Wicked Force (Wicked Horse Vegas #4.5)(30)
“Mom,” I say as I reach forward to take her hands. They’re ice cold and I give them a squeeze. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
“Oh my God,” she moans as she pulls her hands away and looks at me in horror. “You’re pregnant?”
“What? No. That’s ridiculous.”
She doesn’t look relieved by my adamant denial. There’s no way I can sugar coat this either, so I go all in.
“I’m seeing Kynan McGrath,” I tell her with my spine straight and my chin lifted proudly. “We’re in a relationship. A serious one and well... that’s who I have plans with tonight. They had already been made first, you see, so I can’t cancel. If Ian had called ahead of time or checked—”
“Joslyn Rae Meyers,” she hisses through her teeth. “This is not funny at all.”
I pull myself up and throw my shoulders back, resolved to defend myself and my feelings for Kynan. “I am not saying it to be funny. I think I’m falling in love with him. In fact, I’ve never felt this way before and—”
“Of course you’ve never felt this way before,” she snaps. “You’re nineteen. You know nothing of the world and men and love. Trust me, something better than him will come along one day.”
“No, it won’t,” I say softly but with determination enunciating every syllable. “I know you must think me young and foolish, but he is the one for me and nothing you say will change it.”
My mom waves her hand at me dismissively and gives me her back, walking toward the kitchen. “Don’t be silly, Joslyn. I’m sure you were an easy target for him. I have to say though, I’m incredibly disappointed in this company. Assigning someone like that to your protection. I’m sure he took advantage of you and your vulnerability.”
I follow her into the kitchen, my blood boiling so hot I feel I could detonate as she talks.
She picks up her phone and says, “I’m going to call them right now and terminate our services. We can find someone else tomorrow.”
“Mom,” I snap at her but she ignores me.
Instead, she flips through her contacts and keeps talking. “Yes, I’m quite sure he took advantage of you.”
“He did not,” I yell at her and snatch the phone from her hands. My mom blanches and blinks at me in surprise as her mouth forms into a tiny “O.” “I made the first move. I asked him to kiss me, but before that, we had become really good friends. This isn’t some passing fancy for me. It’s real.”
She stands still, rooted to the spot. The paleness of her complexion recedes and starts turning red over my audacity. I press my advantage while I can. “You don’t have to worry about having him fired. He’s resigning.”
And now, she seems to not have anything to say. My mom merely stands there and just stares at me as if she has no clue who I am. Has no idea what I just said.
I have nothing further to say, though, as I’ve said the most important part. That Kynan is now an important part of my life, and that he’s going to have priority with many things.
Finally, she speaks and it’s with a voice so quiet, I can barely hear her. “I don’t like this, Joslyn. You have a career that is getting ready to skyrocket. Whatever Ian has for us, I think it’s bigger than you ever dared dream. You have to be ready to make a big move and if you’re involved with someone, it will tie you down. It will diminish your dreams.”
“No, it won’t.” I immediately put forth my denial.
“Yes, it will,” she says sadly. “It will distract you. Trust me, I know. I remember what young love was like. Also trust this... this is not the best thing for you right now.”
I inhale a deep breath, hold it a moment, and ask for peace to fill me. After I exhale, I tell her, “You can’t dictate what my heart feels. You can’t have sole discretion to decide what’s best for me. Now, I can’t expect you to understand what’s inside me because even I can’t put it quite into intelligible words, but I do expect you—as my mother—to respect my feelings. If you can’t do that, Mom, we are going to have issues going forward.”
I did it. For the first time in my singing career, I’ve just stood up to my business manager—or mom—however you choose to look at it. I staked my position and I’m not budging.
As she considers what I said, she must see something in my bearing that leads her to believe what I’m saying. That makes her understand that I can’t be pushed right now, and I’m not going to relent where Kynan is concerned. It may be new to me, but that makes it all the more precious and I must protect it.
“Okay,” she says with a slow nod of her head and a forced smile. “Fine. Date Kynan. I hope it brings you great joy. But please, please... do me the favor of not standing Ian up tonight. This is too important to blow off and if you and Kynan really care for each other, you’ll have thousands of other opportunities to go out to dinner with him. If you don’t see Ian tonight, you may never have another chance again.”
My body sags with relief because I caught the most important words she could have given me.
Fine. Date Kynan.
I have her blessing on that and she respects that he’s important to me.
That makes me feel generous and also because I know she’s right, I can’t miss what could be the meeting of a lifetime in regard to my career, I give her back a little peace of mind. “Of course I’ll come to dinner tonight. I can’t pass up this opportunity and Mom... I am excited about this. Thank you for working so hard to make it happen.”