Page 76 of Fast Currents
He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “She will. I do.”
Groaning, I let my head fall back. “You’re easy.”
He grinned at me, eyes sparkling. “Yeah, I am. Want me to show you how easy I can be? I’m feeling downright slutty tonight.”
I considered him. “How slutty are we talking here? I don’t want your mom to overhear and blame me for ruining her precious baby boy.”
“Honey, I was ruined the moment I met you. Give me a chance to ruin you back tonight.”
“I’d be more convinced if I weren’t worrying about your mother judging me in the morning.”
Clay shook his head. “She’s not exactly Jack Reynolds. She won’t high-five you over coffee, but I’m old enough that she has no illusions and no interest in what I do in the privacy of my bedroom.”
“You didn’t hear her offer to bury me this afternoon.”
He chuckled. “Well, lucky for you, she has no idea where to dig on this island. She’d need me for that, and I promise not to cooperate.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said wryly.
“Lucy, give her a minute. I’m sure she’ll love you as much as I do, but it might take her a hair longer than I did.” His grin turned challenging. “She’s like you that way.”
I groaned. “Why are you comparing me to your mother?”
“Because you’re both fierce. Strong. You know your own minds and don’t suffer fools kindly. But you also love deeply and completely.”
“Flatterer.”
He crooked his finger. “Now, come over here and let me ruin you. Just a little bit.”
***
Trish eyed me over her coffee mug as I trudged into the kitchen in the morning. I looked like what I was: a woman who’d stayed up way too late, loving on her man. Bedhead, beard burn, and all.
She, of course, looked perfect. Dressed in a neat pair of jeans and a purple sweater, every hair in place. “I thought we could spend the day together.”
Kill me now. A hundred ways to get out of it flitted across my mind, but instead I surrendered. “I was thinking about taking a yoga class downtown, then working in my studio. Would you like to do one or both with me?” I offered.
The first hint of a genuine smile hovered on Trish’s face. “That would be lovely.”
Trish was silent as I drove us into town, parking at my old apartment and walking the few blocks to Anya’s yoga studio.
Anya welcomed us with a smile. “I see you’ve brought a friend today, Lucy. Are you Clay’s mother?”
Trish nodded. “Yes. I’m Trish. I’m looking forward to your class.”
Anya passed her a tablet with the waiver. Trish skimmed it with a quick nod and signed without comment.
She unrolled a yoga mat beside mine. Anya’s soothing voice guided us through the different poses, helping me melt away the tension I’d been carrying since Trish and Carl hit town. Focusing on my breathing, on stretching, helped put it all in focus.
Trish loved her son. So did I. We had more in common than we probably realized. Just because it felt like she’d made a snap judgment about me and found me wanting didn’t make it true. If Clay could win me over, convincing me to marry him, then I could win over his mother. Maybe not with marriage proposals, but with the one weapon I doubted she could resist: my love for her son.
“Want to grab a coffee in town?” I asked after class.
Trish nodded. “Sure. So long as there’s decaf. My heartburn acts up if I drink too much.”
“Harbor Brews is only a few blocks from here, if you don’t mind walking.”
Harbor Brews was serving the last of the pre-holiday ferry crowd. We stood silently behind a family lugging suitcases, patiently waiting our turn. Trish seemed to be taking in the coffee shop, the books, all of it.
