Page 135 of Three Reckless Words

“Oh, Archer. Your poor bruised ego…” Mom shakes her head. “Age is a number. Nothing else matters when two people hit it off.”

I snort. “Nothing and everything for a lasting relationship. How many times do I need to say you’re asking for the impossible?”

“About as many times as I need to remindyouthere’s nothing wrong with a positive attitude, dearie,” she tells me, tapping her nails on the table. It’s pretty obvious where Dexter got that habit. “If you believe it can work, if you’ll stop shootingdown a good thing before it has a chance to bloom, miraclescanhappen.”

“Miracles. That’s great,” I mutter. “Or maybe I’ll go and get everybody’s hopes up only to blow everything to pieces. I can let you down and confuse Colt with one stone. Brilliant idea.”

“Like you’re doing now, you mean?” She stares through me. “Not every woman is another Rina, Archer. You can’t let the divorce ruin the rest of your life.”

Knife, meet guts.

That’s Mom, though. Always willing to strike deep with brutal precision out of love.

I exhale slowly, refusing to show how deep it cuts.

“Rina,” I spit. Her name alone damn near gives me hives. “I don’t even know what she’s doing in our lives again. I’m sure you heard about it from Colt. Needless to say, I don’t trust her.”

Mom looks at her nearly empty bowl, her expression unreadable, before she looks up again. “She came around here yesterday, you know.”

“What? Again?” I can’t hide my outrage.

“Watch your tone.”

It’s an effort to moderate it, but every single turn this conversation takes just makes me more frustrated.

“Why did she come over here again? To beg you to hand over a piece of the family fortune? To kidnap Colt?” I’m only half joking. She’s been gone so long I don’t trust her intentions.

“Actually, she wanted to apologize,” Mom says, laying her cutlery down so she can look me full in the face. I fold my arms.

“Apologize for what?”

“She knew you wouldn’t hear her out, so she came to me.”

What. The. Fuck.

Hearing that hits like a buffalo stampede.

I push my chair back and pace the room, too restless to stay put.

“Damn right,” I growl, raking a hand through my hair. “Some nerve. After everything she’s put us through—all the money I’ve pumped into her accounts just to keep the peace, raising Colt alone—and shestillhad to pester you with some big fake apology?”

“Archer—”

I shake my head, snarling. “See, this is what I mean.Exactlywhy I’m not getting involved with another woman. The drama, it never goes away.”

“Archer—” Mom raises her voice.

“I don’t care how sweet Winnie is or how good you think we’d be together.” I’m running my mouth in a way I haven’t in a long time, but I need to get this off my chest. “You need to take whatever bullshit Patton told you with a boulder-sized pinch of salt. Stop fixating on relationships that aren’t happening.”

“Archer.” Mom watches me with hooded eyes. “Sit down.”

Her eyes are deadly serious.

I sigh.

“Are you listening now, at least? We’re friends. Nothing more.” I slice my hand through the air, drawing an invisible line that feels weak even as I say it. “She’s nice and I’m helping her out of a tight spot. I promise you that’s it. We’re not dating and we willneverbe anything more.”

“Okay,” Mom says, her voice softening.

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