with way too many calories in front of them, Grace said, “Anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”
Lex shook her head.
Bronwyn sighed and stuffed her mouth full of ice cream.
“Does anyone mind if I talk?” Grace asked.
Lex shrugged one shoulder and Bronwyn nodded her agreement.
“Okay then. Without knowing the specifics of the argument, I think that relationships are hard enough to navigate and letting parents come between you is a hurdle you don’t need.”
“We can’t just ignore our parents, though,” Bronwyn said. “What is Lex going to do, just cut her mother out of her life? Neither of them wants that.”
Lex sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t say anything.
“It’s not what I want either.” Grace reached across the table and took Lex’s hand and squeezed it. “But, Bron, it’s not my decision, and it’s not yours either. Lex needs to decide what she needs from her mother. If she needs to talk to Alyssa and get everything off her chest, then so be it. Or if she just needs space for a while to be mad and try to deal with all those feelings of rejection, then we need to give her that space. Feeling as if your parents don’t accept who you are can be traumatic.”
Bronwyn put her spoon down and leaned back in her chair. After covering her face with her hands, she mumbled something.
“Bron?” Grace asked. “Are you okay?”
She dropped her hands, and her dark eyes were shining with unshed tears. “It’s just so hard to see her hurting. I love her so much. I just want to fix it for her.”
Lex let out a tiny sob and reached for her girlfriend. “I love you, too,” she blurted, clinging to her. “I know you’re just trying to help. Don’t cry.”
“It’s just that talking always works with my mom. I figured it could work with yours too.”
Both Grace and Lex let out humorless barks of laughter.
Bronwyn glanced between the two of them. “I’m guessing by your reactions that’s not at all the case?”
Grace shook her head while Lex said, “Not even close. My mother lives in her own world view of what she wants. Finding common ground is nearly impossible these days.”
As the two women discussed Alyssa and her dysfunctional relationships, Grace picked up her uneaten bowl of ice cream and said, “I’m taking my dessert and heading to bed. You two have a good night, okay?”
“You, too,” Bronwyn said.
“Grace?” Lex called just before she turned down the hall.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for—” She waved a hand between herself and Bronwyn. Grace knew they still had things to work out, but they’d get through it now that they were communicating.
“Anytime. Glad I could help.”
“And sorry you didn’t get to Netflix and chill. Maybe next time put a sock on the front door as a warning.” The two of them giggled.
Grace rolled her eyes. Netflix and chill. Two months ago, Grace had actually thought that phrase meant watching a movie and relaxing. Now she knew it was code for hooking up. “Next time I have the opportunity to get my groove back, I’m going to get the locks changed. No sock needed.”
Their giggles turned into full-blown laughter while Grace disappeared down the hallway, wondering what Owen was doing at that moment. He certainly wasn’t conducting amateur therapy sessions. Had he still been worked up when he got home? Had he whipped out the porn or jumped into the shower for some personal time? Damn, it was hot imagining him wet in the shower with his hand wrapped around himself as he thought of her.
Her core body temperature ratcheted up, but for the first time in forever, she knew it wasn’t a hot flash, just pure desire. She flopped down on her bed, shoved another bite of ice cream in her mouth, and considered texting Owen.
But as soon as she typed out the text, she deleted it. Then she went to take her own shower, determined to wash away the faint scent of desperation.
Chapter Eleven
“Mr. Dahl?” Grace asked, striding up to a booth in the Pointe of View Café where a tall, silver-haired man sat in jeans and a tight black T-shirt. Sun shone through the window, illuminating his green eyes, and Grace couldn’t help but admire him. She wouldn’t say he was sexy, more like alluring. He had an air about him that just made her want to sit down and learn his life story. Instead, she needed to learn his real estate needs so that she could find him