His Curvy Infatuation E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Brantley
Do. Not. Fall for Valentina again. Do. Not. I can’t take it a second time. 
Oh, who am I kidding. I never stopped loving Valentina. I messed up when we were young. I never imagined introducing her to my college roommate would mean watching her fall for him, marry him, build a life with him, and have it all blow up in her face. 
I really wasn’t happy about that last one. I wasn’t heartbroken by it either, but I hated seeing her hurt. She deserved better. She deserved the world. She was perfect. She was everything I’d ever wanted in a woman. 
I tried to get over her. For years. I told myself it was too late for us. But I didn’t think she’d be single again more than twenty years after I fell in love with her. Falling for her again might kill me, but watching her fall for someone else will destroy me. 
Maybe there’s a chance for us. 

Valentina
My divorce is final. I’m single again. Everyone says I should date. Get back on the horse and all that. I’m too raw. Too scared. Not because I’m still in love with my ex but because dating opens me up to being a fool again. 
Brantley is safe, though. He can be my shield. He has been for as long as I can remember. Coaxing me out of my shell and helping me step into myself. He’s there now, like he’s always been. Bringing me dinner, taking me out for drinks, being the favorite uncle for my daughters now that their father is gone. 
The more time I spend with Brantley, the more I see the man I never noticed. Kind, smart, affectionate. He’s all the things I’d want in a man if I was willing to date again. 
Hell, he’s all the things I want in a man no matter what. But falling for him is a bad idea. Isn’t it? 

Leseprobe

HIS CURVY INFATUATION

A SMALL TOWN CURVY GIRL ROMANCE

BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED

BOOK 13

MARY E THOMPSON

His Curvy Infatuation

Book Boyfriends Wanted, book 13

Copyright © 2023 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2022 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © ArturVerkhovetskiy

Cover background from depositphotos, Copyright © tomert (lights) and Milanares (blue)

Cover watercolor stripe from depositphotos, Copyright © ronedale

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-953879-56-1

Print ISBN: 978-1-953879-57-8

Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-953879-58-5

Created with Vellum

BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED

Fall is rolling in, and fun is on the horizon. Love is coming for the residents of MacKellar Cove, whether they’re ready for it or not. Thanks for joining us for another Book Boyfriends Wanted story. Never miss a thing when you sign up for Mary’s newsletter.

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Happy reading!

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

About the Author

To the moms who inspired this story… you inspire me every day with your strength, kindness, and love for your children. I hope you never stop being the amazing women you are, and you never stop choosing joy, love, and pleasure.

1

BRANTLEY

My favorite day of the year was the first day of cross-country practice. I’d never admit that to the baseball team I coached, but I loved cross-country. Running long distances was exhilarating. And seeing new kids do it, watching them achieve something they thought they couldn’t do, was the best thing ever.

I parked my SUV in the high school lot near the road so the parents and students would know where to meet. There was already a small gathering of seniors near a group of vehicles. I lifted my arm and waved, and they all waved back. They closed doors and grabbed bags, making their way toward me.

“Good morning,” I said to them as they got closer.

“Hey, Coach P. Ready for this year?” Andrew was one of the top runners in the area. He consistently led the pack, most of the time running alone since no one else could come close to keeping up with him. Scholarship offers came in all summer from schools that had been watching him since he was a freshman.

“I’m ready. Are you? Have you been training?”

Andrew nodded. “Yeah. I need a scholarship.” Andrew was the oldest of four boys. He always had good gear, but his brother, who was a sophomore, usually wore Andrew’s hand-me-downs.

“It sounds like you’ve had a few offers. Anyone you’re looking at seriously?”

Andrew shrugged. He was a quiet kid, one who didn’t like being the center of attention, and realized the others were listening to our conversation. “Not sure yet.”

I nodded, letting him off the hook. Choosing a college wasn’t easy, and having more options didn’t make it any easier. I’d pull him aside later and talk more about what he was thinking. When everyone else wasn’t listening.

