Page 148 of Fighting the Pull

“Mm,” she hummed then asked, “How are you?”

“Doing great.”

“Liar,” she accused quietly.

I looked to her.

Two could play the honesty game.

“I know I’m going to have to earn your trust. Hale’s upset about it, but I’m not. I get it. I like that you know he’s awesome and he only deserves someone as awesome as him. And I’ll put the work in, with you and with him, to prove I deserve him. I promise.”

“Honey, if you don’t think chasing Samantha Wheeler to her car then following her down the driveway trying to shoot laser beams out of your eyes, all to protect Hale, didn’t win my trust, you weren’t paying a lot of attention at dinner.”

She did seem to warm up a bit.

“It wasn’t my place,” I admitted. “I kinda overreacted. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I do. You’re falling in love with Hale.”

My heart skipped a beat.

She tapped my knee with hers. “Theme of the night. I overreacted to you. Acted like a total bitch. I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t cool.”

“Honestly, I get it,” I promised.

“I sense you do, Elsa. But I’m apologizing anyway. I’m protective of all my kids, but Hale…”

She trailed off, not because she didn’t want to share with me, but because she knew I knew.

“Yeah,” I confirmed I knew.

She looked to the waning sun on the beach and she said, “He reminded me of his dad tonight.”

I tried not to sound too eager when I asked, “How so?”

“I was Corey’s touchstone.” She looked again to me. “And you’re Hale’s.”

There went my heart again, along with my breath.

I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“It’s like pulling teeth,” I shared.

“Don’t give up,” she urged.

“Do you really think I’m his touchstone?”

“He tracks you with his eyes. Like now.”

She kept looking at me.

I looked to the game.

Hale had eyes to me.

I waved.

He jerked up his chin then started to pay attention to the game.

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