over my son’s safety? Making a mental note to find out who the previous property owners were, I smiled for Stacy and hoped to ease her mind.
“Just let me know if you start to feel uncomfortable with his advances, okay? I’m sure a few words with me would change his tune really fast.”
“Thank you, but until that deed is in my hand, I’m just going to go as long as possible without making anyone angry. I’ll keep turning him down and avoiding him unless there is an audience of people.”
I frowned, “I still don’t like it, but I won’t push the issues, just as soon as you promise me that you’ll tell me when he starts to make you uncomfortable.”
“If I can’t handle it, I will let you know, okay? I’m just trying to fly under the radar as much as possible right now, and honestly, spending time with a Wheeler isn’t helping things.”
“I know. My mother is pretty curious about what’s been going on as well. She’s cornered me a few times. I won’t be able to keep her in the dark much longer.”
Stacy shifted uneasily. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for us to talk about. I didn’t want her to be blindsided by my mother, either. If we didn’t talk about things and communicate, parenting together was never going to work. Each new day was a fresh start and a new challenge that we would need to work through. Sooner or later, Stacy would see that as well.
“Don’t you think it’s a little bit soon to be telling your mother you have a son?” She asked. “Listen, I know that this is all new and exciting, but the second the cats out of the bag, we are going to need to do a lot of coordinating between families, and I’m not sure that I’m ready for that. I don’t know what I’m ready for.”
“It’s not the ideal time, but he’s not going to become any less of my son. At least if she knows, she’ll get off my back for a while so we can sort things out.”
“And what if we can’t sort it out?” Stacy asked. “What if I get a job offer in New York or Los Angeles? Just because things are going good now, doesn’t mean that will always be the case.”
“Do you think that could happen?” I asked. “Are you looking for a job somewhere else? This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
“Well, no, but it could still happen. You are only looking at the immediate future. I need to think about the extended future too. Your mother knowing just seems like a lot.”
I had to take a deep breath and turn away from her, my sight landing just beyond the trees to the waterfall. It had brought me many moments of pure mindless bliss. Now it seemed like I needed to draw from its calming effects once more. Stacy had spent the last several years working for her life and Harrison's on her own. Having a support system would be an adjustment like everything else. I just needed to stay patient.
“Why don’t we do dinner tomorrow with Hailey and Jackson, and we can talk again after that?” I offered.
Relief washed across her face as she nodded.
“That sounds like a good plan, I’m looking forward to it.”
Without another word, she climbed into her truck and pulled away. It took all of my self-control not to wrap her in my arms and feel her warmth. Every time I followed that instinct, though, it seemed to set us two steps back. As much as I wanted her body, my desire was going to have to wait until our relationship was stable. My son had to come first.
18
Chapter Seventeen (Stacy)
I was more excited than I’d anticipated in the hours leading up to our double date with Hailey and her husband. Matty had informed me that calling it anything other than a date was just lying to myself. With a bit of a grudge, I ended up agreeing with her. I’d been out more times with Walker in those past few weeks than I had in the years since becoming a single mother.
My life had changed so much in just a few months, and my head still reeled from it on occasion. With a final look in my bedroom mirror, I headed for the living room. Harrison was happy to be enjoying a sleepover with my parents, and Matty was camped out on the