“How’s everyone else doing?” I asked.

“Good, Coach P,” they all said.

“How has summer been? Everyone keeping up with their training schedule?”

All of a sudden, there was a lot less chatter.

I chuckled. “It’s going to be a rough few weeks getting into things. Seniors, make sure you’re making the underclassmen feel welcome.”

They mumbled their agreement as Jana McCloud, my co-coach, got out of her car.

“Hey, Coach M!”

Jana was new to coaching and to the district. She was in her mid-twenties and the young, fun coach the high school kids could relate to. She was also gorgeous and made all the teenage boys drool, but she was a professional and never out of line. She always ran with her shirt on, instead of stripping down to her sports bra like some of the girls did, and she never spent time one-on-one with any student. We spent so many hours with the kids that it could be tough to keep an emotional separation from them, but Jana was awesome.

“Hey, everyone. Are we ready to run?”

“Yes!” Their excited cheers for Jana made me smile. None of them admitted to her that they hadn’t been training enough all summer.

More cars pulled in and more students were dropped off. I tried not to watch for Valentina Hayes’s minivan but failed miserably. Valentina had been one of my closest friends since high school, and I’d been in love with her almost as long. She was also newly divorced and not ready for a relationship. She told me as much many times over the last few months. Work, kids, and friends were her focus now. Which meant I had to keep my interest in her to myself.

Story of my life. But it was for the best. Getting involved with her was not a good idea. I’d spent most of my life wanting her, and most of my life building up what it would be like to kiss her or touch her or tell her I loved her. It was past time to move on.

Or so I told myself when her daughters climbed out of another parent’s vehicle.

Jana and I spoke briefly, confirming the plan we set for practice. We were fortunate that our elementary, middle, and high schools were all together, and the students could run a good lap around all of them and get in their distance without having to leave school property.

Once everyone was there, Jana and I called all the kids over. We took roll to make sure everyone had shown up and went over the rules for running. Even though school hadn’t started yet, the kids needed to watch for traffic and run in pairs or groups.

“We’re going to start you out with a time trial to get an idea of where you’re starting from. You’re only competing against yourself, so don’t worry about your time. This will help us to pair you up going forward so you have someone to run with. For today only, your route is around the high school. We marked it out yesterday with flags, so it should be easy to follow. Coach M. and I will be on opposite sides of the school in case there’s an emergency. Let’s head over to the start line and do our warm-up before you run.”

Jana led the kids in stretches and quick sprints to loosen their muscles, then told them to grab some water before they ran. It was a hot day to start the season.

The kids all lined up and got ready to run. Jana jogged around the corner to the other side of the school, leaving me to watch the start and finish line.

I counted them off and blew the whistle, setting the team off on their run. Day one. I loved it. Best day ever.

* * *

Jana and I smiled and waved to the last kids to get picked up. She turned to me and burst out laughing.

“I don’t think any of them practiced this summer,” she said. “Maybe Andrew.”

I nodded. “He said he did, but the others? No. They definitely did not practice. It’s going to be a rough few weeks getting them to where they can handle a three-mile run without wanting to die.”

Jana chuckled. “Yeah. Lots of work to do. But we’ll get them there. Great day, Coach. See you tomorrow.”

“Yep. Get some rest, Jana. Lots of water.”

“You, too.”

Jana drove off in her car, zipping out of the parking lot and turning toward town. Since MacKellar Cove was like a rumor mill on steroids, I knew Jana lived in the condos by the water with her boyfriend, who, rumor had it, would be her fiancé soon. Nothing was secret in MacKellar Cove.

I let myself into my house and locked the door behind me. It still smelled like coffee since I forgot to dump the grounds before I left. I grabbed a bottle of water and chugged half of it before dealing with the coffee.

