Page 61 of Burning Love
“I’ll never understand you kids and the way you date now.”
“It’s not for you to understand. I’m not holding him to anything. But I believe he will be one hundred percent honest with me. He’s an honorable man.”
“How do you know that?” her mother asked.
“I’ve seen it. Can’t you just trust me?”
“Give me an example,” her mother said. “Humor me.”
“When I asked him if they needed money at the firehouse he said they always needed equipment that wasn’t covered in the budget, but there was a fund for victims. When pressed which he’d pick, he said the victims. They need it more.”
She wasn’t going to share that Jace had said there were times his mother had needed assistance in life.
“That was nice of him.”
“He’s a nice guy. I told Laken about him. She said he sounds like Dad.”
“Really?” Aileen asked, her eyebrows lifting. “How is that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a lot of memories of Dad. Not like Laken did. But she said he sounds like a guy that can get it done and always will. He’ll find a way to put everyone else first and keep them safe and secure. Something like that.”
“That was your father,” her mother said softly. “I suppose I could see that, considering his career.”
“His father owns Rigby Construction. He’s worked for his father for years and now helps out on his days off. He’s doing work in a house he purchased. He’s all but stripped it down and started over. It’s really nice, the work he’s done.”
“Am I going to get to meet him?” her mother asked.
“You already met him.”
“Not in the capacity of the man sleeping with my daughter. I want to see for myself you aren’t looking for someone to step in as a father figure to you.”
“That’s gross.”
“You know what I mean,” her mother said. “You just said it—you have no memories of your father.”
“That’s right. What I’ve got is West trying to be my father when he was around and he wasn’t much either.”
“Which leads me to believe you need a man in your life to be there for you and I’m not convinced Jace is the guy.”
“Neither am I.”
“Then why are you wasting your time with him?” her mother asked, confused.
“I don’t know, but I’m not ready to walk away. Can we drop it now?”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt,” her mother said.
“Me neither. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. The ball is in my court until I pass it to him. That’s how it’s being played.”
Aileen rolled her eyes and she took her leave.
Even talking about her relationship with Jace left her confused, but she’d be damned if she let anyone pressure them.
19
HEART OF GOLD
“Is that a car door?” Talia asked later that night.
