Page 85 of A Dream for Daphne

He didn’t appreciate being called a coward, but his motherwasn’twrong.

It was an idiot stamp on his forehead right now.

The path of least resistance.

But his mother was right in that it was better coming from him than hearing gossip from other people.

Hell, Poppy probably knew about him and Ella. She’d commented on him going for the wrong woman.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “You’re good here by yourself?”

“I lived in this house for years,” his mother said. “Just because you keep things in different spots doesn’t mean I can’t handle it. I can handle just about anything. You remember that. I raised you and Easton, didn’t I?”

“You won’t let me forget,” he said, smirking.

He went to his room, threw some clothes in a bag, and then drove to Daphne’s.

“Hi,” she said. “Was your mom upset you’re staying here tonight?”

“No,” he said. “I think she was ready to kick me out of the house.”

She laughed. “I think there comes a time when we are used to our space. Having guests isn’t always fun.”

He frowned. “Do you feel that way?”

“No,” she said. “Not with you. I meant family. I hated staying with Aster for a few weeks until this place was ready. He didn’t care, but I felt I was in the way.”

“I’m sure he didn’t feel that way,” he said.

“No,” she said. “And he’d go stay with Raine too. I made a bigger deal out of it than it was. I know that.”

“I find we do that in life,” he said.

“You can put your clothes in a drawer if you want,” she said.

She opened an empty one and he pulled out his clothes and put them in there. “I brought an extra change,” he said. “This way I’ve got clothes for another day. Hope that was okay.”

“Sure,” she said. “If you want, I can wash what you’re wearing today with my clothes tomorrow. Then you still have an extra set of clothes.”

He turned and smiled. “You don’t have to do my laundry.”

“Oh, I’m not offering to do your laundry. I’m offering to wash the outfit you’re in right now with mine. Nothing more than that.”

He closed one eye at her. “Heard. I don’t need someone to take care of me. Just wanted to let you know that.”

“I know,” she said. “The same here. But it’s being polite to offer and that is what I was doing. No reason to have you stuff them in your bag if they are dirty.”

“Good point,” he said.

He put his clothes away and turned to look at her. She was watching him.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “I feel like there is something you want to say but aren’t sure you want to say it. We know that isn’t like you.”

“No,” he said. “I’m trying to weigh my words.”

“That sounds bad,” she said. “Did I do something wrong? Or say something I shouldn’t have in front of your mother? She doesn’t like me, does she?”

“Stop,” he said, moving toward her. “Why do you do that to yourself? You think it’s you and it’s not. Come here.”

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