Before I lost track of everything on my mind, I grabbed my tablet and opened the document where I kept all my notes about the team. I added the times I’d recorded for each runner and sorted them based on their rate. As expected, Andrew finished the three-mile run a full two minutes before the next student. Paul Spear, Valentina’s friend Goldie’s son, was only a sophomore, but he was the second fastest on the team. Paul was going to dominate just like Andrew when he was a senior.

There were a few new students, including one would be in my physics class. I wasn’t familiar with his name. He did well at practice, third place behind Andrew and Paul, but his transcript wasn’t great. The only way for him to stay on the team would be to pass all of his classes, and that seemed to be a struggle for Kevin.

I finished my notes on all the students and started to make up groups that would be good to run together. When I finished the groups, I sent it over to Jana to review before practice the next morning.

With that done, I looked around my kitchen at the projects I had planned for the day. My house was the definition of fixer-upper when I bought it. I’d been there for almost a decade and had updated every space except the kitchen. It always felt like too big of a task, and I wasn’t willing to tackle it, but I stupidly broke a cabinet door last week. My dishwasher died a year ago. And my fridge was feeling less cold than usual. The checkerboard backsplash, with chicken accent tiles, the previous owners installed had been chipping and falling off the wall almost since I bought the place. It was time. I knew it was time. But I didn’t want it to be time.

Even as I stood there trying to decide if I was really going to do this, another tile fell off the backsplash. It clattered to the countertop without breaking and mocked me as it spun.

“Dammit.”

I had a good idea of what I wanted the kitchen to look like. I’d been thinking about it for years. Of course, it was also Valentina’s dream kitchen, but we didn’t need to talk about that. It was just a kitchen. With a huge island where people could sit and eat, a six-burner stove, a new sliding door to the backyard that could be opened wide for parties that I never hosted, and a simple dining table for four.

Don’t judge me.

Starting a project like that on the first day of cross-country, right before summer was ending and I was going to be back in the classroom every day, was almost as dumb as introducing my best friend to my roommate in college and sitting on the sidelines while they fell in love, got married, and built a life together. But clearly, I wasn’t very good at making smart decisions.

I picked up the small sledgehammer and faced the backsplash. “Sorry, chickens, but it’s time to say goodbye.”

I barely had to hit the tiles for them to pop off the adhesive that was no longer doing its job. I collected all the pieces and dumped them into the trash bin in the garage. If I was going to do this, I needed a dumpster and a plan and some help.

Dammit.

Twenty minutes later, still sweaty from practice with the added stink of renovation on me, I walked in to Al’s Hardware. Knox Randall and I had become friends over the years. That happened when you spent half your paycheck at a man’s store.

“My favorite reno expert is back,” Knox said with a laugh in his voice. “What are we fixing up now?”

I glared at him, and he faltered.

“No. Are you kidding me? You’re finally doing the kitchen?”

If a grown man could get excited about something like home renovation, it was Knox. I was fairly sure he had more ideas about my kitchen than I did.

I grunted in reply, a noise that made Knox’s grin wider and sent him around the corner of the counter to lead the way to all the things I was going to blow my next few paychecks on.

“Demo is first. But if you want to live there while you work, you need to do this in phases. I think⁠—”

“I need to live there. And I need to eat.”

“Okay, understood,” Knox said as he continued to walk away from me. “You’re going to need a dumpster, or maybe one of those bags. Those are pretty easy. And if you’re doing it in phases, that’ll make more sense than keeping a big-ass dumpster in your driveway. We need to talk cabinets and countertops. Are you keeping your appliances?”

He turned to look back at me, then shook his head.

“No, of course not. Those are horrible. So, we need those, too. Backsplash?” He glanced back again, then kept going. “Yeah. Your flooring might be okay, but if you change the layout, you’re going to need to patch stuff in which usually looks like shit, so I’d say flooring, too. There’s this vinyl plank flooring that’s really durable and great for areas like the kitchen. I think you’ll like it. Especially if you ever get a dog like you’ve been saying forever. What about⁠—”

“Dude! Take a breath,” I barked.

