Page 61 of The Sweet Part
“Okay.”
I pull Mason to the far end of the living room. “Don’t mention the movie thing to her. She’s not missing any school. I don’t want this for her.”
“I trust Aunt Claire. You’ve met her. Nice lady. If she recommends an agent, and she’s on set, Sophie will be fine.”
“And then what if her agent gets her more work? Next thing you know, she’s flying out to LA to film God knows what with strangers, and I’ll have to be there too, abandoning the inn. No. Just no.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself. This is just for a week. Opportunities like this don’t come up that often. And she had fun today.”
I see red. He’s arguing with me about my own daughter. “You have no say here. She’s my daughter, my responsibility. In fact, you should go.”
“May, I wasn’t trying to—”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to continue to be around Sophie.”
He holds up his palms. “I came on too strong. It’s just that I think she’d have a blast.”
I clench my teeth. “You’re not part of this family.”
He steps back, hurt. “I suppose you’re right.”
My throat tightens because I know this is goodbye. I have to protect Sophie at all costs. Never get between a mother and daughter. “Iamright.”
“That means I’m not part of your life because your family is your life.”
I incline my head, the emotion clogged in my throat preventing speech.
“Let me save you theit’s complicatedspeech. We should take a break from whatever this is. Get some perspective.”
I nod.
He kisses my cheek. “Goodbye, May. Say bye to Sophie for me.”
“You can tell her yourself.”
“I think it’s best if I step away.”
I hold my head high, refusing to cry in front of him. I did the right thing. He needs to know I make all decisions concerning Sophie.
The door shuts quietly behind him. I blink back tears.
“Mommy?”
I pull myself together. “Coming.”
Did we just break up over a parenting decision?
* * *
Mason
I find myself at Happy Endings, where I first met May. It’s a busy Saturday night. My cousin Cooper serves me a cold mug of beer, gives me a questioning look, and moves on to his next customers. I guess I look as bad as I feel.
I was just trying to offer something fun for Sophie, and I don’t get why May dug her heels in about it. I thought she trusted me. I told her it would be perfectly safe with my aunt Claire in charge. It just seems like I’m in, and then suddenly I’m out in the cold. I want to be all in.
I take a long drink of beer and rest my elbows on the bar top. How do I get past her walls and permanently into her heart? Besides her hair-trigger defenses, everything else about her is perfect. Well, not perfect, but perfect for me. We have fun together. She’s beautiful, smart, sweet. She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman and didn’t know it until I mether. The woman for me.
Cooper, with his perpetually ruffled brown hair, returns. He leans down to look at me. “Woman trouble?”
