Page 120 of Playing With Danger

“You might be right. The room is spacious but the bulk of the furniture could close it in.”

She was freaking me out again. Not only because she was considering my opinion but also agreeing with me. The furniture was a housewarming gift from her and Nathan, something she insisted on and wouldn’t budge about. But since it was a nice gesture and something a mom would want to give her daughter, I hadn’t balked. However, I hadn’t known the process of finding a bedroom suite would be such a pain in the ass.

“We’ll keep looking until you find something you like,” she said as she sat in the chair cattycorner to the couch.

It was time.

Before the guys got back from the store, I needed to tell her.

“I love you, Mom.”

Long moments of silence passed with her just staring at me.

“I don’t deserve?—”

“Mom, please don’t do that. You said we’re going forward from here. Let’s do that. Let’s not rehash the past. Let’s just be grateful we have this now, and keep it.”

“I never told you how proud I am of you.”

No, she hadn’t, but that was looking back.

“You have now.”

She gave me a soft, nervous smile I didn’t understand.

“I’d like to work for you.”

Say what?

Um. No.

There could only be one boss at Sophie Huxley Marketing and that was Sophie Huxley.

“Hear me out,” she rushed on. “Your admin. I can answer emails, organize your client files, whatever you need so you can create. As little or as much help as you need.”

I wasn’t ready for an assistant yet, but hopefully in the near future I would be. And those were all tasks my mom had taken over while I was recuperating and she handled all of it with little input from me.

“Why? You don’t need to work.”

“Because I believe in you and I want to support you.”

Well, fuck a duck.

“I could use your help. But, Mom?—”

“You’re the boss and my opinion isn’t welcome.”

That didn’t freak me out. That, I didn’t like.

“Okay, Mom, we need to have this out,” I started and she sat up straight. I didn’t like that either. “You’re my mom, your opinion is welcome, and it’s needed. But, Mom, I don’t want you telling me how to live my life and when I don’t follow your plan, you getting mad with me.”

“I was very wrong to do that.”

“It’s not about being wrong.” I hated to have to lay it out but it had to be said. “I want a mom who loves me. I want my happiness to matter.”

Lorelai Stevens finally gave me something I’d been missing my whole life.

The truth.

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