Page 49 of Sweet Escape at Bayside
“I don’t want my tats to be athing, a stumbling block I have to overcome with your parents from day one. Let’s first see if they like me.”
His jaw clenched, and his eyes turned deadly serious. “First of all, I love who you are, and your tats are part ofyou, just like your green eyes and that smirk that tells people to back off. I loveallof you, babe, and my parents will, too. Please give them a chance to get to know the real you. Don’t hide anything about your beautiful self, and I know they will adore you as much as I do.”
Her eyes teared up. “Darn it. I’ve been so nervous I felt like an imposter, and then you come in here and say really sweet, sappy stuff, and I get allteary-eyed. I haven’t cried so much in my entire life.” She pulled her sweater off and threw it on the bed. “You make me feelreal, andseen, andappreciated, andstupidlyemotional. It’s got to be nerves.”
He gathered her in his arms and said, “It’s got to belove, babe. Embrace it.”
She groaned. “What if they hate who I am? Sometimes I curse and I don’t mean to.”
“Don’t you think I know that about you? They curse, too.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. Now, put on that slinky black halter top I love, grab your leather jacket because it’ll be cold on the ferry, and let’s get out of here before I tear off that black lace bra and we miss lunch altogether.”
An hour later they were on the ferry that ran from Provincetown to Boston, something neither of them had done before. They stood on the deck despite the cold air, wanting to experience every second of their romantic adventure to the fullest. Andre wrapped his arms around her from behind, his body heat keeping her warm even as the brisk air burned her cheeks.
As Provincetown fell away, all she could see was water, reminding her of how adrift and lonely she’d felt without Andre. She had no idea how it was possible to feel those things while at the same time finding stability for the first time in her life with Desiree, but she’d felt it just the same.
When the Boston skyline came into view, another sensation came over her—one she’d been tamping down for a very long time. She missed experiencing even this little sense of adventure, of walking into the unknown. After a lifetime of not knowing what the next day would hold, how had she pushed her adventurous soul aside for so long? She tried to figure out what she was feeling. It wasn’t regret. She was glad for all she’d found on the Cape with Desiree and her friends, but a deep sense of longing was forming inside her.
They took a cab to the Union Oyster House, and when they stepped onto the busy sidewalk, Violet’s nerves went crazy again.
Andre put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “Breathe, sweet Daisy, it’s going to be fun. I promise.”
“Fun? I don’t exactly have a good track record with my own parents. I’m not sure why yours would be any different.”
“That’s hardly fair to you. Your real father was clearly a selfish jackass for not sticking around, and that sucks, but it’s not in any way a reflection of you. And Ted may not be your biological father, but he and Lizzadolove you, even if Lizza has a strange way of showing it. In fact,” he said as they stepped inside the restaurant. “I think we should try to get reacquainted with Ted. Remember, babe, it was Lizza’s decision to take you overseas. He could have fought hard to keep you, but how can you ever know without asking?”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” she mumbled.
“Bug!” A tall woman ran toward them with her arms outstretched, eyes dancing with excitement. She threw her arms around Andre and proceeded to smother his cheeks in kisses. She had the same wavy desert-sand hair as he did, only hers hung to the shoulders of her silk blouse, which she’d paired with jeans, giving her a youthful appearance. “I’ve missed you so much! Oh, Bug, you’re as handsome as ever. It’s been too long.”
Bug?
“Mom…” Andre said a little sheepishly as his mother looked him over with a smile that relayed her deep adoration for her son.
“Don’t youMomme. I’ve missed you, and if I had to sit at that table any longer I might have burst.” She turned to Violet and said, “You’re Violet, right? I can tell. You’ve got that spark of gumption in your eyes.” She hugged Violet tight, then kissed both of her cheeks. “It’s so nice to finally meet the woman who opened my son’s eyes.”
Before Violet could say a word, his mother took hers and Andre’s arms and guided them through the restaurant as she said, “I’m sure Bug told you he takes after his father. My husband, Chuck, has always been the same way, too impetuous to hold back. He asked me to marry him on our firstdate! I didn’t take off like you did, but I sure made him work for it.”
Violet looked at Andre and mouthed,You told them?
Andre mouthed,Sorry, with an apologetic expression.
“I dated every man I could for the next six months, trying to get him out of my head,” his mother said. “But Chuck was determined. He showed up at my house every single night, whether I’d gone out or not. He said he just wanted to make sure I got home safely. The little weasel didn’t give me time or space to figure things out. He wasn’t takinganychances.”
“I…um…” Violet stammered as they neared a table in the back of the restaurant, where a man who looked like a younger, shaggier version of Harrison Ford was watching them with an amused expression.
“There were other things going on when I left,” Violet tried to explain. “I thought my sister needed me.”
His mother said, “Whatever the reason, you changed my boy’s life for the better. Every woman should be so strong, so men can become even stronger.”
Violet felt an unexpected rush of relief that almost knocked her off her feet. The worst thing she’d ever done in her life was out, and his mother didn’t hate her for it or think she was out of her mind.
His mother released them, and Andre immediately came to Violet’s side and said, “I’m sorry. I missed you so much, there was no hiding it.”
“It’s fine,” she said softly. “I like her. She says what she thinks, like me.”
