Page 68 of The Nanny and the Nerd
“I thought I sensed something,” she tossed out casually. But he knew better. His mother was fishing—and most likely in cahoots with Regina.
“You know that’s not something in the cards for me,” he answered robotically.
“That’s you imposing that limit on yourself, sweetheart,” she answered gently.
Yes, but it was a limit that needed to be held in check.
“Penny mentioned that she’d helped out at Gale Gaming today.”
He had to play this cool. His mom was a sucker for a love story. She and Ogden Gale, his adoptive father, had fallen head over heels for each other as teenagers. That’s how his dad used to tell it before he’d passed away from a heart attack in his sleep not long after Phoebe was born. And Andy and Melanie had been crazy about each other. He understood that his mother wanted him to know that kind of happiness. He comprehended the motivation. She saw the best in everyone. But he had to nip this in the bud.
“Penelope stopped by my office today and shared some helpful suggestions for AI-77’s narrative.”
“Did she?” Cecelia Gale answered, raising an eyebrow.
He muted his expression. “It’s work, Mom. And it’s very rough right now. Nothing to get excited about yet.”
Another lie.
“I see. I’ll let Madelyn know the nanny situation is going well. And what about your new friends?” his mother continued.
He frowned. He didn’t have any friends—let alone any new friends. “What are you talking about, Mom?”
“The men in the group. Are they nice boys?”
He recognized this song and dance.
“Mom,” he cautioned.
“Rowen, it’s okay to have friends. You each have something very monumental, and quite frankly, extremely challenging in common.”
“Guys are weird about friendship,” he answered, back to tracing the invisible line.
“We’re ready to go, Cecelia,” Darla announced, entering the kitchen. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the end of his mother’s well-meaning maternal interrogation.
“I’ll be right there,” she answered, but she didn’t move.
Crap! She wasn’t done.
“Okay, I’ll be outside,” Darla replied over her shoulder as she retreated from the kitchen.
His mother turned to him. “You have a lot to offer, Rowen.” She slid the cookie toward him. “Remember, complete abstinence is easy. It’s figuring out the perfect moderation in life that’s tricky. But it’s worth it, sweetheart.”
“We’ll see. You know how I am about perfection.” He rose to his feet, then wheeled his mother to the front door, listening to the chatter as Phoebe and Penelope exited the elevator.
“You’ll love the boat, Penny!” Phoebe exclaimed.
“I have to talk to your uncle about that, so no getting ahead of ourselves,” Penelope answered as the parties collided.
“Bye, Nana Cece!” Phoebe said, leaning in for a hug.
His mother chuckled, then met Penelope’s gaze. “Thank you for inviting me over, Penny. It was a lovely afternoon.”
“Anytime,” she answered with that damned grin that got him every time. The woman literally emanated warmth.
“Would you like to push me out to meet Darla?” his mother asked. Phoebe clapped her hands, adjusted her crown, then took her position, maneuvering his mother’s wheelchair out the front door.
He glanced at the nanny as an awkward silence hung between them.
