heart squeezed. “Oh, Mom, I would invite you.”
“You sure?”
Paige thought about it. “Yes. I might have, for a second, thought about not inviting you,” she said honestly. “But yes, I would’ve invited you.” She knew that for certain.
“Okay, good.”
Paige smiled. Then took a breath. “So, I should go back to Autre? To be with Mitch?”
“Would you want him there if you were revealing something you’d built and were proud of, and that made you happy?”
“Absolutely.” She didn’t even have to think about it. “He already has been.” He’d been there as she’d put the weddings together, and his encouragement had made her even more excited to share details with him every day. Having him beside her had made it even better when it had all come together, and everyone had been so happy and complimentary, and she’d felt so rewarded and pleased.
“Then you know the answer.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m always here.”
Paige felt her eyes stinging. She knew that. She’d always known that. She just hadn’t appreciated it.
“And,” Paige said, realizing she really did have one more question for her mom.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you guys would be able to be there.”