‘Oh, hon. Don’t you apologise for a darned thing. I could tell we were just overwhelming you within ten minutes of you walking in the door. You got that deer-in-the-headlights look. I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did.’
‘I did?’ Leah swallowed, face heating. ‘I’m so sorry. That was so rude of me, I’m sorry.’
Caroline laughed. ‘Stop that, right now. Sorry’s for when you do something wrong. Not for just being yourself.’
Leah looked at her reflection as she spoke. Being herself around Brandon’s family? ‘About that …’
‘Hold on a second, hon. Scamp! Get that out of your mouth! Bill! Can you please come and get the dog away from the baby. He’s trying to eat little Prue’s crackers! OK, hon, go ahead. You were saying?’ Caroline didn’t sound stressed by the chaos Leah could hear in the background.
‘Is this a bad time? I could call back.’
‘No, we’re all just getting ready for the big party tonight. The kids are coming over to play games and I guess the men will watch some sort of sports. I’ve got the Crockpot going and Linda – you remember Bingo’s Aunt Linda, don’t you? God love her, the woman’s seventy and still makes her own bread. Well, she slipped and fell on the ice and we all thought she broke her hip but she didn’t, so she’s about due to arrive any minute and I’ve got everyone on standby to get out there and bring her in from the car.’
Caroline’s story washed over Leah in waves. A few days ago the words would have drowned her, but now she floated in them, comforted. ‘It sounds like a good time.’
Brandon’s mom didn’t remind Leah she could’ve been there if she hadn’t run away like an idiot. ‘Oh, I’m sure it will be. But you must have something fancy planned for tonight. New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, that has to be a pretty big deal.’
‘I don’t know yet. I guess so.’
Caroline paused. Leah heard the background noise soften. ‘I had to go in the pantry just to hear myself think. Make Bingo …’
Again, she paused. ‘I guess I should stop calling him that. He’s a little too old to be my Bingo any more.’
‘Oh, he’s not,’ Leah assured her, but Caroline laughed.
‘Leah. I have four sons. Every one of them has brought home a dozen girls to meet me, and I never said a word to them about it, but I could always tell which were the ones who would be sticking around for a while and which would be never heard from again.’
‘Which am I?’ Leah asked, smiling, because the words that might’ve sounded like a challenge from someone else, only sounded kind from Caroline.
‘You’re a keeper.’
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Leah traced the pattern of gold sparkles in the marble countertop. ‘Your son is a very good man.’
‘Of course he is. I raised him, didn’t I?’ Caroline chuckled. ‘My sons know how to treat their women, Leah. Just like their dad does.’
Leah swallowed against her rise of emotion. ‘Yes. About that …’
‘Leah,’ Caroline said sternly. ‘I have three daughters-in-law, and I’m going to tell you something I never said to any one of them.’
Leah’s throat closed, so she couldn’t answer, but Caroline didn’t seem to mind. The silence let her carry on without interruption. Leah braced herself for the bad news.
‘You’re good for my son.’
Leah blinked. ‘You never said that to any of the others?’
‘Nope.’
‘Why not?’ Leah had met Brandon’s brothers’ wives, all of whom seemed to get along with his family. They all had a handful of kids and all favoured the sorts of jewelled and glittery sweatshirts his mother did. They all seemed to fit together in a way she knew she never would.
‘None of them needed me to.’
‘Oh.’
‘Leah …’ Caroline’s voice softened. ‘Brandon will always be my boy. But he’s not a boy any more, is he?’
‘No. I don’t think so.’
‘I don’t, either. And I’m proud of the man he is. I trust him to make good choices. So if you’re the choice he’s made, I believe he’s making the right one.’
Caroline sounded so enviably serene, and so much like her son, that Leah had to laugh a little. ‘I never thought I’d ever be having such a conversation with you, Caroline.’
‘But you called me, didn’t you, hon?’ the other woman asked kindly.
‘Yes. I’m not sure why.’
‘Because it’s what you do when you need some advice. You call your mom. I’m used to it, hon. It’s what I do. It’s part of who I am. I’m happy to do it for you, too.’
Leah swiped at her eyes though she knew the tears were evident in her voice. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Have fun tonight.’
‘I’m sorry we aren’t there to celebrate it with you.’
‘I told you before,’ Caroline said sternly. ‘Sorrys are for when you do something wrong.’
Sudden cacophony sounded in the background. ‘I have to go, hon. Aunt Linda’s here and she forgot her buns. The ones she baked, obviously, not her rear-end, though you never can be sure with Linda.’
Leah laughed, wishing with utter sincerity she and Brandon were there to see that. ‘Happy New Year.’
‘You too, hon. Give Brandon a kiss from me.’
‘I will.’
Caroline hung up and Leah cupped her phone in her palm.
She loved him. What was so hard about that? ‘Nothing is the answer to that,’ Leah whispered and drank more soda. ‘Absolutely nothing.’
All at once the giddiness in her belly was like the bubbles rising in a bottle of cola. She clutched her arms around herself and put a hand over her mouth to hold back her giggles.
Leah went back into the bedroom and slid beneath the covers to align herself along Brandon, who’d stopped snoring. He made a little noise when her hand slid up his thigh to find his cock, half-hard. She gave it a gentle stroke and he stirred.
‘Good morning,’ she said.
‘Mmmmphf.’
‘It’s time to get up.’
‘I’m already up.’ He put his hand over hers. ‘Feels good.’
She knew what would feel better. Leah dove beneath
