Page 22 of Love You
“He was just playing around, Mother.” In his own warped way, Win was trying to defend her. And despite the fallout—because her mother would surely ride her about it—Darcy had been touched by his championing of her.
“There’s something wrong with that man,” Geneva huffed.
Win was no saint—his womanizing was a major topic in Glory Junction—but for the most part, Darcy thought he was misunderstood. Notwithstanding his faults, he was the kindest person she knew. And completely nonjudgmental. Hence, the reason she felt so comfortable around him.
“There’s nothing wrong with him, Mother. And technically, he’s one of my bosses.” She never actually thought of him that way but it would hopefully get Geneva off his back. The one thing her mother understood was chain of command.
Geneva arched a brow. “He’s not for you.”
No, he wasn’t but Darcy still resented her mother pointing it out. “He’s better than Lewis.” It was childish to make the comparison but she was feeling defensive. That in and of itself was new. Usually, she let her mother run roughshod over her because it was easier than fighting.
“He may be better-looking but I doubt he’s half as reliable.” Now how would Geneva know that? She’d met Win for all of ten minutes.
“I don’t want to talk about Lewis, Mother.”
“You’re the one who brought him up.” Geneva gazed across the table. “Sit up straight, dear. That slouch isn’t doing anything for your tummy.”
A server came to take their order and even though Darcy wanted chicken wings, she got the chopped salad. Geneva of course got hers without dressing.
When the server left, Geneva launched into the same old, same old about how she was throwing her life away, working in a dead-end job. “You’d be better off working for Snyder Real Estate.”
“I like this job better, Mother.” TJ, unlike Lewis, listened to her and often took her advice. And if she got her promotion there would be a raise and a title. “I meet interesting people and the Garners are wonderful.”
“I just can’t imagine answering a phone all day long. And do you want to live with Hilde the rest of your life?”
Living with Hilde was not the problem. “I do more than answer the phone, not that there is anything wrong with that.” Her mother was such a damned snob. “In fact, I’ve been put in charge of getting a huge account for Garner Adventure.” A bit of an exaggeration, since Win was really in charge but TJ believed in her.
Her mother shrugged. “I don’t see you as a salesperson but if this is what you want . . .” She trailed off and Darcy didn’t bother to ask what the sales quip was supposed to mean. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Geneva liked to nitpick.
“This is what I want,” she said as forcefully as she could without coming off as defensive, which she was sure she sounded anyway. Geneva had a knack for making Darcy doubt herself. She could do it with just one glance.
Their salads came and they ate in blessed silence, the tension so thick she could cut it with a machete. For once she wished she and Geneva could just have a nice meal together, talk about things normal mother-daughters did, be kind to each other.
“How’s Dad?” Darcy asked to break the awkwardness and try for a neutral topic.
“He’s fine.” The answer was terse and quick. Too quick.
“Everything with the business is okay?”
“Of course.” Geneva took a sip of the wine she’d ordered before Darcy had arrived. It was obvious she didn’t want to talk about whatever was eating her.
Or, it was more fun to carp on Darcy. Geneva hadn’t gotten to Darcy’s hair, her nails, or even her outfit yet. Darcy was sure it was coming.
“Lewis mentioned that you were going to help him with some data entry,” Geneva said between delicate bites of her salad.
Everything always came back to Lewis. Darcy gritted her teeth. “Maybe. I have to see how it goes with our clients. I may be too busy.”
“I wish you could see your way back to him.”
Darcy wished she could see her way back to the Garners’ barbecue where she could’ve eaten something besides lettuce and spent her evening talking about someone other than Lewis. And Win would’ve been there. And even though he wouldn’t have sex with her, he surprisingly made her feel good about herself.
Chapter Seven
Colt was manning the grill when Win got to TJ’s place. His brother had turned the once fixer-upper into a rocking lakeside pad, complete with man cave and private dock. Now that Deb had moved in, she’d put her touch on things. But she was so much like TJ everything meshed pretty well, including the outdoor entertaining spaces where she’d added a bar and a fire pit.
On his way to the backyard, he passed TJ and Deb in the kitchen making guacamole. These days those two were connected at the hip, which made Win smile. He loved the shit out of all his family, even if they were monster pains in the ass.
Hannah, Delaney, and Josh were drinking beer around the fire pit with a big fire going. Win noted that his parents hadn’t shown up yet.
