Page 35 of Bewitched By the Siren
Holy shit, is Mom blushing? My own eyes widen at the sight of her pink cheeks and fluttering eyelashes. What in the hell kind ofTwilight Zoneuniverse are we in right now? Mom doesn’tblush. And she certainly doesn’t bat her lashes at men less than half her age.
“Okay,” she says, and my head rears back.
“Perfect,” Brendan says. “I’ll give you time to finish up here. I’ll be back in, say, half an hour? Is that enough time?”
Barb nods in response to the question, and Brendan mimics the gesture before dipping his head at Mom. Then he spins and spots me in the doorway. I take a step back so he can pass, and he shoots me a wink as he goes by, then whistles a jaunty tune as he leaves the house.
My eyes are still as wide as saucers as I turn back to face Mom. What sorcery is this? She’s smiling as she answers some question from Barb, then looks up and sees me. Her eyes travel down the length of me before snapping back up.
“You should go get dressed, honey. We’re going out to breakfast with Brendan!”
Speechless, I simply nod before turning to head into my own room. I haven’t heard that kind of excitement in Mom’s voice in years. I squelch the twinge of jealousy pinching in my chest. It doesn’t matter that Brendan was the one who talked Mom into leaving the house and not me. What matters is that sheisleaving. And she’s happy about it.
By the time I’m ready, Barb has already rolled Mom out into the living room. The nurse calls out a good bye to me on her way out, and after I wave, I look down at Mom, who’s staring at me with a knowing glint in her eye.
“I heard you go out last night. Did you have fun?”
I squeeze my eyes shut at her tone––which implies she knows exactly where I went and what I was doing––and groan, “Mom.”
“Okay, fine,” she says, holding up her palms in surrender. “I won’t ask for any details. Just know, Hali, I’m happy for you.”
I nod and turn away, not wanting to rain on her little pony parade. I’m not sure what last night meant to me. I’m still processing the whole “I slept with a man and didn’t make him forget me” part of the equation. But for Brendan, I’m certain it was just sex with a woman he met on a business trip. Nothing more.
Definitely nothing for my Mom to be sohappyabout.
As promised, Brendan appears at our door a half-hour after he departed. He takes control of Mom’s chair without hesitation, rolling it through the door and down the little-used ramp I had installed when Mom started losing her mobility. Brendan was right. It is gorgeous out this morning, and we chat and laugh as we walk down to theCirce Key Grille. The restaurant serves a buffet-style breakfast, and Brendan wheels Mom down each aisle, letting her choose which items she wants and loading up her plate before parking her at a table and going back for his own food.
He’s charming and considerate, making the outing a true delight for Mom.
And forme, too.
When we get back home, he pushes Mom back to her bedroom and helps her into bed while I adjust the covers and hand her the remote for the television. Once she’s settled and comfortable, we walk back out to the living room, where Brendan turns to me.
“This was really fu––” he starts, but I cut off his words with a press of my lips to his.
One arm circles around me without pause, pulling me against him as he kisses me back. His other hand cups my jaw, holding me still for the onslaught. When the kiss winds down, I pull back to meet his gaze.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You’re welcome,” he whispers back, then presses a kiss to my forehead before releasing me.
Then he smiles at me, a grin so bright, I have no choice but to smile back. And with nothing more than a wave, he turns and leaves the house. I watch him go, my chest burning with emotion and my head light from that unexpected kiss.
Oh, God.
What have I gotten myself into?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Brendan
I wasn’tsure what to expect this morning after I woke up alone in bed, and even though it was a gamble, I felt the need to show up and invite Hali and Grace to breakfast. I needed Hali to know I’m still here. For now, anyway.
Plus, I genuinely like Grace, and I think she likes me, too. I could tell from our conversation last night at dinner that she really needed to get out of the house, even if she insisted otherwise. I’m so glad she agreed to go.
We had fun at breakfast, and seeing both of the women smiling and laughing as we ate made me feel so warm and happy. And that kiss Hali laid on me afterward? Perfection.
My phone chimes, and the message is from Hali. It’s as if she could read my mind and knew I was thinking about her.
