Page 83 of Protected By West
"Because I'm not."
"And I'm not saying it like it's that incredible-"
"Yes, you are, Mama. I know you don't mean it that way."
"No." She sighed softly and when she spoke again, Tracy could hear her mother's love pouring out of her words. "I don't. I... I'm just excited. Especially because I can hear how happy you are in your voice. I just want you to be happy like I am, baby."
Tracy chuckled a little.
Weston liked to call her Babe. Talk about a completely different context and meaning.
"So," Tracy could hear her mother's tone as if she was winding up for something big, "what does he do?"
"What does... what does he do?"
Oh shit.
Tracy's jaw dropped down a little.
She knew that question was going to happen.
How could it not?
"Well, we met at that conference I went to in Frederickson and-"
Stan's voice came through the phone. "Sorry, Tracy. The walking tour we signed up for is starting. We'll call you again, okay?"
"No problem, Stan! You two have a blast!"
"You know we will! Love you, Tracy!"
She heard her mom at the same time, calling into the phone. "Love you, sweetheart!"
And a moment after she sent her love to her mom the call ended.
She was so happy for her mom and Stan. They'd both just retired and had gone on what they called 'the trip of a lifetime.' She'd been thrilled when they told her about it and even more thrilled to see the photos they sent her.
Seeing her mom so happy after spending years so unhappy was really reassuring.
The phone on her desk pinged with an incoming message from another credit union phone. "Tracy?"
Tracy smiled at the laughter in her friend's voice. "What's up?"
Jaime's voice came back stronger. "Look out the window toward the counter."
Tracy pushed both of her bare feet against the ground and moved her chair so she could see out the window to the member service counter on the other side of the room.
Jaime was holding up a big pastry box with a grand smile on her face.
"We've got kolaches, girl!"
Okay then!
Tracy took a few steps forward and then remembered she had taken off her shoes leaving her feet in tights.
There was a moment where she considered going back to get her shoes and then another voice message came through the speaker. "They have apples in one, if you don't hurry-"
Well, screw the shoes!