Knox chuckled and shook his head. “Sorry. I just want to get you started before you change your mind again. You’ve been talking about your kitchen for years.”

“Yeah, and you throwing all this at me isn’t making me more excited to do it.”

“It’ll be fine.” Knox walked back to me and clapped me on the back. He was a good four inches taller than me and wider, with about forty pounds of muscle on me. A slap on the back from Knox about knocked the wind out of me.

“Shit,” I breathed.

“Sorry.” His cheeks turned red, a trait accented by his light skin and dark blond hair. He hated it.

“All good. But let’s slow down a bit. The backsplash is gone. I’m thinking the whole thing is going to be a gut job, but I can’t just tear it all out and get it all back together in a day or two. I need to take it in steps. Maybe one section at a time.”

Knox rubbed his beard and stared at a spot above my head. He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure how you can do that. I’d suggest running flooring under your cabinets so there’s isn’t a height difference with your appliances. That means you basically have to gut the entire space and start from scratch.”

I sighed heavily. “I was afraid of that.”

“It’s all right. We’ll figure it out. If we can gut everything and bring in new appliances, you can use them even as we do all the work. Or you can use what you have and replace them all at the end. Up to you.”

I nodded slowly. It wasn’t ideal, but it was going to have to work. I had some money saved up to make the budget possible, as long as Knox didn’t go too crazy, but the time was a bigger struggle.

“Okay. It needs to be done, so let’s figure it out. Think we can knock it out by the end of the year?”

Knox nodded. “Probably in half that if you want to, but three months? Definitely. Let’s get to work.”

* * *

I should have known Knox was so methodical, but until he sat me down and walked through everything step-by-step, I didn’t know that about him. I walked out of Al’s Hardware an hour later with a dent in my credit card and a plan to remodel my kitchen.

Step one was tearing everything out. Which meant removing everything from the cabinets.

I got to work when I got home, loading everything from the cabinets into the closet in the spare room. My house had four bedrooms, which always felt excessive, but when I bought it, I told myself I was ready to settle down and have a family. I’d always wanted kids. Growing up with a mom who was a teacher and a dad who was a paster, family was important to us. My older sister was one of my closest friends when I was a kid, and still was, even though she lived in Maryland and we only saw each other a few times a year.

As I walked down the hall between the kitchen and the fourth bedroom, I felt the same pang I always got when I thought about having a family. At forty-five, I could still have kids, but knowing I’d be well into my sixties when they graduated high school meant that dream was less of an option. It stung. Especially since I’d always imagined a life with Valentina. She was my gold standard, and I was single because no one had ever come close.

I had no right to complain. I never told her how I felt, and I never gave any other woman a real chance. Besides, I had hundreds of kids. Watching my students and athletes year after year achieve great things was something I would always be proud of. I didn’t raise them, but I had a hand in molding them. A small one, but still.

When I finally cleared out the last of the items from my cabinets, I let out a breath. It was really happening. I was really going to tackle the kitchen.

My phone dinged with an incoming text. I picked it up and breathed a laugh when I read what Valentina sent.

First practice and you’re going to remodel the kitchen? Busy day! Girls said it was a great practice, though. They’re excited about the season. I’m excited about the kitchen. Need any help?

Practice was good. It’s going to be a fun season. And I’m always open to your help. Knox went a little crazy today.

Crazy how? Did he talk you into something weird like neon cabinets? Please say yes. I’d die to see that!

I chuckled and settled onto the couch. I flipped on the TV and typed out a response.

2

VALENTINA

I watched the three bubbles and waited for Brantley to reply. I missed seeing him at practice today. Goldie dropped the girls off, and Xavier picked them up. Goldie’s son, Paul, was dating my youngest, Samantha. Xavier’s daughter, McJenna, was best friends with my oldest, Bianca. Between the three of us, we were working out a schedule to get the kids to and from practice so we could all also work.

No neon. What are you thinking, woman? Have you met me? Plaid all the way.

