Page 121 of Succeeding Love

“Nope.” He reached for his keys on the entry table. “I promised I would tell you something, so I’m going to.”

I pursed my lips, wanting to argue, but knew I wouldn’t win. Preston was bossy and stubborn. Like his dad. I fought enough with too many people today. I didn’t want to argue with him too.

“Fine,” I sighed, opening the door. Nick and Jessie looked up, and I waved bye. Nick looked rough, and his eyes were full of sadness, but then Jessie asked him a question about what to draw next and he put a smile back on his face for her.

His mother scowled at me, then explained the ingredients in the soups and how nutritious they were. It’s powdered chicken broth and frozen vegetables, Karen, with drop dumplings from a mix boiled in. There was nothing extra nutritious about it.

Right as the door was closing, I felt a small bit of satisfaction when I heard Jessie say, “Mom didn’t put the tomatoes in when she made it because she knows you don’t like them.”

Preston snorted as we walked down the hall. “Jessie knew what she was doing when she said that.”

“I know she did,” I beamed up at him. “Don’t let her sweetness fool you.”

“I don’t,” he scoffed. “I know she can be a brat. She just has everyone else convinced she’s not. Kinda like you.”

“Me?!” I feigned offense. “I’m an angel.”

“An angel until you get on your bad side, then you’re freaking vicious.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head as we got on the elevator. “It’s always the short ones you got to be careful of.”

“I’m not that short.” I lifted my chin, trying to stand to my full height.

“You look like a midget when you’re standing next to Vin,” he laughed, but his laughter quickly died into nervous chortling when my eyes narrowed on him. “See?”

I looked away, trying to hide my irritation. “I can’t see anything. I’m too short.”

“Mom,” Preston chuckled, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “You’re exuding short girl energy right now.”

“Outstanding energy,” I muttered under my breath.

“Sure,” he snickered, then sighed. “So, I take it you are really mad at Vin?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I pulled out of his hold when the elevator doors opened to the garage level.

“Eh, it kinda is. Before kicking out his ex-wife from his house, he bought us groceries for the weekend. I told him I would tell you.”

I tried not to let it show, but my ears were perked at the mention of him kicking out his ex-wife. I figured that’s whoMindy,the girlfriend,was, but that didn’t stop me from getting upset.

“He went around all morning trying to find you and dad. I guess he felt bad about whatever happened last night and was trying to apologize to you both. He did not know his mom got confused like she does and called his ex to come over.”

I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know more. “Why would she do that?” I tried and failed to sound disinterested.

“Well,” Preston smirked. “I guess his mom saw how upset he was last night and asked what was wrong. She got confused and thought his girlfriend was the one he had twenty something years ago.”

That made more sense than every mad scenario I had played out in my head, but it still made me mad to think about how at home she looked in that house.

And how pretty she was….

And tall.

Darn it, I wish I were tall. Me and my short girl energy can’t even keep up with people when they walk too fast. I betMindynever has that problem.

“Stupid tall people,” I muttered.

“What was that?” Preston asked with a barely suppressed smile.

“Nothing,” I huffed, marching for my car as quickly as I could. Preston kept up with me easily, looking way too amused.

“Hey, mom,” Preston stopped me before I could get in my car. “You really should give Vin a chance to explain, or say sorry,or whatever. I know you’re in your short girl anger mode about his ex, but if you saw the way he threw her out, you wouldn’t be.”

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