Rush: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 1)(46)

“When I get back to town, I want to take you out again.”

“I’d like that.” He couldn’t possibly understand how much. “And thanks for breakfast.”

“Anytime.” The word is a rumble, which stirs electrical currents in my belly. Those butterflies better look out.

A knock on the window causes me to jump. I spin around to see my daughter’s face pressed up against the glass. She’s grinning wildly while her nose is flattened on the window. She’s such a nerd.

Kingston chuckles.

“I guess I should go in.” I don’t want to, but now that Bianca has busted me making out with Kingston, I probably have some questions to answer.

“Text me later?”

I’m grinning like a fool. I feel like a teenager again. “I can do that.”

But first, I definitely have to have a conversation with Bianca.

“Can you make me and Gabby grilled cheese?” Bianca asks when I follow her into the house.

“Of course. How many?”

“One and a half!” Bianca beams. “Each.”

After setting my purse on the counter, I get to work making lunch for the girls. Bread, butter, cheese … the sandwiches are easy, but I refuse to only feed my kid grease (although it is delicious), so I pull out a container of cantaloupe and grapes, drop some on a plate, and put it on the bar in front of them.

I notice Bianca is watching me closely and Gabby is giggling to herself. I don’t know how to approach the subject of Kingston, not sure even how to explain it, but I try to come up with something while I work.

Bianca makes it not awkward at all with her outburst. “So, do you love Mount Rushmore, or what?”

I peer at her over my extremely tense shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

“Y’all were playing kissy face in his truck. I’ve never seen you play kissy face with anyone. Do you love him?”

I chuckle at her description. “I like him,” I explain.

“So, you’re dating him?”

Technically, yes I am, so I nod. “I guess you could say I am.”

“Oooh! My mommy is dating a hockey player!”

“Oh, hush.” I’m giggling at this point, and I feel like a kid again.

I dish up their sandwiches and deliver them to the bar, waiting to see what else my kid will say. She surprises me at that point.

“He’s really cool, Mom. And I know he likes you. Be nice to him, huh?”

My eyes are wide with disbelief as I stare at her, confused.

“You’re not big into dating, in case you haven’t noticed.”

No, I’m not. That’s true.

“Kingston’s a good guy. I don’t want you to break his heart.”

That drags a laugh from me. I don’t think Kingston’s heart is the one we should be worried about here, but I don’t tell her that. “I promise I’ll be nice to him.”

“Good.”

And just like that, the subject is closed. Bianca turns to Gabby, and they start chattering about hair colors while I stare at my daughter, trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

I’m pretty sure I just got schooled in romance by a twelve-year-old.





Bianca

“Are you happy that your mom’s dating Kingston?” Gabby asks when we’re sitting in my bedroom.

I close the lid on my laptop, then turn to face her. She’s sitting crisscross on my bed, and I’m in my desk chair. We’ve been trying to come up with something to do other than sit here and stare at the Facebook post that clearly hasn’t been seen by my dad.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it looks like your mom really likes Kingston. And like I said, that’s really cool and all, but what happens if your real dad comes back? What will he think about that?”

I shrug. I don’t know what he will think.

“I mean, everyone is talking about it. What if your dad sees your post, then figures out that your mom is dating a hockey player? What if he decides not to call her because of that?”

I prop my feet up on my bed and cross my arms over my chest, staring at Gabby. “What are you saying?”

“What if your dad wants to only be with you if he can be with your mom, too?”

“Why would he want that?”

Gabby shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m just thinking. Kingston is famous.”

“So, because Kingston is famous, my dad wouldn’t want to get to know me?”

“Maybe. What if he wants to marry your mom so that y’all can be a family? If she’s with Kingston, he can’t do that.”

“I didn’t think about that.”

Gabby sits up straight. “I think it happens all the time. What about the people who get divorced and marry someone else? Like Patricia Honeywell. Her mom and dad got divorced, and her mom got married to someone else. Her dad stopped seeing her after that. She said he didn’t want to be around her mom if she was married to someone else.”

“But I like Kingston,” I tell her.

“I know. But what if your real dad doesn’t?” Gabby shrugs again. “I’m just sayin’.”

I don’t know what to say to that. It makes sense.

Kind of.