Page 6 of The Problem with Dating
“Nonsense, Echo,” she said, cutting me off again. “I wouldn’t have offered if I thought Gideon would get upset.”
I let out a deep sigh. “That means a lot,” I told her. “I’ve been standing in front of this bulletin board for a bit, hoping not to make a bad choice.”
Her face softened, and she really was a beautiful woman. “Trust is probably the most fragile thing out there, isn’t it?” She didn’t let me comment. “Lots of people think its love, but it’s not. Love is strong, you know. While I don’t think it conquers all, it does conquer a lot. Your love for someone can do amazing things. One mistake doesn’t make you fall out of love with a person. Even if it’s infidelity or abuse, you might be strong enough to walk away from those two situations, but that doesn’t mean you still don’t love that person. It just means you recognize you deserve better.” Her words were direct darts to my chest, but I knew she couldn’t possibly know that. “But trust? While love can still exist, even after mistakes have been made, trust is gone the second it’s broken. Trust is the most delicate and powerful thing you can give a person,” she continued. “So, don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not handing that out freely.”
I was choked up. “How…I…”
“You have to remember something, Echo,” she went on as she gestured to the bulletin board. “Not only are you choosing someone who won’t rob you blind, but this person is going to be inside your home. They are going to know the layout of your house and see all your belongings and know if you live alone.” She gave me a wise nod. “This is bigger than just getting overcharged for a service. You better hope whoever you hire isn’t a deranged member of society and doesn’t come back and kill you in your sleep after developing an unhealthy obsession over you.”
The tender emotions vanished. “That got dark rather quickly.”
She ignored me. “And all because you don’t want to feel like a bother to my son?” she chided. “Nonsense, Echo.”
I stared at this…different, yet remarkable woman. “Well, you’re right,” I muttered. “I don’t want to get killed in my sleep for being stubborn.”
Louise cocked her head. “Well, I would think you wouldn’t want to get killed in your sleep foranyreason, dear.”
I barked out a laugh. “Uh, well, yes…of course.”
Louise brightened as I agreed with her. “Okay, so give me your phone number, and I’ll set it all up.”
I gnawed on my bottom lip. “Are you sure he won’t mind-”
“I told you,” she interrupted. “It’s not a thing for him to fit in an estimate. If he can’t do the work, I’m sure he’ll recommend someone to help you.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” I told her honestly. “I was hoping that I made the right decision in moving here, you know.” Louise smiled. “I wanted to move to a place where I could meet nice people, and meeting you, I think I made the right choice in coming here.”
The woman hugged me.
After she stepped back, I immediately got my phone out, so we could exchange contact information. She promised she would be in touch soon, and before I could thank her again, Roddy was coming to escort her to her loaded up car.
Making my way to my car, I couldn’t help but think of Louise’s take on trust and love. Up until she had me murdered in my sleep for trusting the wrong person, while she had spoken, for a small moment in time, I had felt like she was a person who could see me. Like she could see all the things I wasn’t ready to talk about yet. I knew she couldn’t possibly know what I’d been through, but she had spoken like someone who would understand if I ever decided to share that part of me with her.
I liked Louise Hayes.
Even if she seems a little off her nook.
Chapter 4
Gideon~
As I glanced around, it was hard for me not to feel discouraged.
Or, maybe, I just knew my mother well.
When she had called me yesterday and told me how she had offered up my services, it had taken everything in me not to groan in frustration. Here the woman was just telling me I worked too much, but then she turns around and creates more work for me.
Then suspicion had started to rear its ugly head.
I knew most people would call it just a coincidence that my mom had set up this ‘work estimate’ only a day after trying to set me up with a blind date, but most people didn’t have Louise Hayes for their mother.
After parent pressuring me into meeting with this woman who-by the way, was new in town and all that jazz-I had told Mom I’d call her and set up an appointment. But to my not-at-all surprise, Mom had told me that she’d already arranged all that. She had cheerfully informed me that I was to meet an Echo Woodward at Milton’s, which was a very nice restaurant, this evening, which was Friday evening.
Not at all the feel of a dating ambush.
Not at all.
When Echo had texted me an hour ago, it had been to confirm on our ‘meeting’ and to tell me she’ll be wearing a dark blue blouse and black slacks, so that I could identify her when I showed up. And those were the words she texted, implying that she’d be there early and waiting on me.
