stopped being a mother to my son."
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You didn't."
She patted his hand closest to her with her own. "Yes, I did. But, I promise, I won't ever do it again."
He knew his mother wouldn't break a promise she made to him. But, nothing she'd done had scarred him. It was his own fear of hurting a woman the way his father had her, as well as, the slim chance that someone might hurt him. "I don't know what to do, but I can't stop thinking about her."
"Son, a divorce can be difficult for a woman. People who've never been through it can't really understand what I mean. Right now, aside from a broken heart, she's letting go of the dream she had with her ex-husband. Family. Children. Whatever her dream was." His mother's gaze drifted off into the distance before she refocused on him. "She probably doesn't trust men and isn't sure if it's worth it to go through it all again."
"I know she cares for me, but she's scared." He closed his eyes and listened to the pianist. The soloist's soft sad music bounced through the empty halls of The Peabody. "What if I can't be a good man to her?" If he could confess his fears to his mother and to himself, maybe he could proclaim his feelings to Darling.
"I was scared. I didn't want to feel that way again, ever. As a mom, I didn't want anyone to hurt my son. What if you would've lost not only your father, but a step-father? I couldn't do it." She paused. "Can you be her friend and expect nothing?"
He searched his heart and ignored the argument his body put up in disagreement. "I want to be whatever she needs. Whatever she'll allow me to be."
"All those years ago, I needed a friend. Too many men wanted money..." She cleared her throat. "…Companionship, but no one wanted a no-strings-attached friendship."
"Be her friend?" he asked. How was he supposed to be only a friend to a beautiful sexy woman that filled his dreams every night?
"Listen to her. Be there for her. Don't try to be her hero or her prince charming. Why do men always think a woman needs rescuing?" she asked rhetorically. "You don't know what this other man did to her, or what her dreams with him were. Let her know how wonderful a man you are." She smiled. "Show her the man I know and she'll love you as much as I do."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
B arbara had wasted too many weekends reviewing reports for upcoming tradeshows at Slater Enterprises watching Jaxon and waiting on the perfect opportunity. The bang of the overloaded box to the thinly carpeted floor ricocheted through the empty hallways. A happy tingle shot threw her as she dragged the box stuffed with brochures and useless trinkets.
Jaxon rounded the corner and rushed toward her. As he neared, shock or confusion clouded his expression. He slowed his approach. "Barbara, what are you doing here on a weekend?" he asked as he assisted her with the load she dragged.
She marveled at how easily he lifted the box and stacked it on top of another case lined up against a nearby wall.
"I needed to ship out a few more things for the tradeshow next week." The simplicity of her plan pleased her. She stifled a smile. "Instead of shipping all these." She waved her arm in the direction of the various boxes she'd filled and labeled. "I can drop some off with Darling."
"Does she need to carry it with her?"
No, but there's no other way to get him to Darling's house. She hadn't seen the woman who'd visited with his mother in weeks, so maybe there was still a chance for her. And when he sees Darling's neighborhood and her parents, he'll see she's not the right woman. There's no way she would fit into his life better than her. "She doesn't need the stuff for the booth. But, I pulled together packages of brochures and other items that she can use."
"What would she use them for?"
How many questions will he ask? Rodney would never have questioned her. All she ever needed to do was flash a little
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You didn't."
She patted his hand closest to her with her own. "Yes, I did. But, I promise, I won't ever do it again."
He knew his mother wouldn't break a promise she made to him. But, nothing she'd done had scarred him. It was his own fear of hurting a woman the way his father had her, as well as, the slim chance that someone might hurt him. "I don't know what to do, but I can't stop thinking about her."
"Son, a divorce can be difficult for a woman. People who've never been through it can't really understand what I mean. Right now, aside from a broken heart, she's letting go of the dream she had with her ex-husband. Family. Children. Whatever her dream was." His mother's gaze drifted off into the distance before she refocused on him. "She probably doesn't trust men and isn't sure if it's worth it to go through it all again."
"I know she cares for me, but she's scared." He closed his eyes and listened to the pianist. The soloist's soft sad music bounced through the empty halls of The Peabody. "What if I can't be a good man to her?" If he could confess his fears to his mother and to himself, maybe he could proclaim his feelings to Darling.
"I was scared. I didn't want to feel that way again, ever. As a mom, I didn't want anyone to hurt my son. What if you would've lost not only your father, but a step-father? I couldn't do it." She paused. "Can you be her friend and expect nothing?"
He searched his heart and ignored the argument his body put up in disagreement. "I want to be whatever she needs. Whatever she'll allow me to be."
"All those years ago, I needed a friend. Too many men wanted money..." She cleared her throat. "…Companionship, but no one wanted a no-strings-attached friendship."
"Be her friend?" he asked. How was he supposed to be only a friend to a beautiful sexy woman that filled his dreams every night?
"Listen to her. Be there for her. Don't try to be her hero or her prince charming. Why do men always think a woman needs rescuing?" she asked rhetorically. "You don't know what this other man did to her, or what her dreams with him were. Let her know how wonderful a man you are." She smiled. "Show her the man I know and she'll love you as much as I do."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
B arbara had wasted too many weekends reviewing reports for upcoming tradeshows at Slater Enterprises watching Jaxon and waiting on the perfect opportunity. The bang of the overloaded box to the thinly carpeted floor ricocheted through the empty hallways. A happy tingle shot threw her as she dragged the box stuffed with brochures and useless trinkets.
Jaxon rounded the corner and rushed toward her. As he neared, shock or confusion clouded his expression. He slowed his approach. "Barbara, what are you doing here on a weekend?" he asked as he assisted her with the load she dragged.
She marveled at how easily he lifted the box and stacked it on top of another case lined up against a nearby wall.
"I needed to ship out a few more things for the tradeshow next week." The simplicity of her plan pleased her. She stifled a smile. "Instead of shipping all these." She waved her arm in the direction of the various boxes she'd filled and labeled. "I can drop some off with Darling."
"Does she need to carry it with her?"
No, but there's no other way to get him to Darling's house. She hadn't seen the woman who'd visited with his mother in weeks, so maybe there was still a chance for her. And when he sees Darling's neighborhood and her parents, he'll see she's not the right woman. There's no way she would fit into his life better than her. "She doesn't need the stuff for the booth. But, I pulled together packages of brochures and other items that she can use."
"What would she use them for?"
How many questions will he ask? Rodney would never have questioned her. All she ever needed to do was flash a little
Similar Books
