Page 86 of Safe With Me

“A very handsome cop happened to be strolling by and came to my rescue. And what’s that old saying? The rest is pretty much history.”

“That’s quite the story,” my mother said as she rested her elbows on the table, turning her attention back toward me. “I suppose this is why I can’t get my son to come see me. He’s busy with the new city girl in town. Like father, like son,” she muttered.

“She’s not just the new city girl in town,” I said, trying to keep my voice and my breathing calm and steady.

“Like I said, that’s something you have in common with your father,” she said as she perused the menu. “You both enjoy the newyoungnovelties.”

I leaned forward to say something when Lila grabbed my knee under the table, giving me a tiny shake of her head when I met her gaze.

“I’m actually thirty-two. About seven years older than Mike. So I guess I’m the one attracted to young, pretty things.”

Mom’s jaw dropped when Lila winked.

“You’re almost a decade older than my son?” she said, still gaping at both of us.

Lila shrugged as she picked up the menu.

“Rounded up, I suppose. But Mike is an old soul. He’s got such a huge heart and does so much good in Kelly Lakes as a cop. I’m sure you must be very proud of him.”

If I hadn’t loved Lila before, I would be head over fucking heels now.

“Well, I wish he would have used his gifts for something of more value.”

Lila set her menu down and leaned closer to the table.

“What could be more valuable than serving his community and making it a better place? He’s amazing at that.”

She waved a dismissive hand.

“He’s got a talented eye for building things. He won competitions in school, and his teachers always said he was going places. But my son wasn’t interested in going anywhere.”

Lila’s nostrils flared for a second before she shifted in her seat.

“I know what you mean about a talented eye. He put together all the furniture in my apartment without even glancing at the instructions. I can see him winning competitions since he’s kind of a show-off about it.”

Lila smiled, giving my hand a squeeze as she held my mother’s gaze. “I would think you’d be proud and happy he found something he loves to do, even if it wasn’t what you wanted for him.”

“What I wanted was for him not to be like his father.” Mom’s eyes thinned to slits as she glared at Lila. “I wanted a lot more for him than to settle for a boring life in a small town. But since that’s where his hero is, I guess I should accept by now that he follows Jake ineverything.”

“Mom, enough. Could we have dinner without an argument for once?” I said, my jaw so tight it ached.

“Well, sorry. I didn’t expect to have company. You haven’t seen me in months, and I would have thought you’d want to spend time with me since you never make an effort to come see me.”

“And this is why I don’t come to see you. When I do talk to you or see you, it’s you telling me how much of an awful son I am because I’m too much like my father.”

“Your father turned you against me,” Mom said through gritted teeth. “I knew he would try the day you went to live with him at fourteen, but I had no idea you’d grow up to throw away all the potential you had to mirror his pathetic life.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Lila said, pushing off the chair. “Mike told me what we would be in for and how you’d treat me once you knew my connection to Jake and Peyton. You’d have to try a little harder than that to intimidate me. So, sorry to tell you that your efforts didn’t hit the way you wanted.”

Lila shook her head, blowing out an exasperated breath before she continued.

“But I didn’t care about me. Your son is a wonderful man. Beautiful from the inside out, and you should be proud of him and love him for who he is.”

Lila’s gaze set on mine as she sent me a tiny smile that I wasn’t sure was contrite or just plain sad.

My relationship with my mother had always been sad, but I’d accepted it because, well, she was my mother. But as I watched Lila’s fury on my behalf, all I could think was, why? Why had I put up with this for so long?

The rest of my family had told me to cut her off years ago, but I hadn’t because how could I cut off my own mother?

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