I laughed out loud when I read his reply. Brantley Pierce was the only reason I was still sane, although some people would argue about that fact. He’d been my best friend for most of my life, but in the last few months, he’d been the only person I didn’t feel like I had to pretend around.

My girlfriends were great, don’t get me wrong, but Brantley was the one I’d call if I needed to hide a body.

And he was the one I called for everything else. He was always there for me, and I was beyond grateful for him.

Ah, I should have known. All those plaid shirts you wear were a huge clue.

Exactly. If it wasn’t for that pesky teaching job, I’d be a lumberjack.

I giggled. Brantley certainly had the body for it. Not that I was checking him out. But I’d known him forever. He was a strong man.

Before I could reply, another text popped up.

I think Knox has been planning to remodel my kitchen as long as I have. He had more ideas about what to do than I ever considered.

LOL. He is the expert.

Too bad he’s not the bank, too. I might need to take on a second job to pay for this. Glad I have some money in savings.

Isn’t coaching your second job?

A third job then.

That’s not good. We’ll miss you too much.

I’ll be fine. I’m mostly kidding. We’re going to take it slow so I can make it all work. I’ll just be ordering lots of takeout and grilling.

Sounds like what you do, anyway.

Mean. Accurate, but mean.

Not intended to be mean. Maybe you should come here for dinner. We always have plenty.

You just need me to fix something, don’t you?

I breathed a laugh and shook my head. My ex-husband, Dawson, had never been very handy. Handsy? Yes. Far too handsy with women who weren’t me, apparently. But handy? Nope. I would ask Dawson to fix things, and after weeks of nothing, I’d give up and ask Brantley, only to have Dawson mad at me when he saw whatever project was already done. Then he’d make me feel bad about it.

Gaslighting 101.

I’m joking. I am always happy to help you with anything you need, Vee. Never doubt that. No payment necessary. Although I won’t turn down dinner with my favorite people either.

I didn’t know how he knew I was second guessing the idea, but he always seemed to know what I was thinking, usually before I did.

Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Sure you do. You’d figure it out like you always have. You’re the strongest person I know. Don’t doubt yourself.

Thank you. Okay, enough about all that. What did you think about the first practice?

I waited for his reply, the bubbles dancing while I imagined Brantley leaning back on his couch and smiling. He loved coaching. When he talked about the kids, he always had a huge smile on his face. Him being the coach was why both my girls joined the team. Bianca encouraged McJenna to join, too, and this year, Sam decided to try it. If they hadn’t known Brantley, and known how amazing he was, there was no way they would have tried cross-country.

Practice was good. Not many kids ran over the summer, but that’s okay. Summer is supposed to be their time to relax and have fun. There are a few kids that are surprises and a few that are going to hate the season, but overall, it’s a great group. Not surprising since MCHS is an amazing school with spectacular teachers.

Especially the physics teacher.

I hear he can be a real hard-ass.

I think he’s a softie underneath. An amazing man who goes above and beyond for the people in his life.

Softie is not the term most men want a woman to use when describing them.

LOL! I can’t believe you just said that.

You’re the one who said it. I’m just making sure you understand most men would be offended by that.

Then I apologize. You’re strong and virile and not soft at all.

Better.

Good. Anything to make it better.

That’s a far too tempting offer. Anything?

My body heated with the unintended innuendo. I knew Brantley wasn’t suggesting anything like that, but my mind went there, anyway. I knew better. It was Brantley. He was my best friend in the world. I was not going to drag him into the middle of my disaster of a life. Even if I was ready to consider dating again, dating Brantley was a horrible idea.

I loved Brantley. I would do anything for him. And losing him as my best friend would be miserable. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to date. I was beyond done with Dawson, that had nothing to do with it, but I was so damn tired. Tired of trying to be everything to everyone. I needed a break from it, which meant dating was a bad idea.

But I missed having a partner. Someone to come home to. Someone to talk to about my day and hold me at night. It had been a long time since Dawson was that person for me.

