Page 54 of Recklessly in Love

Mia listens intently, her brow furrowed. “Wow. That’s a lot to process. But it sounds like Greg handled it well. He was clear with her that he’s with you now.”

I nod. “He did. And he was.” I take a deep breath. “But hearing another woman trying to convince him to take her back because they’d once planned on getting married?” I shake my head.

Mia clears her throat. “I can’t even begin to imagine what I’d think if something like that happened to me. And not to sound too much like a therapist, Jo, but … how did that make you feel?”

I bark a sharp laugh and drain the rest of my wine. “Like I wanted to claw her eyes out. Which scared me so much that I hung up. Because I’ve never thought of myself as the type to fight a bitch over a man.”

“It wouldn’t be a fight, and you know it. You’d crush her.” Mia nudges me with her foot, and I laugh.

“Well, it sure wouldn’t be a fair fight anyway,” I agree. “But that was just my gut reaction. I wouldn’t have done it. I think. Maybe.” Mia gives me a skeptical look. “Okay, fine, there might have been some hair-pulling or something. Seriously, though, the fact that I reacted so strongly freaked me out. Because I had no idea they were talking about marriage. That he even wanted that. And here I am, falling for him, not having had those kinds of conversations. It just made me realize how fast we’re moving. I mean, I was ready to tell him I love him.”

Mia chokes on the chocolate she’d just popped in her mouth. “Excuse me?” she says around the mouthful. “You were going to do what now?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Did I forget to mention that part?”

Mia swallows and wipes the chocolate off her lips with a napkin. “Um, yeah,” she replies. Her eyes soften. “You really love him?”

I draw in a slow breath before nodding. Tears prick at the backs of my eyes. “Yeah. I think I do.” I tip my head back and blink them away. “Which is nuts, right? Who falls in love with someone they’ve only known a month?”

Mia snorts. “You, apparently, and I’m not the least bit surprised. I knew it’d happen fast once you found the right guy.”

I raise an eyebrow and give her a skeptical look. “Oh please, you did not.”

Mia lifts her chin. “I did. You may be impulsive and reckless, but you know what you want and go after it. What made you think falling in love would be any different?”

I tip my head to the side and give her a look. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because once you do, it’s not just you anymore? Having to consider another person in my plans for the future is huge. No more doing what I want, when I want. It’s not just me anymore; it’s us. How do you just … make that switch?”

Mia reaches over and squeezes my hand. “I get it. Falling in love is a huge adjustment, which is scary. But you’re looking at it backward. It can also be wonderful. You have someone there to do all the awesome things you want to do with. Someone to cheer you up after a shitty day. Someone to support you through the good and the bad. Doing everything alone may seem like freedom, but it can also be a burden. I won’t tell you the transition is easy, but it’s worth it.”

“But what if —”

“It works out, and you get more than you ever dreamed of having?” Mia interrupts with a smirk.

“That’s not what I was going to say at all,” I reply drily.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Don’t let fear rob you of something great, Jo.”

I swallow hard. “I know. And I thought I was ready to make that leap. I left because I needed some time to wrap my head around it. To make sure I’m ready.”

Mia nods understandingly and refills my wine glass. We sit in companionable silence, sipping our wine and eating chocolate.

“So, have you talked to Carrie about whether she’s willing to file a report over the incident with Ned?” I ask, changing the subject.

Mia shakes her head sadly. “She said she didn’t even know that was happening, and she’s already overwhelmed between finishing her degree and dealing with our parents. But I’m pretty sure Nate is planning to.”

“Good. That asshole needs to be stopped,” I mutter darkly. I sigh heavily, unsure why I brought up another depressing topic. I rack my brain for good news, then remember my meeting earlier. “Oh, I met with the boundary definition expert today. He said he should have something preliminary for us in about a week. The boundary review committee will make changes anyway, but it’s a start.”

Mia smiles. “That’s great news. Thanks for handling all of that, Jo. I know it’s a lot of work.”

I shrug. “It’s what I’m good at. And I want to help.” I don’t deny that it isn’t just for Nate and Mia’s sake; Greg was a big part of my decision to take this on. My thoughts run in circles, so I decide distraction would be a better tactic.

“Is there still a place we can watch movies in this joint?” I ask.

Mia nods. “Your room has a TV with satellite cable. Come on. Let’s go watch something that’ll have us peeing laughing.”

I pull a face and laugh. “As long as there’s more wine and chocolate.”

“What do you take me for? Of course there is,” Mia assures me.

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