Page 25 of Family Bonds: Carson & Laine

“That’s a mouthful,” he said. Even if he believed it.

“She is a unique individual in the most pleasant way possible,” his mother said. “I’ve never heard a bad word about her. Not to mention the talent that she has.”

“I believe that,” he said. “She had a little dance celebration on Saturday night and got too close to the wall.”

He could say that because he’d asked her before he left last night if she’d be okay with it. He couldn’t release any medical information, but she’d laughed and said it was fine. She knew how this island worked and people would want to know how they met when they started to see them out in public together.

It would be happening the first day he had off too. They had to figure out what to do on their list. Or more like he had to put his list together and let her see it. Maybe they’d just have dinner first while he went over it with her.

“I can see her breaking out in dance,” his mother said, smiling. Then she moved over to the cabinet and took out two cups to get them coffee.

The freezer was opened next and a container pulled out.

“What’s that?”

“Pecan pie. I had some leftovers from Easter. It’s still good. Would you like a slice with your coffee?”

“Yes, please,” he said, grinning. It was ten in the morning and it’d be a nice snack with his second cup of coffee.

He should be home doing laundry, mowing his lawn, and all the other chores that built up when he was working so much.

But he had a willowy stunning woman on his mind and Hudson was working, so his mother was his next best bet.

“Tell me more. I’m going to assume she required your picture-taking skills?”

He laughed. His mother always did like to make a joke like that.

“She did. And I blew her over with my personality in the middle of the night. I reached out to her through her studio email the next day to check on her.”

“Because you felt something for her?” his mother asked. She put the coffee that was just brewed out of the Keurig in front of him with the warmed-up pie she’d stuck in the microwave.

He knew coming here he’d be opening himself up to comments like this.

“I did,” he said.

“The island might be hitting my last child yet,” his mother said. She took a sip of her coffee, her eyes almost glowing over the rim.

He decided to play with her. “Maybe. I guess the next question is if my mother would approve of her? We know she didn’t my last serious girlfriend.”

His mother frowned. “I thought we said we weren’t bringing up Brynn’s name in this house anymore.”

He laughed. He could now. It was in the past.

“I didn’t bring her name up,” he said. “You did.”

“Fair point,” his mother said. “As for Laine, I told you I think she’s a lovely young lady so full of life. She’s funny and sweet and caring. She wants to see this island thrive. She’s committed to her life here too. One dinner and a vase and you are asking if I approve? There has to be more going on with this.”

“Not really,” he said. He told her about the list that Laine had. Why she had it too. He figured it wasn’t a secret, but he’d cleared it all with her at dinner.

“That sounds like it’s something you need in your life, Carson,” his mother said. “Someone to ground you rather than make you run. I worried you might be rushing.”

“No rushing,” he said. “Learned my lesson. This is exactly what I said. What you said. Fun. We had a good time together and now she has someone to do a lot of her activities with.”

“Oh,” his mother said. “That is all it is?”

“I guess we’ll find out,” he said. “I think it’s more in both of our eyes, but you know, the no rushing thing goes on both of our parts.”

“Good. That makes me happy.”

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