Are lemon tarts on the table?

I chuckled at his text and shook my head. He wasn’t thinking about sex. He was thinking about food. That was why I didn’t need to think about dating. I had my vibrators, including the new one I just got for the shower. That was all the romance I needed. Meaning none. I hadn’t had any romance in my life in years, so why start now? Nope. I was going to forget about men and focus on my daughters.

Always. I’ll make some tonight and send them with the girls to practice tomorrow.

No, you don’t have to do that.

I know, but I want to. I owe you. So damn much. I wouldn’t have gotten through the last few months without you. Thank you for that.

I’ll always be here for you, Vee. Nothing will ever change that. Even if I don’t get lemon tarts tomorrow.

You’re such a charmer.

“Mom, is dinner almost ready? I’m starving,” Bianca asked as she came down the hall to the kitchen.

“Yeah, almost,” I told her. “Is your sister ready to eat?”

“I’ll check.” Bianca went back down the hall. A minute later, I heard a knock, then muffled voices as the girls talked.

My phone buzzed with another text from Brantley.

Just being honest. I love you, Vee. Anything you need, I’m here. I promise you.

Thanks. It means the world. And same. I hope you know that.

I do. My pizza just arrived, but I’ll talk to you later. If the girls ever need a ride, let me know.

I will. So far Goldie, Xavier, and I are making it work. I think we have it covered for this week.

Good. Happy to help if you need it.

Thanks, Bee. Talk later.

Yep. Enjoy dinner. I’m sure it’s amazing.

You too.

I tucked my phone into my pocket as the girls came down the hall. I pulled the sheet-pan pork chops out of the oven. It smelled good. It looked like everything was fully cooked. I’d never tried one of those recipes because Dawson refused, but I was no longer cooking for Dawson and decided to give it a shot.

“That smells good, Mom,” Sam said.

“Yeah, it does. What is it?” Bianca asked.

“Pork chops with Brussel sprouts and squash.”

The girls exchanged a glance and shrugged.

“If it tastes as good as it smells, you need to make this again,” Bianca said.

“Let’s try it.” I handed them each a plate. Dawson hated dishing food at the counter and carrying plates to the table, but it never bothered me. The girls and I had gotten into the habit of doing it lately. A lot had changed since Dawson’s girlfriend showed up at our house to surprise him, and I kicked him out.

We all got drinks and sat down to eat. We exchanged looks. Everyone speared something different and ate our bites together.

And groaned.

“Oh, wow,” Sam moaned. “So good.”

“Mm hmm,” Bianca agreed.

I nodded along with them. The seasoning blended together perfectly. The vegetables had a softness to them once you got past the crispy exterior. The pork was juicy and tender and an amazing compliment to the veggies.

“This is a keeper,” Bianca said.

I’d been experimenting with recipes for the last month. Only one a week, keeping our family favorites on regular rotation. So far, we’d had one success, one epic failure where we ordered pizza, and two that were okay but not great. This was a second success.

“I agree,” Sam said. “Dad would have hated this.” She wrinkled her nose in a sneer.

“Dad hated everything,” Bianca spat.

“Girls.” I worked hard not to bad-mouth their father in front of them. I never wanted them to think poorly of him. Of course, his girlfriend showing up during dinner hadn’t helped. They knew exactly what happened between us, and they were definitely old enough to understand. And given that Dawson had barely been in touch with either of them since he moved out was not winning him any favors.

“You don’t have to defend him, Mom,” Bianca said. “He’s an ass.”

“Language.”

“He’s still our dad, Bianca, but I can’t say I don’t feel the same,” Sam jumped in. She turned to me. “Dad cheated on you, more than once. How can you possibly be on his side?”

“I’m not on his side. Why would you think I’m on his side?”

