Page 96 of Meet Dare

Mom grins. “Speaking of matching, you have a girlfriend now?”

I groan. I don’t know what’s worse. Listening to Mom cry and berate herself for being a bad parent or dealing with her asking about my girlfriend.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I say as I return to my chair.

Mom ignores what I said. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“I’m serious, Mom. I don’t have a girlfriend. She broke up with me.”

She purses her lips. “And what are you going to do about it? Are you going to let her run away?”

I scratch my beard. “Exactly how much gossip did you hear when you arrived in Winter Falls?”

Dad laughs. “As if we need to be in Winter Falls to learn the gossip.”

I should have known. “How long are you staying in town?”

Mom widens her eyes, and Dad whistles as he looks away.

“How long?”

Mom’s nose wrinkles. “Forever?”

“Forever? I thought you loved living in Florida.”

After they retired, Rowan bought them a house in Florida. From everything they’ve said, they love it down there. Of course, there’s a chance the homeowner’s association is trying to kick them out since Mom thinks serving hash brownies at book club is perfectly normal.

Mom’s lips purse. “The house is lovely, but the people are …”

Dad wraps an arm around Mom and draws her near. “What she’s trying to say is no one will select her smutty books for the book club.”

She slaps his chest. “As if you’re any better trying to convince everyone to switch to solar power and electric cars.”

“The house was already on the market when Rowan phoned us.”

Mom beams at me. “And now we can be here when you make up with your girlfriend.”

“You’re going to join the gossip gals now, aren’t you?”

“I don’t need those ladies.”

Interpretation. They turned her down.

Mom checks her watch. “We need to go. We promised to babysit Patience so Rowan and Ashlyn can have a date night.”

She stands and kisses my cheek. “I love you to the moon and back. I’m sorry you ever doubted it.”

Dad slaps my shoulder. “To the moon and back, son. To the moon and back.”

I walk them to the parking area near my tiny home. As I’m returning, I happen upon Old Man Mercury.

“Mercury.” I nod and continue on my way since the man doesn’t usually waste time talking to me.

“Living as a hermit is no way to live,” he says, and I stop in my tracks. I glance over my shoulder to find him frowning at me. “Life is meant to be lived. Hiding away doesn’t help anything.”

“I know, Mercury. I know.”

“You won’t run off again?”

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