Page 33 of And Then There Was Us
“Why are you so excited?” Brianna had to laugh. She’d expect that reaction from Kat, but not from her mother.
“Because I’ve been worried about you. Twenty-eight-year-old women are supposed to date, Bree, and you know how I feel about you making Layla your whole world.”
Brianna rolled her eyes. “Healthy people have diverse lives. I know, Mom, but you said yourself that I’m a good mother and that Layla’s well adjusted.”
“She is, and you are. But a little ego boost for you isn’t a bad thing. Is he a good person?”
That question was the heart of why she adored her mother. She didn’t ask if he had a good job, or if he was attractive. She cared most about the person he was inside, which is where Brianna had learned it from and probably why she was having such a confusing time deciding how to move forward—or if she should move forward—with Hugh. For six years, living a life without complications beyond taking care of her daughter and making ends meet had been easy. No man had been too kind or too interesting to ignore…and then came Hugh.
“He’s a remarkably good person.”
“Oh, Bree!” She wrapped her arms around Brianna. “How did you meet? When have you had time to see him? You worked today.” She tilted her head, looking out of the corner of her eyes at Brianna. “You were working, weren’t you?”
“Yes, of course. I worked and then we went shopping. Oh, and my car broke down last night.” She leaned against the counter.
“Oh no. How much is that going to set you back?”
“It’s not. He…” She paused, wondering what her mother’s reaction would be to what he did for a living. If she was ever going to figure this out, she needed to be honest. “He’s a Capital Series Grand Prix driver and his pit crew fixed it.”
“Capital Series? A race car driver? How on earth did you meet a guy like that here? I mean, you never go to the track, and I know you don’t hang out at the places in town where the Grand Prix fans hang out.” Her mother crossed her arms and tapped her chin with her index finger.
“He was in the tavern one night and we talked.” She watched her mother pace the small kitchen.
“At Old Town? Really? Gosh, I must be way too far removed from that world. I had no idea that those guys hung out there. You’ve never mentioned it.”
“They don’t, Mom. He avoids those places.”
“Brianna, I don’t know. He must travel a lot, and what do you really know about him? I mean, guys like that? They scare me a little.” She stopped pacing and looked at her daughter. “I’m not judging him sight unseen, but you’re my little girl. Do you have your eyes open? Does he have women everywhere? I mean, how long is he even here for?”
“I know, Mom. Believe me. My eyes are wide open. Wide open. He travels, but he said he gets time off soon.”
“They only race about nine or ten months out of the year or something like that.”
“How do you know?”Nine or ten months?
“Your father loved the races.” Her mother tucked her hair behind her ear again. “Oh, honey. You’re a smart girl. What does your gut tell you?”
Brianna pressed her lips together and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Uh-oh.” Her mother put her arm around Brianna and walked her back to the table. She peered into the playroom. “We’ll whisper,” she said as she sat beside her. “You have that look on your face that you had when you told me you were pregnant with Layla.” She held Brianna’s hand. “Tell me.”
Brianna’s stomach twisted as it had earlier that day. She tried to formulate a response, but as she opened her mouth, the truth fell out without any cushioning at all.
“I like him, Mom. I mean, I really, really like him, even though it’s only been a few days. He treats me well, and he’s so thoughtful.” She felt her cheeks rise with a geeky, gushing smile. She crossed her arms on the table and rested her forehead on them. “What am I going to do?” She felt her mother stroking her head, and she peered out from beneath the veil of hair that had fallen over her face.
“What do you want to do?” She asked it with such gentleness that Brianna knew her mother wasn’t judging her, as she’d done for a brief time right after she told her she was pregnant.
Brianna lifted her head. “I want to see him. More.” She glanced at the playroom.
“And what about Layla?” Again she asked with tenderness, not accusation or judgment.
“I told him he can’t meet her. I’m afraid to let him. What if Layla adores him and then we break up?”
“I think you mean what if you adore him and then you break up, too.”
Brianna dropped her eyes. “It worries me. He’s a little too good to be true.” She leaned forward, and her mother met her halfway across the table as she whispered, “We could have…you know…and he knew that I was worried about getting too involved because of Layla. So we didn’t.” She leaned back, then admitted, “He wouldn’t.”
Her mother’s jaw dropped. “Brianna!”
