Chapter 36

GEORGE

“How was the rest of the afternoon?” I sat on the couch, massaging Hannah’s feet as Mom took yet another fortunately timed shower. I was beginning to think she was purposefully timing them so Hannah and I could have some alone time, because I could have sworn she usually showered in the morning, and typically only once a day.

“Good!” Hannah grinned. “I scored myself an invite to the book club next week.”

I looked up sharply from Hannah’s feet. “Really?”

Hannah laughed. “Yes. I know you suggested it as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. It’ll be nice to talk about books from a reader”s perspective. And just because they’re all a lot older than me doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I mean, you get on really well with your mom, and she’s in her sixties. And Barb is in her eighties, and she’s one of my closest friends.”

“Well, in that case, I love it,” I said.

“Here, let’s swap. You were on your feet all day. At least I had the morning off.” Hannah pulled her feet off my lap and gestured for me to put mine on hers. Hannah had again insisted that Mom and I stop working after the lunch rush, so we’d driven to the open-air sculpture park and spent the afternoon walking around it.

“How did it go?” I worried for a moment that Hannah wouldn’t know what I meant, but she knew immediately what I was referring to.

“The therapy session was really good. I’ve already booked another three for the next few weeks.”

“That’s great, babe.” I stifled a moan as Hannah massaged the heel of my left foot, sending warm tingles up my leg.

I felt so proud of the progress she was making. And our conversation last night felt cathartic. We’d both confessed our major relationship insecurities and met each other with support and understanding. Any doubts I’d had about Hannah in the past few days had completely evaporated. She’d cut her trip short to make sure I was okay and was clearly invested in her life in Sapphire Springs. I couldn’t see her abandoning me to court publicity and fame as Mom had implied.

Which reminded me. While Mom and Hannah had been getting along well, they hadn’t had a chance to get to properly know each other yet. I still sensed Mom had some reservations about Hannah, but I was convinced that if they spent some time together, just the two of them, they’d hit it off, and any worries Mom had would fade away.

“Hey, are you still up for a bonding baking session with Mom? I thought tonight could be a good opportunity since the cake I have planned is fairly simple—my blueberry-lemon cake. But no pressure if you’re not. I know there’s been a lot going on in the past few days.”

Hannah smiled at me as she focused her attention on my arch, sending off another wave of pleasurable sensations. “Yes, of course.”

“Excellent,” I said. Now all I needed was to get Mom onboard.

After Mom was out of the shower and we’d finished dinner, I enacted my scheme.

“I really need to take Max on a walk tonight. Would you two mind getting started on the cake of the day while I’m out?” I fought the urge to wink at Hannah.

“Why don’t you two go out with Max, and I’ll take care of the cake?” Mom asked, clearly trying to be helpful. My heart sank.

I racked my brain for a reason why that would be a terrible idea.

Thankfully, Hannah stepped in. “That’s okay. I’d love to do it with you, Helen, if you don’t mind.” She smiled shyly at Mom.

“Excellent! Well, we’ll be off. See you in a bit!” I grabbed Max’s leash and my keys off the hall table and headed downstairs before Mom had a chance to respond.

I spent the next hour walking Max down Main Street, along the river, and then up through a warren of smaller residential streets, extending our route much longer than usual. While I’d felt confident in my plan when I’d left, as we walked, I couldn’t help wondering if it could backfire. I knew how much Mom cared about me. Was there any chance she might voice her concerns directly to Hannah with the misguided view that she was protecting me? I picked up my pace at the thought.

“Let’s head home, little fella,” I said to Max, who pricked up his ears, clearly tired of our marathon trundle.

As we walked up the stairs to my apartment, I heard a clatter of metal and some raised voices. Shit, shit, shit! My pulse pounded in my ears. Surely it hadn’t gone so badly it’d devolved into a shouting and pan-throwing match?

I ran up the rest of the stairs, sweating more than I had all through my walk.

My hands shook as I opened the apartment door and then raced to the kitchen.

I paused at the kitchen entrance and let out a deep breath. Mom and Hannah were standing side by side at the sink, Hannah washing the dishes and Mom drying them as they chatted. Two of my favorite people in the world seemed to be getting along just fine. But the noises I’d heard on the stairs had been concerning.

“Is everything okay in here? I heard some loud noises as I was coming in.”

“Everything is excellent.” Mom turned, smiling at me. “The cake is in the oven, we’ve nearly finished washing up, and your lovely girlfriend was just telling me about your kayaking incident, which made me laugh so hard I dropped a pan on my foot. Good thing I was wearing my shoes, or it really would have hurt.”

I leaned back against the kitchen counter, warmth filling my chest. It seemed like my scheme to bring Mom and Hannah together hadn’t been a half-baked plan after all.