Page 17 of Burning Love
Her mother laughed and patted her cheek. “No one wants to think of their parents having sex.”
“Nope.” She was shaking her head. “Can I ask why you never tried again? To date or meet someone?”
Her mother sat down on the bed. Talia had been sitting at her makeup desk and swiveled around. Good thing she wasn’t in a rush, but she was the one who asked the question.
“I still love your father,” Aileen said, holding up her left hand with the wedding band on it. “That bond can’t be broken.”
“We know. But that doesn’t mean you should be alone.”
“I’m not alone,” her mother argued. “Or I wasn’t for years. I had eight children to raise and I was tired at the end of the day. I worked part time too for many years. There was no free time and very few men would want to get involved in our family dynamics. Now there is no way I’d risk it and not know someone’s motivation.”
“You still work, but it’s all you do.”
It was the first Aileen Carlisle had ever said she worried or didn’t trust bringing someone into the family.
Her brother West had bought a local bookstore for their mother to own. Aileen didn’t work full time, but it gave her something to do. She didn’t even have to actually manage it, as her brother had people who dealt with all the finances and her mother had a manager.
“It gets me out of the house and lets me mingle,” her mother said. “I enjoy it. I never had a career like you and Laken.”
“Did you want one?”
“No,” Aileen said, shaking her head. “My career was always going to be a wife and mother. That’s what I’ve done.”
It was the sadness in her mother’s voice. “I want to say you should try to find someone again, but I’m not sure I could see you with anyone and I can only imagine West and the rest of the boys being more protective of you than me and Laken.”
“You’d struggle with it more than the rest,” her mother said, getting up, moving over, and putting her arm around Talia’s shoulder. “I know that.”
“That’s no reason to give up.”
Aileen laughed. “I’ve never given up. I’ve got a wonderful life and beautiful successful children. I know you’ll move out in time, but Elias is only an hour away. I’m hoping for an engagement there soon, then maybe a baby I can watch or play with.”
“You’re going to watch a baby an hour away?”
“I’ll do whatever he lets me do,” her mother said. “I’ll go stay in the Hamptons and give Abby a hand when the baby comes too. You’re sure you’ll be okay in the house alone while I’m gone? I was thinking of going for at least a month.”
“I’ll be fine. Abby will love it and you know that.”
Her sister-in-law didn’t have a close relationship with her own mother who’d been in and out of rehab facilities most of Abby’s life. Aileen Carlisle had stepped up into that role and she knew Abby was thrilled to have that connection now.
“You’re going to be late,” her mother said. “Have fun.”
“Thanks.”
Talia stood up and grabbed her purse. Since her mother already saw her dressed up, she went upstairs and entered the garage through the house to get to her car. Normally she left through her private entrance and unlocked the garage door with a security code.
It took her less than ten minutes to get to the restaurant where she was meeting Jace. She didn’t know if she was here before him, but she’d go get a table if that was the case.
She’d heard the loud roar of a motorcycle and turned her head to watch it pull in and park. The guy riding it lifted his hand to her. She couldn’t see who it was because of his helmet.
That didn’t stop her from standing there and gazing as he parked. It was as if her body was telling her what her mind hadn’t comprehended.
The helmet came off and there was her date for the night.
Oh crap. As if she wasn’t already turned on by him, now he rides a Harley!
“Your mouth is open,” Jace said.
“Just a little shocked is all.”
