Page 33 of Finding Her Leading Man

“Rhonda, this is my mom, Amelia Johnson,” Addie said as she glanced to Trevor, uncertainty in her eyes. Their mother did seem a little too upper crust for this type of restaurant.

Amelia shook her hand and then patted Samantha’s shoulder. “And have you met my son and his girlfriend?”

Trevor’s eyes filled with humor. “Nice to see you again, Rhonda. Mom, Grayson and I came out here the last time I visited, so we’ve met.”

“That’s right. If I remember correctly, you’re the only one that even came close to beating Eliza playing pool that night. That girl is somethin’ else, let me tell you.” Rhonda set a hand on her hip, bright purple fingernail polish reflecting in the neon Bud Light sign across the room. “Do you play pool, Amelia?”

12

What could have been a disaster ended up being a decent night. Trevor held Samantha’s hand, waiting for his mom to arrive at the bed and breakfast. She’d left her car at Addie’s before riding out to dinner, giving him some alone with Samantha.

Samantha tilted her head back, looking up at the night sky. “Growing up, we lived in so many different places. Some of the houses I could see the stars and others, the lights drowned them out. It’s hard to see them in New York.” She sighed. “But here…here I can see them.”

The tilt of her head exposed the long, graceful curve of her neck. With the lightest touch, he laid his finger behind her ear and traced down her smooth skin until it met her shoulder.

Her eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath.

The urge to kiss her intensified. But the timing was off. His mom would interrupt them at any moment. He didn’t want any doubt in her mind that he wasn’t doing it for some act. It helped, keeping some of the attention off Addie by having Samantha there, but not at risk that she would doubt his true intentions.

Even those had become muddled. His one-date-rule didn’t fit. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he’d walk away while they were both in Statem. Not if she still wanted to see him.

And after those weeks were up…

He didn’t have a damn clue what to do.

As predicted, his mom’s car pulled into the back-parking lot of the bed and breakfast, her headlights illuminating them.

Samantha’s shoulders slumped. “I guess I need to go inside,” she mumbled. “Becky wants me at the diner tomorrow. Double shift.”

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Yeah. I have a big meeting with Grayson tomorrow before his contract negotiations the day after.”

“It’s hard to remember that you have a real job.”

He dropped his hand from her shoulder. That hit too close to how his father thought of him.

She shook her head and took a step toward him. She set her hand lightly on his waist. “No. Not like that. I just mean you’re around. You know. Instead of having to drive into an office every day.”

That didn’t help. He worked. He was on-call all day, every day for Grayson. Some part of Grayson’s production was happening all over the world.

“I’m sorry. I can tell that comment made you angry. It came out wrong.”

He cupped her cheek. How could Jasper have walked away from someone so open and honest? Sweet. His mom shut her car door and made her rental BMW beep when she locked it. He smiled. Maybe honest wasn’t the best descriptor to use for either one of them at the moment.

“You didn’t have to wait for me.” His mom stopped in front of them, her face partly blocked by his shadow from the porch light.

Samantha shifted, pressing her back against his chest. He wrapped her up. Did she feel their real connection, or was it one-sided?

“Trevor asked me to stay and look at the stars with him until you made it back,” Samantha said.

It sounded like something he’d do. He’d have to start doing the romantic things if she wanted. He was romantic. Sometimes. Since he mostly hung around Grayson, and Grayson wasn’t into private dinners by candlelight with his agent, Trevor didn’t think in those terms often.

His mom smiled and clasped her hands together. “That’s so sweet. I knew he’d have some of his dad in him. Well, I’m back and ready for bed.” She took a step and then paused. “You both don’t need to come in. I’m not a prude. I assume you’re sharing a bed.”

Samantha started coughing, leaning away from his body. He patted her softly on the back. “We’re not talking to you about that, but thanks for the embarrassing moment.”

He’d thought about her that way but not when his mom stood there assessing them. Amelia Johnson may act like everything in the world revolved around her and her status, but the woman was smart and observant. Her interior design business had helped amass their wealth over the years.

His mom lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug. “Suit yourself.”

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