“Because when we’re honest about him, you get mad at us.” Bianca met my gaze with her own. Looking at my sixteen-year-old was like looking in a mirror, but with shoulder-length curls instead of my pixie cut. I had so many hopes for my girls, but the anger they experienced because of their father clouded all of that.

“I’m not mad at you,” I breathed. “I don’t want you to hate your father. What he did had nothing to do with you two.”

“Really? Because it doesn’t feel that way. We barely talk to him. He left⁠—”

“I told him to leave.”

Bianca sighed and shook her head. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’re taking the blame for kicking him out. Where’s his blame? He’s the one who was with someone else. He’s the one who made me say no to Andrew when he invited me to the prom last year. He’s the one⁠—”

“Wait, what?” I looked between my girls. Sam studied her plate, and Bianca looked like she hadn’t meant to admit what she said. “What are you talking about? Someone asked you to prom and your father told you not to go?”

Bianca looked at Sam, but Sam just shrugged. Bianca sighed. “Dad didn’t tell me I couldn’t go with Andrew, but he’s the reason I said no. How am I supposed to date? How am I supposed to look at any guy and trust he’s not going to cheat on me and break my heart? It’s just not possible.”

“Oh, Bianca, I am so sorry.” I got up and hugged my oldest, feeling the anger and pain vibrating through her. “I didn’t know you were having such a hard time. You know not all men are going to cheat, right? Not all men are like⁠—”

“Like Dad,” Samantha said. Leave it to the fifteen-year-old to be so succinct. “But some are. Paul said his dad was involved with someone else before he left his mom. And a girl in my math class said the same thing happened to her parents. I like Paul a lot, but when I see him talking to another girl… I’m with Bianca.”

I sighed heavily and pulled both girls to the couch, one on each side of me. I wrapped an arm around each of them and kissed the tops of their heads. “Your dad wasn’t happy. I can’t explain why because I don’t really know why. But your dad is not the model for all men. There are so many men who are good and faithful. Men who would never even think about cheating on a woman.”

“Yeah, but how do you know which is which?” Sam asked.

I drew a breath and told them the truth. “Sometimes you don’t. I loved your father. When we met, I thought he was funny, and he made me feel special. I wanted to be around him. He asked me on a date, and I liked the thought of a man who other girls thought was good-looking wanting me. Maybe that was shallow of me, but it’s the truth. I never thought he’d end up cheating on me. Even when Haley showed up here, I was still in shock. But if I could go back and do it all over, I would. I’d still choose to marry your father because even though it ended badly, we had good times. Having both of you, moving into this house, seeing you two grow up. I loved your father.”

“I don’t think I’m as strong as you are, Mom,” Bianca whispered. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“I’m not strong. I am just doing what I think is best right now.”

“Are you going to start dating?” Sam asked.

That question. That one hurt. I could tell them anything about Dawson. How we met, how we fell in love, how we built a life together. But after twenty-two years with one man, a man who broke me and made me question everything, I was more on the side of my oldest. I wasn’t sure I could trust another man. Or that I was willing to try.

“You’re not. I can see it on your face,” Bianca said. “You’re scared, too. So why should we date?”

“I’m not saying you should.” I brushed the hair back from Bianca’s face and tried not to let the pain in her brown eyes break me. “You have to decide if you want to date someone. But I don’t want you to stop living your life. I don’t want you to refuse to go to the prom with someone you like because you’re afraid one day he might not be faithful to you.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” Bianca asked.

I sucked in a breath and forced a smile. “I’m healing. I was married to your father for a long time, and we dated for years before then. I was with him for more than half of my life. It’s not easy to turn around and let someone new in. To flip a switch and be okay with dating again.”

“Do you think you will again one day?” Sam asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I have a job I love and I have the two of you. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything in my life right now. I also don’t know if I’m willing to make room in my life for someone else.”

“Why isn’t Uncle Brantley married?” Bianca asked.

“Brantley? Um, I… I don’t know.” The idea of Brantley getting married stung more than it should have. I had no claim over him. No right to wish he would stay single so I had a friend.

