Page 179 of Wildest Dreams

“You’ve got this,” he reiterates quietly, just as the drivers’ side of my mom’s car opens.

In a way, my mom looks very much like me, only she’s a little taller and with brighter hair – hers taking on a more auburn and traditionally Irish colouring.

She closes the door of her car with a little pat and then she brings both of her hands to her chest, letting out a happy burst of laughter as she sees me offer her an excited but nervous wave.

“Aisling!” she exclaims, her bright green eyes roaming all across the newly reconstructed porch – Tanner’s incredible handiwork.

I set up two matching wooden lounge chairs out the front and there’s a soft garden couch in the back, under the weather-protecting safety of the overhanging roof, which means that it now looks so cosy and homely – the perfect place to sit back and watch the lake.

My mom half-jogs up the porch steps, her delicate fingers trailing over the railing as she ascends, and then as soon as she’s in front of us she’s opening up her arms for me, squealing with laughter as we embrace.

“Oh, Aisling, this already looks incredible!” she says, and I breathe out a quick relieved exhale, the anxiety in my stomach halving as her mood tells me everything that I needed to know: that this project isn’t a disaster, and there is every chance that she might decide that the business can expand into small town house-flipping, rather than being solely focused on million-dollar residential construction.

I pull back from her arms, admiring her long green skirt and matching long-sleeved shirt. Subtle rather than ostentatious – an admirable rarity for someone who’s earned more money than they could ever need.

“Mom,” I say, moving back a step so that I can stand beside Tanner. I peek up at him under my lashes and his cheeks are burning the most adorable shade of red. His jaw muscle rolls as he glances quickly between my mom and me.

His hand settles on my lower back, his nerves evident from the subtle shake in his forearm.

My heart clenches tight.

He is absolutely adorable.

“Mom, this is Tanner,” I say, my husky voice even lighter than usual, lifted by my gentle laughter as I squeeze my body against Tanner’s muscular side.

“He’s my boyfriend,” I breathe out, my eyes sparkling as Tanner pushes a hand through his hair.

His broad chest swells with pride.

“And Tanner, this is my mom, Aoife,” I tell him, unable to look away from him as his eyes move to hers, his biceps flexing as he extends his hand.

“Ma’am,” he says, his voice gravelly and deep. His large shoulders are set steel-straight, the effect of his military upbringing, but he gives her a tiny hint of his handsome smile and those gorgeous dimples. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he rasps, his hand all but swallowing hers as he gives her a firm but deliberately-trying-to-be-gentle handshake.

My mom slides a slightly wry glance my way, the smile she can’t fight back telling me,Aisling, you did good.

I roll my eyes, smiling back at her.

“No, no,” she says, eyes lifting back to Tanner’s. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

I laugh out loud at that one, and Tanner flashes me a nervous look, not getting her little joke.

I place my hand over his warm abdomen, comforting and reassuring him as I return my attention back to my mom.

“So I’ve done a full reno – inside and outside,” I tell her, deciding to just rip the Band-Aid when it comes to bringing up business.

There’s no point being tentative about it. I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve from now on.

“I can give you, like, a whole tour of the place if you want, or – if you’d rather – you’re totally free to look around on your own.”

I bite my lip as she peeks over my shoulder, glancing inside.

“It’s fully repaired and fully furnished,” I add, stepping out of her way as she lingers on the threshold.

She turns her confident gaze back to mine and, with a kind smile, she says, “It looks beautiful, Aisling. Want to give me the tour?”

So that’s what we do for almost a full hour – me taking her from room to room, explaining the changes that I made andhow I’ve utilised the space to turn a rundown lake house into something so gorgeous and cosy.

From the way that she keeps on smiling at me I can tell that she knows I’ve fallen in love with the place – meaning that, if she thinks that itisup to standard and they can sell or rent it out, I guess I might be, like, a littlebit heartbroken when I have to say goodbye to it.

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