I hold my tongue because there's no sense in arguing with her. My parents hate having me buy stuff for them, insisting that they are still my parents and are responsible for taking care of me. I simply smile and nod at them, but when it's all said and done, I'll end up making the reservations before she can get a chance to and beat her to the punch.
"Hey...I, um...wanted to let you know that I met someone that I really like and I'm sort of seeing her now," I tell my mom hesitantly. I've always been able to talk to my parents about anything, but this little admission doesn't roll out so easily. I suspect because the concept is just so foreign to me.
"Really?" my mom asks in a somewhat disbelieving tone. Okay, granted...I deserve that. My parents have long since given up on me bringing home a girl for them to meet.
"Really," I tell her assuredly. "Her name's Olivia."
"Is she pretty?" my mom asks teasingly. "I bet she's really pretty."
"Yeah, Mom...she's beautiful."
I hear my mom sigh in happiness on the other end, and that makes me smile. "Tell me more," she says dreamily.
"She has cancer," I say bluntly, and my mom gasps.
"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. What can I do to help?"
That's so my mom...ready to rush in and help save the day, and I love her to pieces for it. "I'm not sure. Just be there for me...maybe to talk. This is kind of new...both the relationship and finding out about the cancer."
"Honey...I know this is probably really overwhelming, but you have more fortitude than most people I know. There isn't anything you can't handle, and I know you may have waited a long time to find that special woman for you, but I have no doubts you are going to make her deliriously happy."
"Thanks, Mom," I say on a breath of relief. "I needed to hear that. I'm scared for Olivia, and hell...I've known her a little less than a week, but I really, really like her."
"Okay...spill everything about her," my mom says, and I can envision her tucking herself on our family's couch and curling up for an exciting round of fresh gossip.
I unload on my mother. I bend her ear hard and tell her everything that turns me on about Olivia. From her beautiful face to her love of dirty jokes to her talent with floral arrangements to her kindness to others. I leave out how hot she is in bed, because moms don't need to know that shit.
I tell my mom about how I found her sick at her apartment a few days ago, and how Olivia was going to hide the cancer from me, thinking that this was just a fling. I didn't hesitate to even tell my mom about how badly Sutton and Alex had hurt my feelings, but that I patched things up with them. Well, with at least Alex. I haven't seen Sutton since the day she brought Olivia home from her second chemo visit.
When I'm done, my mom whistles low. "You've had quite a week, haven't you?"
"That's an understatement," I agree. "Listen...it's getting late, but I had one more thing I wanted to ask you."
"Sure, baby. What is it?"
"Alex questioned me today whether I should bother getting involved with Olivia. He's worried about my heart getting tied up, and then if she were to die..." I pause for a moment, my voice cracking over those words. "You know...how hard that would be on me. He was pointing out the easiest thing would be to not get involved."
My mom is silent for a moment, then she says, "Garrett...the worst pain a parent can feel is watching their child in pain. No mother ever wants her child to suffer, and she would do absolutely anything to protect them from that. However, in this instance...I think it's worth the risk. You don't know what's going to happen to Olivia, and she could lead a long life. Hell...you two could break up for some other reason long before you ever have to worry about whether she'll beat the odds. The point is...if this is making you happy, then I'd rather you pursue that happiness at the risk you could get seriously hurt one day. Life is too short to worry about that stuff, and you should not let this pass you by."
I didn't realize how much I needed my mom to say those exact words until a long sigh of relief gusts out over my lips. "God...thanks, Mom. That's exactly what I needed."
We talk for a few more minutes while I hear all about her sewing club, which causes me to repetitively yawn, but, hey, she listened to me, so now I need to listen to her.
When I finally hang up the phone, I'm filled with a little bit of peace over my decision to press forward with Olivia. I think my mom is right...she is definitely worth the risk.
Chapter 14
Olivia
"I was thinking," I muse out loud, sinking my feet deeper into the hot sand.
