“And look how well that turned out,” I say.
Callie shoots me a dirty look. She’s clearly taken with my mother and is siding with her tonight.
“We may have divorced when you were six months old, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love him. Max Hardy was my first real love and I loved him until the day he died. Loving someone doesn’t always mean you’re front and centre in their life. Sometimes we love from afar because that’s all we can manage. Sometimes love hurts too much up close,” Mum says.
I stare at her. This is the most she’s ever said about my father. Usually, she’s tight-lipped about their relationship. Before he died, my father told me their relationship was passionate and turbulent. He also mentioned that he’d always loved her, but they couldn’t be together.
Callie finishes her drink and slides off her stool. Breaking the silence that’s descended on us after Mum’s outburst, she says, “I better get going so I can write this article. It was so good to meet you, Estelle.”
Mum gives her one of the warmest smiles I’ve ever seen her give anyone. “And you too, Callie. Remember, we need to do lunch one day. Soon.”
I move around to the other side of the bar. Eyeing Avery, I say, “I’ll be back soon.”
She nods and waves goodbye to Callie before I walk her outside. When I have her alone, I pull her close and plant a long kiss on her lips. “Fuck, two days is too long. I can’t wait until Saturday to have you again.”
“I’ll make it worth the wait. Remember, I’m bringing my A-game. By the way, I like your mum.”
“She likes you, too.”
“How do you know that?”
I chuckle. “Trust me, when Estelle Ashcroft doesn’t like someone, they know, as does the rest of the world. You’d be feeling it if she didn’t like you.”
She sags with obvious relief. “Thank, God.”
“Were you worried about her?”
“Of course. Every girl wants their boyfriend’s mother to like them.”
“That word sounds good on your lips.”
“Which word?”
“Boyfriend.”
She stands on her tiptoes and gives me a quick kiss. “Okay, I better go.”
&nbs
p; As she lets me go and takes a step away, I grab hold of her arm and pull her back to me. “Not so fast, baby.” At her frown, I say, “You forgot this.” And then I kiss her long and deep. When she comes up for air, breathless, I growl, “We don’t do quick kisses. Ever.”
She blinks as she gets her bearings. “Bossy Luke, almost as good as dessert.”
And then she’s gone and I’m left with a raging hard-on.
23
Callie
“I’m so sorry about today,” Paris says as she grabs her bag and keys off the kitchen counter.
I wave her away. “It’s no worries. Work’s gotta come first. Besides, I think Luke’s gonna spend some time in the garden and I’m all for sweaty, hot men. I’ll hang out with Sean and then after lunch, we might get lucky if he goes down for a nap. However today pans out will be fun.”
And I might still get to bring out my A-game.
“I think they might let me finish around midafternoon, so hopefully, you two can catch some time together then.”
“Honestly, Paris, I’m just happy to be here with Luke and Sean. We don’t need alone time to be happy.”