“Um, let me think about that,”—he tilted his head and made a big show of pretending to contemplate the question—“it was probably in grade school when my mom fucked up and was a no-show for the fundraising bake sale.”
He hadn’t said much about his family, and since Gloria and his brother had only been dating for a few weeks, I hadn’t heard anything from her.
“What happened?”
His forehead wrinkled and the edges of his lips drew down. “Oh, nothing. I tried to make cookies but ended up almost catching the kitchen on fire. How about you? How often do you get together with your mom to bake?”
I got the sense he was eager to change the subject. If anyone could understand someone’s reluctance to talk about family issues, it was me. “We just do an annual Christmas thing. My mom can be a bit much, so I have to take her in small doses.”
“Sounds like there’s some history there.” His brow arched as he leaned a hip against the granite counter.
“Isn’t there always?” I wasn’t about to get into my complicated relationship with my mom, not if I could help it. Ever since my dad left her, she’d been lost. He’d taken care of everything, and she had no idea how to even log into her bank account. Once he was gone, she became depressed and started to drink. Wine turned to pills and before I knew it, she was off the rails and out of control. That was the reason I stuck around in a job I didn’t like, working for a man I hated—to try to keep her head above water.
“Are you close?” Kellan had on a pair of gray sweats that hugged his hips and made me wish we didn’t have to wait for the last batch of cookies to come out of the oven. Though if we kept talking about my mom, those feelings would shut down pretty quickly.
“We used to be. Then my dad left her, and I felt like our roles shifted. Now she relies on me for everything.” Even helping to make her monthly mortgage payment. Unless I wanted her to move in with me and Gloria—which could never happen—I was on the hook to support her.
“That’s got to be hard on you.” Kellan reached out to run his large palm up my side. I nuzzled into his bare chest. He smelled so good. Like peppermint and chocolate, and something else. Something that caused a low, deep burn to spark in my belly every time we got close.
“All families have their issues, isn’t that right?”
He let out a soft laugh. “Hell yeah, it is.”
“Tell me more about yours. Did you grow up in Texas?” I wanted to know more about him. Were he and his brother close? What kind of mom did he have that would bail on her son when he needed her?
“I kind of grew up all over. Wherever my mom could find a job or a man who was willing to support a woman with two wild and reckless sons.” He pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. “What time do we need to start getting ready for your party?”
Ugh. The party. I’d been trying not to think about it. Kellan and I had been having such a good time together. I didn’t want to ruin it.
I put my palm on his chest. “Dinner starts at six. We should probably leave around five if we want to get there in time to have a drink before you get stuck at a table with my co-workers.”
“A full dinner?” His eyes widened.
“Yeah. They have a cocktail hour followed by a sit-down dinner, then there’s a casino night that ends in a live auction where you can use your winnings to bid on some cool prizes. I suppose I should have asked if you’re any good at poker or blackjack.”
“I can hold my own. What kind of prizes are you talking about?” Kellan asked.
“Some of them are run-of-the-mill things like air fryers, coolers, badminton sets. But then there are the good ones. Weekend stays at swanky hotels, all expenses paid trips. The owner of the company even donates a week at one of his beachfront condos, and I heard there’s a cruise on the line this year, too.”
“Hmm.” Kellan scrubbed his hand over his chin. “Let’s win one of those.”
“Just like that, huh?” I tried to picture the look on Gio’s face if my date won a week at his dad’s place.
“If that’s what you want.” He dipped his head to nibble at my neck. As he did, his phone started to vibrate on the counter.
“Do you need to get that?”
“Probably. It might be another last-minute call for a Santa gig.” He lowered his hand to my thigh and reached out to snag his phone. “Hello?”
I ran my fingers up and down his arm while he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.
“Yes, I’m still interested.” His spine straightened. “Of course.”
Whoever he was talking to must be important. He gave me an apologetic grin, then backed away. With the intimate moment between us broken, I started cleaning up the mess we’d made while baking.
After several minutes, he said thank you and disconnected. I didn’t want to pry, so I figured he’d tell me whatever he wanted to share.
He came up behind me and nuzzled his nose against my neck. “I need to tell you something.”