“I just wondered if he’s like Dad. Or if he’s a good guy,” Bianca said.

“Uncle Brantley is an amazing man. He’d never cheat.” The steel in my voice was something my girls didn’t hear often, and they knew it meant I was serious.

“That’s what I thought, too. But he’s single. Why isn’t he married or dating someone?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.” I stood, needing to end the conversation about Brantley. Talking about him dating shouldn’t bother me, but it did.

“Is he coming over for dinner this week?” Bianca asked.

I picked up our plates from the table and shrugged. “Probably. He’s remodeling his kitchen, so he’s going to have trouble cooking. He might come over a few times. If you guys are okay with it.”

They both nodded.

“Yeah, we love Uncle Brantley,” Bianca said.

“Me, too.”

The girls helped me clear the table and put away the leftovers. I asked if they wanted to help me bake lemon bars to take to Brantley at practice tomorrow, and they both agreed. While the lemon bars were in the oven, we piled onto the couch and started a movie. A romantic comedy where the hero definitely did not cheat.

The timer went off for the lemon bars, and I took them out of the oven. They looked perfect. And they smelled even better. I took a quick picture and sent it to Brantley. I got a reply almost immediately.

You’re such a tease. I’m not sure if I can wait until tomorrow to try one.

They’re fresh out of the oven.

I’m drooling.

You can come over. We’re just watching a movie.

I don’t want to interrupt your night.

No interruption. We were talking about you earlier. The girls won’t mind.

Should I be worried? Why were you talking about me?

The girls were asking if all men cheat. We all agreed you’re someone who’d never even think about it.

Agreed. Never in a million years. You all deserve better.

Thanks. They also asked why you aren’t married or dating someone. I told them they have to ask you that question.

Throwing me under the bus. I see.

Not on purpose. I just don’t know the answer.

Life’s most difficult question.

I smiled. I wondered the same thing over the years, but I’d never had the courage to ask him. Now that I had, I still didn’t know.

I might never know why Brantley Pierce was still single. But I also wasn’t sure it mattered.

Are you serious about me coming over? Because I’m on my way if you are.

You are always welcome here.

See you soon.

I held my phone to my chest and tried not to be too excited. He was my friend. Just a friend. Him coming over had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the lemon bars.

But that’s not at all why I made them. Not at all.

3

BRANTLEY

One week of practice was done, and so was one week of kitchen renovation. I wasn’t sure which was harder. The huffing and puffing of the runners at the end of the week was enough to vote for practice, but my own huffing and puffing when I muscled the last of my kitchen cabinets to the trash said maybe the renovation took the top spot.

Either way, both sucked.

So did spending my Friday night, the last one of summer, alone in my empty kitchen. My life was not what I always hoped it would be. It was my own fault, but it was hard to know nothing had turned out like I’d hoped.

I pushed the melancholy thoughts aside and surveyed the empty space. It was huge without everything in it. Nice problem to have. And with the entire kitchen torn out, down to the studs, I was ready to start building everything back up.

It all came apart easier than I expected, which was why I pulled off the drywall, too. I’d done enough renovation to know there was always a reason when things were easy. My reason was an old water leak behind the fridge that went unnoticed for a long time. The rot was bad enough that it made sense to replace the insulation and to bulk up the framing in the walls. I needed to pull some of it out for the new sliders anyway, so it wasn’t a huge hit to the budget, but it would change the timeline.

Knox still insisted I could finish by New Year’s.

I was about to order dinner when a text came in from Valentina.

Are you going to the movie tonight?

What movie?

The town is having a big weekend thing. All weekend there’s something. Tonight is a movie in Catherine Park.

I was just about to order dinner and jump in the shower. I look like I spent the day at the beach with all the dust on me.

You should come with us tonight. I was going to pack a picnic dinner for the movie.

Valentina was inviting me to spend the evening with her. Why was I hesitating?

Sounds fun. What time do I need to be ready?