Page 63 of The Sweet Part
I turn and walk away. So much for Cooper’s advice. May’s closed herself off, and there’s no getting through that defense system.
* * *
Alice takes a sip of coffee and studies me. We’re at Something’s Brewing Café, where I invited her after a restless night thinking about where things went wrong with May. It’s hard to look at Alice because she looks so much like May, except not closed off.
“Thanks for meeting me,” I say.
She smiles. “Of course. I sensed from your four a.m. text that it was urgent.” She holds up her phone to show me my own embarrassing text:Need help with May. Screwed up. Urgent.
“How did you screw up?” she asks gently.
I tell her the story about Sophie and the movie, my later apology, and how May suddenly closed off to me forever.
Alice sips her coffee. “She’s a protective mama bear with her cub.”
“But I’m okay with seeing each other and leaving Sophie out of it like we did before.”
“She probably realized it’s impossible to leave Sophie out of any relationship. Sophie’s still little and hoping for a daddy.”
“I know that, which is why I told May I’m not going anywhere, and she walked away! What would get through her defense system?”
“Ooh, that’s a tough one. Honestly, I think she’s having a hard time letting love in because of what she’s been through loving and losing her husband. She’s only dated once since then, but her heart wasn’t in it. When he cheated, it was easy for her to let him go. Butyou, well, you she couldn’t resist. The fact that she dated you at all was a huge risk for her, so that’s a compliment to you.”
“She’s sure resisting me now,” I grumble.
“Do you love her?”
“Yes. Absolutely. And she said she loves me too.” I jam a hand through my hair. “I guess love isn’t enough.”
Alice gives me a sympathetic look. “It’s going to take a lot to get through to her.”
“What do you suggest? I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Alice gets a gleam in her eye and a dangerous smile.
“What?”
“Make a grand gesture! That’s what my dad did for my mom to win her over. Legendary! Mom still talks about it.”
A legendary grand gesture?
“What did he do?”
She wags her finger at me. “Nuh-uh. His grand gesture came fromhisheart. Yours has to come fromyourheart. Just think about it. I’m sure you’ll come up with something fabulous.”
“Flowers? Candy? Jewelry?”
She scoffs. “Any guy can do that. Something that says how youfeel.”
While I sit there confused about what kind of gesture shows feeling, she stands with her to-go cup. “Good luck! I’m rooting for you.”
“Wait! I still need help.”
She gives me an indulgent smile. “Mason, you have everything you need right here.” She taps her heart.
“Maybe I should talk to your dad.”
She laughs. “Good luck with that. He’d prefer if his grand gesture was never mentioned again.”
