Page 36 of Can't Take Moore

After we said our goodbyes, I went in search of her and found Vienna toweling off from a quick shower. I had just finished telling her about what Ryland had said and was thinking about how I could dirty her up again when my phone rang. Seeing who it was, I accepted the call. “Sorry, I can't really talk right now. I'll have to call you back later.”

“Wait,” my mom cried. “Don't hang up. Ryland called and told me you could use my help. He wouldn’t give me any details, though. What's going on?”

At Vienna's questioning look, I mouthed, “It's my mom.”

She gave me a weak smile and whispered, “It's okay. See what she needs.”

Muffling my phone with my hand, I explained, “My cousin called her, and now she’s worried and wants to know what’s going on.”

“Oh.” Her plump lips formed a perfect circle before she let out a deep sigh as she wrapped the towel around her body. “You might as well tell her what happened. It'll get around town eventually, I suppose.”

Watching her pad into the bedroom and disappear into the walk-in closet, I pressed the phone against my ear. “It's Vienna's mom. She and her sister showed up unexpectedly here today, and it wasn’t a pleasant visit.”

After I shared the things said during their argument, my mom cried, “Oh, that poor sweet girl. I'll make some of my chicken and dumplings. It always made you boys feel better when life threw you a curveball. Come over in a couple of hours, and it'll be ready for you to bring to Vienna.”

“That's really sweet of you, Mom, but I don't want to leave her.” Vienna came out of the closet wearing a pair of yoga pants and a tight shirt. When she shot me another questioning look, I explained, “My mom wants to make you some comfort food.”

Vienna's eyes widened as she sniffled. “Really?”

“Yes, chicken and dumplings.”

In my ear, my mom added, “Or I could do something else if she wants.”

“Or whatever you'd like,” I told Vienna. Being in the middle of a conversation between them when she couldn't hear my mom was a little awkward. But the slight upward curve of her lips made repeating what my mom was saying well worth the effort. “I bet that she’d even make some of her homemade yeast rolls to go with the chicken and dumplings if you asked.”

“Dean Michael Moore, don’t you dare try to benefit from your girlfriend’s pain,” my mom chided. “Tell her all the things I can make, not just your favorites.”

“Oops, busted. She just three named me for trying to take advantage,” I confessed.

Vienna snickered. “Actually, chicken and dumplings sound amazing. With or without the yeast rolls.”

“Your mom is wonderful.”

“In case you didn’t notice, she thinks you’re pretty damn amazing, too.”

Her pretty brown eyes widened. “We haven’t even met.”

“Yes, but I’ve told her all about you.”

Her lips curved into a pleased smile. “My man’s been talking to his mom about me, huh?”

I nodded. “Absolutely.”

“I wish mine was more like her,” she sighed.

I did, too. But if our relationship kept moving at the pace that it had so far, the day when I asked her to become a part of my family—and offered to share my mom with her—might come sooner rather than later.

15

Vienna

The next few days passed without word from my mom, and Dean stuck close to me. He was acting as though an attack against me would come any minute—and I supposed that possibility wasn’t too far off, considering what my mom had threatened. I took comfort in his nearness…and the fact that he wanted to protect me from the pain of her possible betrayal. Her antics had brought us even closer together, something she would hate. Which gave me immense satisfaction.

“Do I really have to go?” I grumbled as Dean rolled my skate bag to the front door.

Since I hadn’t been in the mood to socialize, I’d holed up at home since the big blowout. I hadn’t even used my synthetic rink until yesterday, when he’d talked me into going out there while he ran to the office to grab some paperwork and check in with a couple of his agents.

This morning, he had eventually dragged me out of the house and to the rink. When we arrived, I was surprised to find the high school hockey coach who’d hit on me waiting for us. Twisting in my seat to gape at my boyfriend, I hissed, “You called Jack of all people?”

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