“I agree. Put the coffeepot on, Audrey.” Beth put down her newspaper and rose from her chair. She took mugs from the cupboard and placed them on the table before getting the cream from the fridge. “Sit down, Riley, and stop looking so damned scared. You knew that coming home was the best way to sort out your problems; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. It always was, no matter how much you protest.” She reached up and patted him on the shoulder. “We only want the best for you, son.”
“I know, Mom. Hell’s bells, I never thought I’d be in this position. It’s not how I see myself.” He pulled out a chair and slunk down into it, his shoulders drooping.
The last few days had been so damned stressful. Sassie hadn’t called him, even though he knew she had a cellphone and his number was on the quote. He knew she’d gotten it because she’d seen Lara to get worming tablets for her cat and mentioned to her that the price for her renovation came in under budget.
He didn’t know what to do next.
Grady had taken time out to give him that information and offer manly advice. None of which he’d been able to act upon. His brother knew him well. Permanent scared the crap out of him. The one and only time he’d felt like this was when he was in senior high school and had fallen head over heels in love with Lulu. She’d hated him on sight, and he’d been absolutely gutted. Nothing he’d done impressed the girl. It’d taken him months before he noticed the other girls liked him just fine and ages to get over Lulu’s reaction.
And he’d never let anyone work their way into his heart.
Audrey waited while the coffeepot dripped to the full line and placed it on the table on a small heat-resistant coaster. She sat next to him and draped an arm across his shoulders. “Don’t let it get you down. If you really want something, you just have to work harder for it.” She squeezed hard. “How does it feel being the one who’s moaning over the unrequited love for a change?”
“Shitful.”
“Yeah, well, what goes around comes round and all. Now, you have to find a way to change her mind. That’s if you really want her, and looking at that sad, ugly face you’re pulling, I’m guessing you do. I mean, the reason Sassie wants only no-strings-attached sex is because of her douchebag boyfriend in LA. If he hadn’t pulled a fast one on her, she’d probably be open to finding the love of her life.” Beth frowned and Audrey waved a hand. “Mom, don’t look so shocked. You know people have sex these days. Not like it’s news to you or anything.”
“I’m not a prude, Audrey. I know what goes on in the world. What shocks me is that someone would do that to your brother. He hadn’t gotten around to sharing that fact.” Beth’s face softened. She reached out a hand and placed it over her son’s. “If this woman means that much to you, you can’t let her go. I like her, a lot if the truth be told. She’s driven and sweet, a hard worker. You could do a lot worse than fight for her, Riley.”
“I know, but she’s adamant she doesn’t want permanent. I stayed away from her to see if she misses me, but she hasn’t even called. I don’t want to keep badgering her. I want her to need me like I think I need her. This is all kind of new and unchartered waters for me. I need help, Audrey.”
“Well, stop being so damned stubborn and go see her. Get her used to having you around and doing things with her. Jeez, there’s so much to do at that house, you could have a ring on her finger by the time she opens the doors if you play your cards right.”
“Sounds easy but how? How do I prove to her that she needs me for more than a roll in bed when all I’ve ever done is prove to the ladies I don’t want any more than that?”
Audrey poured the coffee and placed a mug in front of him and her mother. “You know what I think? I see a lonely lady who doesn’t really know what’s good for her. And if you want to know how I figured that out, I look at myself and see the same traits.” She tried to smile, but it came off a bit lopsided. “I see a stubborn lady who’s too scared to show you what she wants in case she gets hurt again. It’s a horrible feeling, Riley. I want another love like I had with Dylan, but do you have any idea how hard it is to risk your heart again? How hard it is to be that vulnerable, knowing it could bite you in the ass any minute?”
He reached out and grasped his sister’s hand, watching the tears fill her eyes and slowly trickle down her cheeks. He wiped first one eye clear and then the other. “Honey, you’ll find someone one day, I promise. Give yourself permission to love again. It’s what he would want. You know that.”
“I know, but it’s hard. That’s how Sassie’s feeling. You need to be gentle with her and treat her like glass until she builds her heart up again, until she’s strong enough to let herself feel without being afraid it’ll all go to hell in a handbasket. Be nice to her, Riley, and you might just win her in the end.”
“Good advice, Audrey.” Beth reached over and gripped her daughter’s hand. “I hope you aren’t too far off the same thing.
