Page 64 of The Sweet Part
“But it worked.”
She shakes her head, still smiling, and walks out the door.
I consider the embarrassment factor of going to May’s dad, a guy who’s not exactly warm and fuzzy. He’d probably tell his wife, who would say something to May, and then I wouldn’t have the element of surprise on my side.
I pull out my phone and search for grand gestures. Hot-air balloon, sky writing, a surprise trip. None of those sound quite right. A trip maybe, but May’s opening the inn soon, and then there’s Sophie to consider.
The inn. I leap from my seat. I know what to do.
* * *
May
I pour peppermint tea and join Alice at the kitchen table. She came over for dinner, saying we needed to talk, and spent most of dinner talking to Sophie. Now that Sophie’s playing with her fairy playset in the family room, I can finally find out Alice’s news.
I watch her expression carefully, already tense. I prefer not to wait for bad news. “So what’s going on?”
She holds up a hand. “No one’s sick or dying.”
I relax. “Is everything okay with you and Charlie?” That’s her husband.
“He’s great. I want to talk about Mason.”
I instantly shut down. “Anything but him.”
“May.”
“Alice.”
“He’s miserable without you.”
That gets my attention. “How do you know?”
“I ran into him at Something’s Brewing Café. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week.”
“It hasn’t even been a week yet. We just broke up. Did he tell you what he did, trying to get in between me and Sophie?”
“Yes, and he told me he apologized.”
I warm my hands on my teacup. “I have to put Sophie first. I’m all she has.”
“Sophie has family—me, Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, and Mason, too, if you let him.”
I push away from the table and dump my tea in the sink.
Alice joins me at the sink. “He could be worth the risk. Don’t push him away.”
“You don’t have kids,” I snap. “You couldn’t possibly understand the responsibility I carry.”
Her eyes flash. “Sophie is like my own daughter. I loved her before she was born.”
I shake my head. “It’s not the same. When you have kids, we can have this conversation.”
“I’m not having kids. It’s a legit life choice. And I’m happy with my life, thank you very much. Can you say the same?”
That stings. “Sophie makes me happy.”
“I’m talking about your heart. Love.”
