Bitter Sweet Heart (Lies, Hearts & Truths #2)(119)

She rushes out to meet us. Her hands flutter around in the air and then she takes my free one in hers.

“Mom, careful, please,” Maverick chastises.

She looks down at my bandaged arm and releases my hand. “Oh, God. You poor thing. Are you okay? You should sit down.” She shoots a look over her shoulder at Alex, who’s wearing a grimace. “You didn’t tell me it was like this.”

He grips the back of his chair. “I didn’t really have much of an opportunity to explain, did I?”

She turns back, envelops me in a gentle hug, and whispers, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Something in her tone and her unexpected affection tips the emotional scale, and much to my horror, a quiet sob works its way up my throat. I realize then that I’ve been in a state of shock. I haven’t even called Sophia to tell her what happened, or my parents. I’ve been in a tiny bubble, wading through my own disbelief and fears, trying to understand how all of this happened. And worrying about how my boyfriend’s mother is going to feel about my presence in her home. We might not need her permission to date, but Mav is so close to his family, and I want their acceptance on top of everything else.

“You must have been so brave.” She gives me a soft squeeze before she releases me. When she steps back, her eyes go wide in horror. “Oh, God. Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m fine. Just emotional. It’s been an intense twenty-four hours.”

“Of course, it has. And now you’re staying with your potential future in-laws while the nightmare you’ve been through gets sorted out, and our first and second introductions probably weren’t the best representation of either of us. I’d have the moops, for sure.”

“Mom.”

She looks at Maverick, whose expression reflects horror.

“What?”

“Can you be less . . .” His hands flail as he searches for the right word.

“No, honey. I can’t be less. It’s both part of my charm and the reason all of my children need therapy.” She gives him what looks to be a semi-apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I hope you’ll still visit me in the retirement home when I’m old and making penises out of clay during craft time.”

I choke on a laugh. Maverick wasn’t lying about his mother, or exaggerating. Not even a little bit.

“My lack of filter only gets worse with age. By the time I’m in my sixties, I have a feeling the only child who will willingly be seen in public with me is my daughter.” Violet pats my shoulder. “Come on, let’s sit down. Can I get you a glass of wine? Maybe a bottle with a straw?” She takes me by the elbow and guides me to the table. “Maverick, there’s a bottle of white in the fridge and a red on the counter. Bring them both out, please.”

Dinner is not what I expected. At all. I don’t get the third degree from his mother. No one pushes me to talk about Gabriel. In fact, the only time it’s brought up is when Alex mentions that the security company he uses is going to install cameras and invisible fences along the perimeter of my property, and that he’d like to cover the cost.

And when Violet eventually mentions Nashville and asks what Maverick’s thoughts are on the offer, she listens to what he has to say and doesn’t push him one way or the other. Instead, she tells him to weigh the pros and cons before he makes a final decision.

After we finish, Alex and Maverick clear the dishes and put away the leftovers, leaving me and his mother alone for a few minutes.

“Thank you for being so hospitable,” I tell her. “I know this can’t be easy for you—not with your daughter in New York and Maverick making big decisions about his future, and here I am turning everything upside down.”

She hums a quiet laugh and picks up one of the napkins Maverick turned into a crane. “I don’t think you’re the one turning everything upside down, Clover. Alex filled me in on what happened yesterday, and while the circumstances are certainly less than ideal, you are not the reason your ex-husband did what he did.” She blows out a breath. “That must have been terrifying for you.”

“I’m still processing, if I’m going to be quite honest.”

“That seems reasonable, all things considered.” She smiles sadly and rubs her bottom lip with her fingertips. Her nails are painted lavender, with little white hearts decorating them. “I’ve had some time to think about what you said at Maverick’s convocation. It’s hard not to be protective of your children, even when they’re adults. He’ll always be my little boy, even though he weighs twice what I do and has more than a foot on me. And it’s hard, as a mother, to realize that you’ve failed your child. It’s the last thing I ever wanted to do.” She reaches for another napkin and dabs at her eyes.

“You didn’t fail him, Violet.”

“I did, though. I should have seen it—what he was doing, how he wasn’t dealing with things. He’s always been very much his name, and yet totally the opposite. He’s had to balance so many different roles. He’s such a good man. And it breaks my heart that he’s been carrying around so much guilt over something that wasn’t his fault, and that he’s felt compelled to step into shoes he never wanted to fill.”

“Maverick is very good at showing people what they want to see,” I tell her. “And until recently, he’s always put himself last. It’s his nature to protect and to care for people. That’s who he is, and you and Alex have done a great job of giving him a stable and loving family he can rely on. Trust the job you’ve done. He’s never made any decision without fully weighing the consequences.”