Page 293 of Dark Love

Where Do You Think You’re Going?

Dahlia

I tip-toe down the stairs, hoping to avoid my mother. There’s no way I want to run into her before my ‘lunch date’ with Maverick. It’s only ten thirty, but I need a little more time before coming clean—

“Where do you think you’re going, Dahlia Fleur?”

Uh oh. “Morning, Mom. I was just going to meet… Maverick for the date you arranged.”

“Come sit down.” She gestures to the couch across from her.

I could be eight years old again and in trouble for painting the bathroom floor with my nail polish for as terrified as I am right now.

“About that date… it was polite of Maverick not to come down to breakfast this morning. Your father wouldn’t have understood.”

WHAT! “How did you know? We didn’t even say a word to each other.”

“Since you might one day have children of your own, I’ll tell you my secret. Ever since Basil started sneaking out at fifteen, I go around to check to make sure my children are safely asleep in their bed before I can rest easy.”

“You saw us! We didn’t—We weren’t—We haven’t—”

Mom smiles. “Of course, you weren’t sleeping together. You’d be a lovely shade of puce right now instead of having slightly cherry cheeks. Do you love him?”

Might as well just say it now that we’ve been caught. “Yes.”

“Is he a good man?”

Lie. Lie like you’ve never lied before. “The world doesn’t think so.”

“Do you for one single moment believe I care what the world might think of your man? Half the family thinks I’m trash for becoming a poker player. The other half decided I was a gold digger for marrying your father, even though I’ve earned three times more than he has during our marriage. You can’t live your life by what other people think. Is Maverick a good man?”

“The best. Mom, if you knew all the things he’s done after all he’s been through—” I brush a tear away. “—you’d love him too.”

“I don’t need to know any of those things. All I need to know is that he makes you happy. And since I saw the evidence of that earlier this morning, I expect you two will be making use of the clubhouse I booked. You’ll make a lovely June Bride.”

“Mom.” Even as I complain, images of Vex… Maverick and I saying our vows, dancing our first dance, walking into the future together as man and wife flash before my eyes.

“What, you will.”

“He hasn’t proposed yet.”

“Then maybe it’s time for you to bake him a brownie cheesecake.”

***

A few excruciatingly long minutes later, I step out the door to meet Vex—Maverick. I like the new name so much better than the old one. “The gig is up.Mom knows.”

“She told me last night.”

I should be mad at him for not warning me, but I wouldn’t let him utter a word when he walked into my bedroom. “And she knows you snuck in last night.”

“How? My entry was flawless.”

Like I’m going to give away her secrets. I might need some of her tricks later on. “She’s a mother. They know everything.”

“Noted.” He grins down at me. “Why did you come to your parents’ house for the weekend?”

“For the same reason you bought me a frightfully expensive house a few doors down from my parents’, because I want this to be forever. So, I was going to tell her… But she already knew.”

---