"See...that's a problem for me," Garrett rumbles from beside me. "You're supposed to be relaxing, so quit exhausting that brain of yours."
I open my eyes, which had been closed against the scorching Carolina sun, and turn my head to look at Garrett. He's as dazzling as the bright sunlight as he lies back in his beach chair with his eyes closed and his face tilted upward. His skin, which is already tanned, shimmers like bronze under the suntan oil that I generously slathered on him, and his body is a reflective work of art. I still can't believe I'm lying here...on a beach...with Garrett Samuelson.
More unbelievable is the fact that this man who doesn't do relationships for some reason wants to continue to see me. For a brief moment, it crossed my mind that he was sticking around out of some sense of pity. But then I cast that aside, because Garrett just isn't the type to stick with someone he barely knows out of a misplaced sense of obligation. No...I'm pretty sure he's interested in me, and he's willing to take me as I am...ugly cancer warts and all.
"Anyway, I was thinking--" I start again, but I'm cut off as Garrett suddenly lunges out of his chair and grabs me around the waist.
He hauls me out of my chair, across his body, and lies back down on his own chaise longue, snuggling his face against my neck. His skin is hot and moist from the suntan oil, and it makes me want to drag him back to the cottage and get naked with him. It's the first time in three days I haven't felt like my stomach was going to turn inside out, and now, lying across his massive frame, I'm feeling a little frisky.
"No talking," he grumbles. "Just relaxing."
"Let's go back to the cottage and, um...relax up there...together...naked," I murmur against his ear.
Garrett groans and hugs me to him a little tighter. "No sex. You're still sick and weak."
"I am not sick anymore...and barely weak. I feel much better."
"You should be relaxing."
"I am relaxed."
"Relax some more," he says with a chuckle.
Bringing my hands up to his chest, I push my upper body out of his embrace so I can look down at him. Holy Mother of God...the sun reflecting in those green eyes almost has me wanting to strip right out here in public.
"It's me, isn't it?" I say with a serious look on my face. "Sex with me is horrible, right? And you're using the cancer as an excuse not to touch me."
Garrett rolls his eyes at me then grins. "Jeez...enough with the dramatics. Sex with you is beyond amazing, and you know it, you little brat. I just don't want you to overdo it. Just two days ago you were expelling your guts."
"And yesterday I was only slightly nauseated, and today no nausea. See...I'm better, and ready for sex."
Sitting up in the chair, Garrett anchors his legs on either side. This causes me to rise up and straddle his lap. His hands come up to rest on my thighs and his face is only inches away. "Have you ever wondered what it is that could cause a man like me to give up his philandering ways and only have eyes for one very hot and sexy woman?"
"Just to be clear...that woman we're talking about is me, right?"
Garrett swoops in and gives me a swift kiss, pulling back just as quickly. "Yes...I'm talking about you, dork."
I wrap my arms around Garrett's neck and stare at him intently. My voice is utterly serious when I tell him, "Honestly, Garrett...I have no clue why you'd change your ways for me. I'm not exactly an easy woman to be with right now."
"See...that's just it," Garrett s
ays with annoyance. "You are an easy woman to be with right now. The easiest I've ever been with."
"Hey, don't hold it against me that I hopped in the sack with you on our first date," I tease.
"No...I'm not talking about sex. I mean, everything with you is easy. Conversation, humor, silence. I don't feel like I'm putting on a performance with you, and I know you don't need me to. You like me for me, and I like you because of that. It's just nice to be with someone that makes everything easy."
"But you know everything about me isn't easy. Nothing about dealing with my cancer is easy," I say quietly.
"That's true," he says after a moment. "But it's not a hardship for me either."
My fingers play absently with the hair on the back of his head and I chew on my lip while I consider the magnitude of what he said. Raising my eyes to his, I say, "I think you're a very special man. You took a chance...stepped out of your comfort zone and then stepped right into a hornet's nest. Not many men have that type of strength or confidence."
Garrett's big hands stroke up over my hips and across my back. "And that turns you on, right?"