Page 38 of The One

“God, no. You know I don’t do those things.” Which was why she was single for so long.

“Then I’m glad. I’m happy for you. You look happy. I really would love to meet him soon. I won’t say or do anything to embarrass you,” her mother said. “I promise.”

“I know you mean well.”

“You are glowing so that tells me you really like him.”

“I do,” she said. “I like him a lot, but we are taking things slow. He’s got a busy job and though I know, I don’t hover and rush. I am trying to keep it in the back of my mind too.”

Why else would she have waited a month before she was ready to make the move toward sex? Most women her age were having sex after a few dates with a guy.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did. You were young back then. You aren’t now. You know what you are doing.”

“That’s right,” she said. “I do.”

14

More To Life

“How was the party?” Rick asked when he opened the door to Gillian around two thirty. He’d expected her later and was shocked when she texted she was on the way a few minutes ago.

“It was good. Fast. Ben needs to go down for his nap or he is ornery. Ryan and Shannon left with their kids. The older ones wanted to go play and the baby needed a nap too. Shannon is like Whitney and likes to keep to a schedule. She works from home so the baby is used to napping in the playpen or crib.”

“I’m not sure I could work with a baby in the house,” he said. He was lucky he could get the work done with George.

“Colin is five months old. Shannon’s sister used to live in the house and be the nanny to her older kids. But she’s married now and works for Whitney. Shannon was able to hire someone else that stays at the house all day and is available to bring the older kids to and from school and places.”

“That’s a nice way to do things,” he said. “Brian’s mother watches Harper when Robin works. Just a few days a week. Robin volunteers at the animal shelter another day.”

“She didn’t want to stay home full time?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “She likes her job and likes being around people.”

No reason to add his sister didn’t need to work. Not just because of Brian’s job but the settlement she’d gotten in her divorce. It was one of those things that wasn’t talked about and he wouldn’t do it either.

In his eyes, his sister should have been given more for what she’d gone through emotionally. She’d been lied to and hurt and he’d never forgive himself for not being there to see it.

Maybe he would have seen the signs of Robin’s ex, but he didn’t and had to live with that.

His sister was doing great now.

“I couldn’t be a stay-at-home Mom,” Gillian said. “It’s not for everyone. I mean I want to raise my kid. I don’t want babysitters doing that. Ben has always had daycare. If Trey wasn’t at the firehouse then he was working for my father.”

He knew her father owned a plumbing and heating company. She came from some hard workers, just like his family was too.

Just because Robin and he had more money than they knew what to do with, they were still going to work. They had to feel like there was more to life. He wanted to have a purpose.

He just had to make sure that purpose didn’t dominate every breath he took like it had for years.

“I figured when my time came with kids, I’d go with the flow and do what was best for the family as a whole.”

“That’s a great attitude to have.”

She moved into his arms and kissed him. A big smile on her face, her hips wiggling some against him.

He knew she wasn’t trying to tease him, but it sure the hell felt like it.

“George wants us to go see him,” he said.

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