Page 414 of Summer Heat
Helen frowned, “Brian’s friend?”
He nodded.
Surprise and sympathy drifted over her features. “Oh, dear.”
Wow, for a woman just learning how to love again, she seemed remarkably insightful about all that he was struggling with.
Something that resembled a smile of motherly approval lit her face. “She is a very nice girl.”
He almost laughed then. “Yes, yes she is.”
“So what are you going to do?”
Sighing, he shook his head. “I don’t know. Any advice?”
She started chuckling delightedly at that—another first. “I am the last person to give you advice on anything dealing with love, Connor, and you know it.”
“Try anyway.” He had a feeling she’d be better at it than she thought.
After a long moment of consideration, she said, “I think…if you love her, you should let her love you back, help her love you back. Because let’s face it, we all need help with that.”
She bit her lip nervously. “Did that make any sense?”
He gave her a small grin. “That’s good advice. Great advice, really. Thank you.”
Her eyes widened, and then softened with emotion. The new laughlines forming there yet another marked change he was happy to see.
“Can I give you some advice now?” he ventured softly.
A startled, pleased look crossed her features. “Of course.”
He gazed at her for a beat, then smiled. “Let me and Brian call you ‘mom’ from now on.”
An instant rush of tears filled her eyes. “Do you think I deserve that?” she asked, her voice a hopeful whisper.
“I do. I think you deserve to let us love you. I think we deserve that, too.”
And now the tears were rolling down her cheeks. “I’d like that. Very much.”
He stood then and t
hey proceeded to have the world’s most awkward parent-child hug ever. He shrugged. “We’ll get better at it.”
She chuckled—each one starting to sound more natural on her. “I’ll be sure to practice the hugging with Skylar.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. And if she’ll let me, I’m thinking of asking her to call me ‘grandma.’”
“Good. That suits you as well.” He glanced at his watch, knowing that even the best advice had a window of time before its shelf life expired.
If he was going to follow through on the one his mother had provided, he needed to head out now. “I better get going.”
But before he did, he turned to his mother and asked, “This man, Henry, the one you’re in love with—is he a nice guy? Does he treat you well?”
Her smile was resplendent. “Yes. Very much so.”
“I’m glad. You deserve it.” He walked another few steps to his car and stopped again when another thought occurred to him, the ugliness of his father’s smug taunts from the other night echoing in his head. “Hey, who’s your legal counsel for the divorce? I want to be sure you have the best if they’re going up against our firm.”
