“Well, I’ll have you know your nephew isn’t stupid. If there’s something going on between you two, he’s going to figure it out. All he talked about last night is how you and she seem to be getting along now when all you used to do is fight.”
“So you’d rather we fight?”
“I’d rather you not sleep with the one woman you don’t have a right to.”
Anger built inside of me. I took a deep breath and composed myself. “With all due respect, that would be none of your business if it were happening, but it’s simply not. Nothing has happened with Presley. We’re just two stressed-out people, finally seeing eye to eye. We have a mutual respect for one another. And I’ll say it again: we were just having fun.”
She moved her head from side to side. “You know I suspected something weird when you asked me to make that peach cobbler.”
“That was just a nice gesture. It didn’t mean anything.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean to tell me you’re not attracted to her?”
I looked up at the window to make sure Presley wasn’t looking out. “Why does that even matter if we’re not involved?” I whispered.
“Your brother would flip.”
I raised my voice. “Really? Because he doesn’t give me the impression that he gives a shit about anything or anyone lately.”
“Trust me. This would most definitely wake him up. She left him, and now he’s gonna find out there’s something going on between you two? You think that’s not gonna hurt him?”
Mom didn’t know the story behind why Presley and Tanner had ended things. She had no clue my brother had cheated. But I didn’t feel it was my place to share Presley’s business. However, given that my mother was still under the impression Presley had done Tanner wrong, her attitude wasn’t surprising.
Then she said, “And what’s this I heard from Harry the realtor—that you told him you’re putting a hold on plans to sell The Palm?”
“How the hell did you find out about that?”
“Ran into him last night at the market with Alex. He mentioned it.”
“He should’ve kept his big mouth shut. He’s probably just upset that he’s potentially gonna lose a commission.” I groaned. “Anyway, my plans aren’t canceled. They’re just…on hold.”
“I don’t think giving up that fight is a smart idea. Do you?”
“It’s not about the financial aspect. I’ve just been thinking about the impact selling would have on Presley and Alex. They like it here, and Presley really wants to revive the place. It’s like her…passion. I should at least give her a chance.”
Mom squinted. “And your feelings for her have nothing to do with that?”
I had two choices. I could lie, or not say anything at all. I chose the latter.
My mother proceeded to say one more thing to piss me off before she left.
“I have an appointment, but before I go, I just want you to think long and hard about the repercussions of getting too close to Presley. This isn’t some fling you can mess up like all the others. She’ll be in this family forever. If something were to happen, not only will you mess up things with your brother, but Alex too. All I’m asking is for you to think on that for a while.”
“I hear you, Mother,” I said, gritting my teeth.
After she left, I decided to take a walk to let off some steam. It was a little unnerving that two people—my mother and Fern—had now picked up on the fact that something was brewing between Presley and me. It would only be a matter of time before Alex became the third. And then Tanner. It was one thing to enjoy being around her in secret, to be attracted to her on the down-low. But now it was on people’s radar.
I was supposed to have come to Beaufort to handle the sale of The Palm Inn. But if I’d all but given up on that fight, what was the point of staying? My being here now was because I wanted to be. If I kept going, it was going to end in someone getting hurt, either Presley or Tanner.
And I couldn’t let that happen.
CHAPTER 11
* * *
Presley
Later that week, things were really coming along around The Palm Inn. Between the new air conditioning almost fully installed and the fact that someone had booked a room for a weekend late in July, I was feeling more confident than ever.
Levi hadn’t joined us for dinner tonight. He’d been out of the house most of the day, so it was just Alex and me cleaning up after supper. As my son handed me a plate from the table, he hit me with a question I definitely wasn’t prepared for.
“Why do people call boobs tits?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Where did you hear that term?”
“Some boys at the playground the other day were talking about Uncle Levi—how they saw some picture of him online with a woman who had really big tits. I had to ask them what that meant. They told me tits are boobs.”
Letting out a long breath, I continued washing the dishes as I spoke. “I don’t actually have a clear answer to your question. It’s a name people use to describe women’s breasts, sometimes when they’re doing it in a derogatory way.”
“What’s derogatory? Is that like purgatory?”
“No, it means—”
“Why do people like boobs?” he interrupted. “The boys told me they did.”
I chuckled. “It’s just something they like because they don’t have them, maybe? Well, guys do have breasts, but typically not large ones…most of the time.”
“They said Uncle Levi’s friend had fake boobs! How do you get those? Can I get them? I don’t want them for me. I just want to know if I could, like, buy them for Uncle Levi for Christmas.”
Bending my head back in laughter, I couldn’t contain myself long enough to address that before he posed another question.
“Where do babies come from?”
Shutting off the water, I wiped my forehead with the back of my arm. “What made you bring that up now?”
“Well, when those boys were talking about boobs, they started telling me where babies come from, and I want to see if they’re right.”
Shit. I swallowed. “What exactly did they tell you?”
“I want you to explain it first.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s weird, and I don’t want to have to say it out loud if it’s not true.”
As I stood there with my mouth agape, unable to figure out what to say, Levi walked in.
He threw his keys on the counter and looked between the two of us. “What’s up?”
Alex turned to him. “I just asked Mom where babies come from, and I’m waiting for her to tell me.”
Levi’s eyes widened. He and I stared at each other with an oh-shit look.
This was a talk I’d always hoped Alex would have with Tanner, and I was certainly less than prepared to be having it now.
Levi cleared his throat. “What brought this on?”
“It started because of that girl with big tits you were with.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Levi shook his head. “Back up. And who taught you that word?”