Page 64 of Love Me Boldly

“Jonah, it’s not about hurting his feelings.” It was about protecting mine.

This was the worst timing possible. I wasn’t even surprised he tracked me down despite my wishes he’d leave town without doing this very thing.

It was Graham. He was always chasing after me. But had he talked to Eli? Was that why he was here?

“But Mommy…”

“Enough, Jonah!” I snapped and then flinched. Irarelyraised my voice at him. His face puckered, and his tiny chin wobbled. I crouched down and pulled him into my arms before his tears started falling. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m so very sorry for raising my voice. You’re trying to help, and you’re happy your coach is here, and I’m well…it’s been a hard day for Mommy.”

“Are you sick?” He sniffed and pulled back, those perceptive eyes scanned mine, and I hoped hecouldn’tsee the truth. “You don’t look sick.”

He had no idea how close he might be.

“I’m not sick.” I kissed his cheek and stood. It wasn’t a full lie. I wasn’t the kind of sick he was talking about, like an upset stomach or a sore throat.

I peeked out the small rectangular window to find Graham’s profile, grinning down at Caroline like it’d been yesterday when we’d all hidden in her office or the night he helped me close.

“Let’s go say hi,” I told Jonah.

I reached for his hand. Pathetic that I needed the little guy’s strength to do this, but again he took off like a rocket. He was out the doors before I could blow out a breath.

Time to say goodbye to Graham Marchese once and for all. Only this time, I’d be more polite about it.

TWENTY

GRAHAM

“Not sure it’s a good time for you to be here.”

I’d missed this woman. She was sweet and southern and everything you pictured if you imagined a woman running a business in the South on her own. Her hair was curled but pulled back with more gray in it than there was six years ago. She was more rounded, but it was the way the left side of her mouth drooped a bit when she talked. And the way her arm hung loosely at her side that grabbed my attention more than the worry piercing her golden-brown eyes.

“I had Jonah in my camp this week. I have questions, you know?”

“Not sure how you can when you darn well know he’s not yours.”

If I were younger, I’d be embarrassed if someone close to who could have been my mother’s age knew about my sex life.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have questions, and frankly, you owe me this, Caroline. You kept me away from her.”

She huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t do anything except protect my own, and like I said, now’s not a good time.”

I scanned the restaurant, where only a couple of tables were taken. It’d fill up soon, though, hopefully. “Because she’s so busy?”

I couldn’t keep my sarcasm hidden, and Caroline scowled at me.

“Mr. Graham!” The door slammed open, and Caroline jumped out of the way as the cute little kid I’d spent practically all day with ran up to me. “You should eat dinner with me! It’s so boring here when Mommy has to work. You like onion strings? Aunty Caroline makes the best.”

“I know, Jonah. I’ve had them before.”

“You have?” he asked like I’d told him Santa was coming tonight. “When?”

“Back when we were friends at the big school, Jonah,” Holly said. She stepped through the doors, looking at me like she was dreading every step she took.

Jonah smiled wide, and I glimpsed the similarity between them, along with the differences. Same eyes. Same shape and color and everything. No wonder why I’d been drawn to this little guy. She wasn’t smiling, but that wasn’t anything new. Every time I pulled a smile or laugh from Holly, it felt like I’d won a battle. Now that I knew more about her life, I understood.

Knowing what I learned before she ran from me, I now understood a lot from our time together back then. The way she guarded herself, the way simple gestures like how dinner seemed to mean everything to her. The fact that the first time she’d melted into me meant so much more to her and her ability to let someone in than it had to me at the time.

Questions raced and fought themselves for first place in my mind, but there were so many, and she was standing in front of me, guarded all over again.

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