"I get that," my mom agreed. "I've tried dating a handful of times since Kate's father, but I'd swear these men never heard a word I said."
Of course my mother had dated. I didn't imagine she'd been a monk. But she never really mentioned it around me. I always figured it would be awkward for her to talk to her daughter about it. But then there she was, talking to Rush.
Maybe the problem wasn't her, but me. Maybe I needed to specifically ask, tell her that we could talk about that kind of thing. Because I didn't date often, I guess it was just never something that was on my mind, so I never stopped to think it might be on hers.
"This is the part where I am supposed to truly humiliate my daughter by asking if you have an attractive, available father. See," she said, beaming at me when I felt myself blush.
"I'm afraid I don't anyway," Rush said, shrugging.
"Did you grow up in the area?"
"No, actually. My family and I traveled a lot. But my sister Scotti met someone when we were staying around here, married, settled down. My brothers and I decided to stay as well, put down some roots. My brother King has a private security place in town. Two of my brothers work there part-time. Nixon has been working at a whiskey company lately."
"No interest in private security?" my mother asked, and I could practically hear her thoughts: it seems a more likely job for someone than a phone sex operator.
"It took a while to get it going. In the interim, I needed work. Fiona, our boss, who is an in-law to my sister, had the idea of me working for her. So I fell into that. And by the time Kingston got things running, I was already settled. I do pitch in here and there, though. I like the work. I guess I am just comfortable where I am now."
"It's always good to have a fallback. I work as a piano teacher in the summers when school is out. Kate takes online classes in her spare time," she added.
"Oh yeah?" Rush asked, his gaze slipping toward me.
"I, ah, yeah. I started a couple degrees. I would like to finish one of them." I left out the part about how I chose to do them online because the in-person atmosphere had been such an epic failure for me. Working at them at home on my own time was proving a better choice for me.
"What's the ultimate goal?"
"An editor," I admitted. I'd chosen other paths along the way, but my heart had always been in books.
"You'll have to send me recs of all the best MC and mafia books you come across when that day comes."
I couldn't see myself leaving For A Good Time, Call... anytime in the foreseeable future. The idea of going on interviews gave me hives.
"You like to read?" my mom asked, brightening. As an educator, it always warmed her heart when she heard that. Even if they were adults. Maybe even especially so when they were adults since it was unfortunately somewhat rare for a love of reading to last into adulthood. "Sorry if that sounded shocked," she added, wincing. "I think the latest statistics are that only thirty-something percent of adults read between one and five books a year. It always makes me happy to hear that someone enjoys reading."
"I actually didn't most of my life. I was an outdoorsy kid, always getting roughed up and into trouble. I got into it because of work actually. One of the women left a romance on the desk, and it was a slow night, so I picked it up as a joke, out of curiosity, but ended up reading half the thing in one sitting, then having to get myself a copy to finish it since she didn't leave it there again. It's been good research on top of the general enjoyment factor."
"I bet Kate could give you a ton of great recommendations," my mom said, making me want to groan at her none-too-subtle attempt to include me in the conversation again. When I was all-too-happy to be an outsider, to be an inactive participant.
"We had some book talks at the cabin," Rush said, giving her a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. Was that regret there? And if it was, what was it over? The fact that we'd ever been at the cabin? What had started between us? About how cool he'd been to me at the end.
I felt that sad smile of his in my soul.
It was how I felt about the whole experience myself. On the one hand, there had been many pleasant moments. But, in the end, other factors made it so it couldn't be an overwhelmingly great memory. Like the cold shoulder. Like the rejection. Like another experience to add to the list of reasons why I didn't want to put myself out there anymore.
The look my mother shot me was a familiar one. It was one that said 'you have some explaining to do, lady."
"He's a sore loser at board games," I added, needing them both to stop looking at me.
"That's funny. Kate was the worst loser when she was little. Would quit and refuse to ever play a game again if I won. Now, she couldn't care less."
"She tried to help me spell a word when we played Scrabble. The cheater."
"Is it actually cheating if I was helping you beat me, though?" I shot back, brow raising. "It's like someone scoring a point for the opposing team," I added.
"Fair enough," he agreed.
"Did you come here to check on Kate?" my mom asked, making me turn to pretend like ladling out soup into a bowl required my utmost attention.
"I... yeah," Rush agreed, and I wondered how good of a liar he was, if my mother picked up on any hint of untruth in his tone, in his face.
"That's so sweet. I hope she doesn't get you sick. Though, Kate is a great cook. She could make you some soup if she shared her germs with you."
Oh, God.
That was the cringiest thing she could have possibly said. Especially because I was almost sure she meant it in more than a ' since you two shared the same cabin' kind of way.
"If I want her to cook me anything, it is more of those crêpes," he said, making me turn on my way to the microwave, sharing a small smile with him.
"Oh, the chocolate and whipped cream ones?" she asked.
"Wait a second, how am I just learning that is an option?"
"Oh, and the cookie butter. Oh, my God. Those are amazing too."
"I'm sensing the need to tell Fee we should have an office breakfast bar potluck," Rush suggested, "as soon as Katie is better."
"We actually do brunch at my place on Saturdays. Katie and I both usually whip things together. You are more than welcome to come."
I tried to shoot her "What are you doing?" eyes, but her gaze was stubbornly looking in any direction than at me.
"In fact, I think she should be up and running by this next Saturday. You should come. Give me your number. I can send you the address."
Accepting I was no longer a part of the conversation, I took my soup out of the microwave, and started to eat, standing there in my kitchen while my mom schmoozed Rush on my behalf.
Just when I finished, she was walking him to the door, thanking him for checking in on me, and reminding him that she expected to see him for brunch before closing the door, and turning back to me with an arched brow.
"I can't believe you invited him to brunch. You don't even know him."
"Honey, you get to know people by spending time with them," she reminded me. "Besides, he seems like a perfectly nice man."
"I don't need you to play matchmaker, Mom," I told her, putting my bowl in the sink, turning to flick the electric kettle on.