Page 42 of That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss

“What thing?”

“You said his name, and then your mouth curved up.”

I cough out a chuckle. “Smiling is a normal human behavior, Mom.”

“No, your face looks … different.” Her hands are on her hips now, head tilted, still examining me.

“It’s called lipstick, Mom. You remember lipstick, don’t you?”

When she waves my comment away, my stomach twinges. She used to love dressing up, getting all glamorous for a night out with my dad. He’d claim she was the most beautiful woman in the universe, and way too fancy to be his wife. Then she’d remind him he was the owner of a successful construction company, not to mention a hero in Apple Valley. The truth is, my dad hung the sun and the moon for her.

She hasn’t been the same since we lost him.

“You want to try mine?” I offer.

She hauls her mouth into a smile. “No, thanks.”

“Maybe after breakfast,” I say, but her faraway eyes give me yet another reason to never let myself fall in love. Especially not as hard as my mom fell for my dad. I refuse to give my heart to someone only to have it broken after they’re gone.

A long sigh escapes us both.

Time to change the subject.

“So what do you think of my new shirt?” I smooth my hands down the Beachfront polo.

“Hmm.” She studies it for a moment. “Very on brand.”

A small laugh bursts out of me. “That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement.”

“You always look fabulous, Liv.” Her brow dips. “It’s just that shirt reminds me the clock’s ticking on your time here, and I can’t help wishing you’d find a different job. One that wasn’t ending so soon.”

My heart squeezes. “I’ve still got a few weeks left. And I’ll always be back to visit.”

“I know.” She shakes her head, dropping her eyes. “I just miss you. I miss all my girls. And Mac, of course. I sometimes wonder if I did the right thing, leaving Apple Valley and moving back here when I did. But my babies were all becoming adults, going their separate ways. And Big Mama needed me. At least that’s what I told myself.”

“I didn’t realize you felt like that.” My eyes soften, and I take a small step toward her. “Want to talk about it?”

“Ah, no.” She flutters a hand between us. “You’re my daughter, not my therapist.”

“I don’t mind.” My mouth curves up. “I grew up with Darby and Tess. They never stop blabbing. So I’ve gotten pretty good at listening.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she says. “But you’ve got cupcakes to deliver.” She slowly backs out of the room. “And I need to eat before those eggs get cold. So I’ll see you after work, Livvy. Love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

When I arrive at The Beachfront, Hudson isn’t there yet, so I leave the cupcakes at the coffee station. Then I head straight to the office. I’m supposed to be working on ad campaigns today, but it’s hard to focus on work. My stomach keeps butterflying whenever I picture Hudson finding the cupcakes.

Fifteen minutes later, the door to our office opens, and he walks in carrying the box. I look up, and my insides do a little flip-flop. “Hi.” I offer a small smile, waiting for him to thank me.

Instead he holds out the box. “You want one of these? There’s plenty.”

“Ummm.” My stomach twists, and I suddenly feel silly for making him birthday cupcakes. I guess my gesture didn’t mean as much to him as I thought it would. He comes over to my desk smelling better than any man has the right to. I try holding my breath, but I can’t. His scent is that intoxicating. I have to inhale.

“No, thank you,” I say on the exhale.

“I’m actually trying to get rid of them.” He sets the box on my desk, and I dart my eyes at the open lid. The pink frosting inside probably matches the mortified flush in my cheeks.

“I’m all good,” I say, averting my gaze.

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