could banish it from her thoughts, but every once in a while it hit her—hard.
"You didn't cause anything. It's just that . . . well . . ."
He took her hand and squeezed it. "Don't try to explain anything, Paula. It's not my desire to ever put you on the spot. I want you to have fun when you're with me, not be miserable."
"I had fun."
One last squeeze and he dropped her hand. "Okay, I'll get you home now. Mind if I call you soon?"
"Can you wait a couple of days?"
She studied his profile and saw his jaw tighten before he gave a clipped nod. "Sure, if that's what you want, I can wait."
As soon as they turned the corner and her house was in view, Nick pointed to the car in front of it. "Are you expecting company?"
6
N ot that I know of. Why did you slow down?"
Nick sped up and pulled into the driveway behind the car. "Who do you know that drives a Lexus?"
Paula squinted. "The windows are so dark I can't make out who it is, but the hair is big so I'll venture a guess and say it's my mom." She held back the fact that her mother had always wanted a Lexus, but Paula managed to talk her out of it.
She heard Nick mumbling something, but she didn't stick around to hear what he said. She hopped out and walked straight over to the driver's side of the strange car.
Yep, it was her mom. As tempted as she was to yank open the door, she refrained. Instead, she folded her arms and stared at the silhouette until the window lowered.
"Hi, honey. Surprised?"
"Um . . . not really. What's wrong this time?"
"Why do you always have to be so negative?" Without waiting for an answer, her mother raised the window, got out of the car, and nodded toward the Town Car behind her. "Is that Nick?"
"Answer my question first. Why are you here?"
"Do I have to have a reason to visit my daughter . . . my only child?"
Paula worked hard to resist a good eye roll. "Come on in and I'll fix you something to eat. But first I have to get some stuff out of the car." She glanced over her shoulder then looked back at her mother. "Yes, by the way, that is Nick."
"Anything I need to know about?"
"No, nothing."
After Paula turned and walked toward Nick, he got out and helped her with the bags of food. "Need any help?" he whispered.
"Nah, I'll be fine. Last time she did this, all she needed was a little money to get something for Mack."
He squinted his eyes at the Lexus then looked back at her. "Doesn't look to me like she needs money."
"Nick."
He shook his head. "Sorry."
Paula saw Nick's jaw tighten. And she was glad he didn't tell her what else he was thinking. He didn't have to. She already knew. The only person Nick didn't seem to care for was her mother, who tried to charm him but failed because of the way she treated the one person who needed her most.
"Hey, Nick. You're looking good. Military life certainly agrees with you. Did you resign?"
Paula bristled at the flirty tone of her mother's voice. "Nick's on leave for a few weeks."
The bags Nick carried into the house weren't heavy, but his grunts made it sound like he was toting an elephant. "I'll just put these on the kitchen counter. It was nice seeing you, Mrs.. . . , uh . . ."
"Bonnie. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Bonnie?"
He forced a tight smile. "Nice to see you again, Bonnie." Then he glanced at Paula. "Call if you need me. I'm taking Mama to St. Nick's, but when I get out, I'll have my cell phone on."
After the front door closed behind him, Paula turned to face her mother. "Okay, Mom, what's up?"
Her mother fidgeted with her purse for a few seconds and shuffled toward the bags. "I thought you said you'd fix me something to eat. I'm starving. I drove straight here from Birmingham."
"Okay, sit down. I'll get it for you. Tea?"
"Yes, of course."
Paula valued the few moments of silence as she prepared a plate for her mother and put everything else in the refrigerator. She poured a couple glasses of tea and sat down at the table.
"This is delicious. Which one of
"You didn't cause anything. It's just that . . . well . . ."
He took her hand and squeezed it. "Don't try to explain anything, Paula. It's not my desire to ever put you on the spot. I want you to have fun when you're with me, not be miserable."
"I had fun."
One last squeeze and he dropped her hand. "Okay, I'll get you home now. Mind if I call you soon?"
"Can you wait a couple of days?"
She studied his profile and saw his jaw tighten before he gave a clipped nod. "Sure, if that's what you want, I can wait."
As soon as they turned the corner and her house was in view, Nick pointed to the car in front of it. "Are you expecting company?"
6
N ot that I know of. Why did you slow down?"
Nick sped up and pulled into the driveway behind the car. "Who do you know that drives a Lexus?"
Paula squinted. "The windows are so dark I can't make out who it is, but the hair is big so I'll venture a guess and say it's my mom." She held back the fact that her mother had always wanted a Lexus, but Paula managed to talk her out of it.
She heard Nick mumbling something, but she didn't stick around to hear what he said. She hopped out and walked straight over to the driver's side of the strange car.
Yep, it was her mom. As tempted as she was to yank open the door, she refrained. Instead, she folded her arms and stared at the silhouette until the window lowered.
"Hi, honey. Surprised?"
"Um . . . not really. What's wrong this time?"
"Why do you always have to be so negative?" Without waiting for an answer, her mother raised the window, got out of the car, and nodded toward the Town Car behind her. "Is that Nick?"
"Answer my question first. Why are you here?"
"Do I have to have a reason to visit my daughter . . . my only child?"
Paula worked hard to resist a good eye roll. "Come on in and I'll fix you something to eat. But first I have to get some stuff out of the car." She glanced over her shoulder then looked back at her mother. "Yes, by the way, that is Nick."
"Anything I need to know about?"
"No, nothing."
After Paula turned and walked toward Nick, he got out and helped her with the bags of food. "Need any help?" he whispered.
"Nah, I'll be fine. Last time she did this, all she needed was a little money to get something for Mack."
He squinted his eyes at the Lexus then looked back at her. "Doesn't look to me like she needs money."
"Nick."
He shook his head. "Sorry."
Paula saw Nick's jaw tighten. And she was glad he didn't tell her what else he was thinking. He didn't have to. She already knew. The only person Nick didn't seem to care for was her mother, who tried to charm him but failed because of the way she treated the one person who needed her most.
"Hey, Nick. You're looking good. Military life certainly agrees with you. Did you resign?"
Paula bristled at the flirty tone of her mother's voice. "Nick's on leave for a few weeks."
The bags Nick carried into the house weren't heavy, but his grunts made it sound like he was toting an elephant. "I'll just put these on the kitchen counter. It was nice seeing you, Mrs.. . . , uh . . ."
"Bonnie. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Bonnie?"
He forced a tight smile. "Nice to see you again, Bonnie." Then he glanced at Paula. "Call if you need me. I'm taking Mama to St. Nick's, but when I get out, I'll have my cell phone on."
After the front door closed behind him, Paula turned to face her mother. "Okay, Mom, what's up?"
Her mother fidgeted with her purse for a few seconds and shuffled toward the bags. "I thought you said you'd fix me something to eat. I'm starving. I drove straight here from Birmingham."
"Okay, sit down. I'll get it for you. Tea?"
"Yes, of course."
Paula valued the few moments of silence as she prepared a plate for her mother and put everything else in the refrigerator. She poured a couple glasses of tea and sat down at the table.
"This is delicious. Which one of
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