Page 29 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
“Not interested.” She tore a dinner roll in half and chewed. Patricia was right; the rolls were dry.
“I know it’s heavy-handed, but your father and I want you to be happy.”
“Can we really not do the you-should-be-dating talk? If I wanted to date, I’ll do it myself.” Single moms didn’t have a ton of free time, but she could find the time if the right person caught her eye. She had a few offers but had always declined. Besides, she had more to consider than herself. If she dated, they’d eventually have to meet Ruby. If the relationship didn’t work out, more than just her heart was on the line. So far no one seemed worth the effort or the risk.
Patricia folded her hands elegantly in her lap. “If you’re feeling guilty about Jamie, you shouldn’t.”
Oh boy. Patricia was determined to have a heart-to-heart.
“I’m not—”
“I know we don’t really talk about it, but who knows if you and Jamie would have made a go of it and had a dozen babies by now.”
“Mom—”
“He was a nice boy and the Beckers are good grandparents to Ruby, but you can’t live in the past. Or the might-have-been,” she said with sincerity. “Marianne agrees with me. We want to see you happy. You don’t have to worry about hurting them if you move on.”
First, gross that her parents and baby daddy-in-laws sat around and talked about her love life. Second, did they really think she hid away because she didn’t want to hurt Jamie’s parents? The Beckers were good grandparents and had embraced a pregnant Odessa without demanding a paternity test. Ruby got all her looks from the Becker side of the family, but no one knew that until the little goblin arrived. They helped Odessa during her last semester of school, drove her to medical appointments, and made sure she had the supplies the baby would need. When the baby arrived, they changed diapers like champs.
“I’m not hung up on Jamie,” Odessa said. “I don’t date because I’m busy.” And tired. She poured all her energy into keeping her goblin fed and clean, even if the cleanliness was a struggle at times. If Odessa had any energy at the end of the night, she’d rather clean the house than give herself a pedicure. Her vanity and physical appearance were at the bottom of a long list of chores.
“If you want a night out, I’m more than happy to watch Ruby,” Patricia said.
A night out would be a treat, but Odessa suspected that offer came with conditions. “I’m not dating Mads,” she said.
“Why not? He’s back in town and interested. You’re young and beautiful. You run the family business now.”
“Mom—”
“You used to be so close. I don’t understand why you had a falling out,” Patricia said.
Odessa slumped against her mother, resting her head on Patricia’s shoulder. “He went back to Norway and didn’t tell me. He just left. No text. No email. Nothing. Totally ghosted me.” Odessa always thought interpretive dance was a load of baloney, but she felt that words were inadequate to express how much his leaving without saying goodbye hurt. Falling to the ground like a broken puppet and beating her fists against the floor might convey all the emotions swirling in her.
She hated this, feeling like she was eighteen with a freshly broken heart. The pain hadn’t healed, it’d just been buried, and Mads’ return dug up the entire mess. She might be able to move on if he explained why but until then, her anger and sorrow remained.
“Well, Norway is very far away,” Patricia said cautiously.
“They have the internet in Norway. It’s Europe, not another planet. He ditched me and hasn’t even bothered to say he’s sorry. I don’t see why I have to act excited that he’s back and piss all over myself like a puppy.”
Patricia swallowed a laugh. “You kiss my granddaughter with that mouth?”
“Don’t do that. Don’t make jokes when I’m pouring out my heart.”
The older woman sighed and patted Odessa on the thigh. “You’re right and I’m sorry for meddling. Your father and I want you to be happy and Ruby’s been asking for a little brother or sister.”
“Ruby also wants a pony, but that’s not happening either,” Odessa said curtly. Everyone had an opinion on how she lived her life and it was exhausting.
“Pie? I feel like pie. I think we have a dozen or so.”
“Heck yeah.” Burying her complex emotions in sugar and carbs sounded like such a good idea. Only—
“He already left,” Patricia said, anticipating Odessa’s concern.
“I hope he took a pie with him.”
Chapter 9
Odessa
