Page 85 of Fierce-Baker

He pulled Brittany in for a hug. “I’m glad you’re here. I needed that more than I realized.”

25

BIG STEP

“Ican keep Micah overnight,” her mother said the next day.

“No,” Tasha said. “It’s fine. It’s just a few hours. I appreciate you taking him. It’s an early dinner and I’ll be back before seven.”

Brittany and Emme had tickets to some play and had to be there before seven, so they were having dinner at five, close to the event, where they could leave to get there right after.

It worked for her with as nervous as she was meeting any of Baker’s family.

“But you might have wanted a night with Baker,” her mother said.

“Papa, Papa!” Micah was hollering and wiggling to get down.

“Papa isn’t here,” her mother said. “He went to the store.”

She set Micah down and he ran toward his toy chest in the living room off the hall where she could chat with her mother for a minute and keep an eye on him.

“I know it’s odd for just a few hours. I should find a babysitter to pay. I’m positive there are some in the development if I ask around.”

“Nonsense,” her mother said, waving her hand. “I could have come to your house to do it also, but then I’d meet Baker and I’m sure you don’t want that. Am I going to meet this guy soon now that you’re meeting his sister?”

She knew darn well this was coming.

“Yes. Maybe next weekend. I’ll talk to him about it.”

Her mother reached for her hand, held it loosely and squeezed her fingers. “I’m thrilled you’re telling me about him sooner than you have any other man in years.”

“It’s hard to keep it a secret if I need someone to watch Micah.”

“Get that smirk off your face,” her mother said. “If you had wanted to keep it a secret, you would have. You would have done exactly what you said and found a sitter. Meeting family is a big step. You’ve got feelings for him?”

“I wouldn’t have brought him into Micah’s life if I didn’t.”

“Do you think you love him?”

“Now you’re getting ahead of yourself,” she said, laughing. “Slow down some.”

Her mother’s eyes went wide. “Oh, the horror. I’m asking personal questions to my daughter. But you didn’t bite my head off so I’ll take that as a win.”

She gave her mother a quick hug. “I’m sorry, Mom. I guess for years I’ve felt like such a failure when it came to relationships.”

“And maybe I was intrusive. We are both to blame, but it seems you might find the right thing now.”

“I hope so. But then the other part of me says not to hope.”

“Don’t talk yourself into things or out of things. Just let them happen organically.”

Like getting pregnant when she was protecting herself against it?

Not only pregnant, but with a married man?

That kind of organic?

Best not to say those words. She could only imagine her mother’s response.