Page 67 of Mind Pucked

“Was?” she asks with a raise of her eyebrow.

My mother has never been the judgmental type, though after her earlier comments which upset Amelia, I’m not so sure anymore. I don’t want to hear her opinion if it’s negative, though I suppose I’ll never know unless I come out with it.

She reaches across the table and takes my hand, tender and loving like she used to do when I was a little boy. There’s something about a mother’s love that every son needs—I just don’t need her to say anything negative against Amelia.

I don’t think I can handle it if she does.

I glance over my shoulder, hoping to see Dad and Hayden heading back, but my father has roped one of the workers into getting one of the lobsters out of the tank. Hayden is now petting it with her free hand. Her big smile warms my heart.

“I saw how you catered to her earlier, how you looked at her, and then when I said what I said, you went to her and let her leave when she should have been working.” My mother pauses a moment to take a drink. “There’s something more here. And Hayden…that girl talks about Amelia like she hung the moon…and she says you two kiss.”

“Well, if you must know, Mom, and I’ve been meaning to talk to you about all this…yes, Amelia and I are together. I just wanted to find the right time to tell you. It’s not an easy move for me, and I don’t take it lightly.”

“How did all this come about?” she asks as she pulls her hand away.

“It’s a long story,” I say, hoping she’ll let this be the end of it, but deep down I know I have no such luck.

“Well…” She turns toward my daughter and father, who are still at the lobster tank. “Hayden and your father are petting their third crustacean, and it looks like there are at least twelve more in there… so it’s going to be a while.” She smirks.

“Fine,” I groan as I turn toward her again. “What do you want to know? I’m an open book for at least twelve more lobsters.” She laughs a hearty real kind of laugh that makes me feel a little more comfortable.

“Well, it’s clear to see how you look at her, but how did it happen? Did you hire her first, or were you together when you hired her?” Mom wonders. “I mean, either way, I don’t know that you need to pay your girlfriend to watch your child.”

“Well, she was my nanny first, and this is her job, so yeah, I pay her for it,” I say. “I fell for her, and we just sort of happened. She’s great for Hayden, and she has hardly looked at another woman since Lyla died. As much as it hurt me at first, she needs her.”

“And you’re ready to move on all of a sudden? Because last thing I knew, you were still having issues even going out with the guys, let alone dating,” she says. “I mean, I’m glad you’re open to a relationship again, but I have to know that this girl isn’t manipulating you, Jackson…I just want to make sure you and Hayden are okay.”

“We’re fine, Mom, I promise. Amelia isn’t manipulating me in any way, and no, it isn’t easy, and I’m not ready…I don’t think I’llever be ready, but like it or not, here it is. She makes me happy.” I smile as I look my mother in the eyes. “And back there when you were rude to her, even though I know you didn’t know we were together, it hurt her, because all she wanted was to impress you guys and make a good impression.”

“There will be time for all that,” she says. “I’ll be sure to apologize to her. I should have never said what I said, but truth be told I should have seen it before now.”

“Well, we haven’t been public much, and we’ve just recently decided to make things official, so it’s not like you’re all that late to the party.” I hear Hayden squeal as she and my dad head back to the table. “Did you like the lobsters?” I ask Hayden as she sits down beside me.

“Yes, they let me pet all of them.” She beams up at me from where she sits.

I lean over and kiss her on the top of the head. “That’s great, sweetie.”

She and my dad start talking about the names they picked for the creatures as my mother keeps glancing at me. I know she’s worried about me, but in the end, I’m an adult and Hayden’s father, so I know what’s best for us both.

Right now, I know that’s Amelia, and I’m still worried to death that she hasn’t returned my texts and calls or showed up.

Wherever she’s at, I hope she’s alright. I’ve half convinced myself to let my mom and dad keep Hayden for the night while I go looking for her, but I don’t want to be that protective freak of a boyfriend. But as images of the police walking in at halftime flood through my mind, reminding me of the day Lyla was in the accident…I can’t help but worry.

I just don’t want to know what it’s like to live without Amelia too. I have to remind myself that just because Lyla left Hayden and I here to suffer without her, doesn’t mean Amelia is going to do the same.

I decide that if she’s not back by the time Hayden goes to bed, I’ll go looking for her. I just hope that when I do find her, she’s safe and has a perfectly good explanation for falling off the face of the planet.

17

AMELIA

My mind is in a million places as I try to process everything that has just happened. I still don’t have the explanation I need so badly from Preston, but he’s here and alive.

I think about Jackson and the reasons I came to him in the first place. I thought my brother was dead and he had something to do with it, but now I’m convinced that Jackson will hate me if he ever figures out that I suspected him.

“You need to explain to me what exactly is going on here,” I say to him as we make our way out of the store after I purchased my dress.

“Let’s find someplace private,” he says as he looks around like he might be looking out for someone…I don’t want to know who.

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