Page 62 of Fierce-Baker

Time just flew by and why change something that was working out?

“It’s not going to be today. Today I’m going to have a date with Baker.”

“So it’s just a few dates? Nothing more? You should really lean into this with Jolene’s reputation.”

“Mom, I’m not taking anything for granted. Just because she put her approval on it doesn’t mean it’s going to work out. Or because we have a good time together. I’ve got a child and things are complicated. I’ll be done in a few weeks at Fierce and getting ready for school. We’ll see less of each other.”

“Unless you introduce Baker to Micah as someone more than a person you ran into one day,” her mother argued.

“I might do that. It’s the next step, but why put the pressure on him for that when it’s early?”

The concern in her mother’s eyes wasn’t lost on her. “Do you think he’d have a problem with it?”

“If he had a problem with me being a single mother we wouldn’t have gotten this far. I was very clear in the beginning and that I had tried to date and how badly it ended. I’m not keeping those things a secret.”

“Secrets aren’t good and you’ve got them,” her mother argued.

“I’ve got lots of things Baker doesn’t know about. Like I broke my pinkie when I was ten. I’m willing to bet his list is just as long if not longer that I don’t know about.”

“That isn’t what I meant,” her mother said.

“I get it. Mom, I gave you a lot more than I’ve given you before. Can you take that as a win for now? I know you’re just dying to fill Dad in.”

“He’s going to be just as concerned as me. Micah is your world, but he’s ours too. I don’t suppose at some point we could meet this man?”

Why did she know it was going to go there?

“This is really only our third date without Micah around. The first was when he fixed my tire. I think you’re jumping the gun wanting to meet him.”

The hurt in her mother’s eyes wouldn’t sway her. She couldn’t let it.

Shehadn’tlet it for years.

“And I think you’re scared.”

She crossed her arms before she could stop that defensive move. “Of what?”

“Of the fact that with Jolene’s touch this might be the man for you. And you’re looking for everything to go wrong before you can find out what could go right.”

“I’m not going to just ride this out as it’s a given. That’s not life. Don’t think that. I’m attacking this with the same resolve as I have every other relationship in my life.”

Her mother narrowed her eyes and pointed. “That’s your problem right there. You attack everything. Maybe it’s time you just let things fall into place.”

There was no use arguing, nor agreeing. Her mother was going to believe what she wanted just like she always did.

Even if the words just spoken hit closer to home than she wanted to admit.

18

SPILLED THE TRUTH

“What are you doing here today?”

Baker turned at the sound of Mason’s voice. “Picking up a bottle of strawberry daiquiri.”

They were hitting the shelves Monday, and he’d promised Tasha she’d get the first bottle. No way in hell was he breaking that promise.

It was bad enough he’d tied himself in knots trying to figure out where to take her tonight. And he couldn’t exactly ask people what Tasha liked without a siren going off.