Romancing My Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens) Contemporary Romance by Melissa Foster Page B

fault. While none of the Bradens had trouble getting dates, settling down hadn’t come easily or quickly for any of them. Treat and his five siblings had been well into their thirties before settling down, and while Emily, Ross, Jake, and Pierce were in their thirties and still single, two of their siblings had already dropped off the market.
    “Yeah, Max gets a kick out of seeing Jake in the rag mags with actresses on his arm. Reminds me of how Hugh was before he married Brianna.” Hugh, Treat’s youngest brother, was a professional race-car driver, and before marrying Brianna and becoming stepfather to her daughter, he’d also been a major player.
    “Hugh took me by surprise. I never thought he’d settle down.”
    “See? If Hugh can settle down, I have hope that you will one day, too. Don’t you ever look at my dad and wonder what you’re missing?” Treat asked with a serious tone. Treat’s mother, Adriana, had died when he was eleven, and his father, Hal, still exuded love for her with every breath he took.
    “Only every time I see him, Treat. If ever there was a man who deserved more than life handed him, it is Uncle Hal.” His throat thickened just thinking about the sadness in Hal’s eyes when he spoke of missing his wife.
    They made plans for dinner the following week, and after they ended the call, Pierce’s mind shifted from his cousins to Rebecca and the look in her eyes when she spoke of missing her mother. Pierce texted Rebecca before going into his meeting.
    Hey, gorgeous. Can’t wait to see you. P. He read the text a few times and decided it sounded cheesy. He deleted it and typed another one. Who’s meeting me tonight? Ronda or Rebecca? P.
     
    AFTER HITTING THE gym and thanking Andy profusely for connecting her with Chiara, Rebecca filled out a handful of retail applications, then headed across town to meet with Mr. Fralin, her previous landlord. She read the text from Pierce for the tenth time since it came in that morning. She’d been trying to think of a sassy response, but ever since they kissed— correction —ever since she kissed him , her thoughts had been one tangled mess. She wasn’t in a position to date. She was in a position to find a job and to collect her last paycheck so she could start looking for a room to rent.
    She stared at the phone and decided not to respond until she had more time to think. She was pretty sure, Both. Ronda can hold you down while I kiss you , wasn’t the most responsible answer she could give, even if it was what she wanted to say and do. Sorry, Mom. I know you must think I’ve turned into a slut, but he’s like a decadent dessert at a fine restaurant, incredibly tempting and probably worth every bit of guilt that is sure to follow. She sighed at the thought of not kissing Pierce again, then smiled, thinking of how her mother might really respond. Her mother believed in love, even if her love life had never panned out. She would never think Rebecca had turned into a slut. Mi dulce niña, don’t be silly. Enjoy the man. You deserve him.
     Okay, maybe the thoughts about not being silly were her mother’s, and the part about enjoying him was all Rebecca. But who was keeping track?
    Thinking like that just might get me into trouble .
    She shoved the phone in the glove compartment and headed into the apartment building.
    Village View Apartments weren’t located in the nicest part of town, and the banged-up, rusted cars in the parking lot were a testament to the inexpensive rent. But those things had nothing to do with what made a home for Rebecca and her mother. Their home wasn’t defined by its location or the material items within. Home was wherever they were, as long as they were together. Where they could relax and let their hair down. For Rebecca, hearing her mother’s easy, contagious laugh and the clank of dishes at odd hours when her mother got up with a dire need for sweets were some of the pleasures she associated with their home, along