jerked my head over and attempted not to look like I hadn’t just been thinking of said man. My father groaned next to me as I waited for what he was going to say.
“Lord, the girl is obsessed with that man. She’s going to make me gray, I can see it now.”
“I’m still shocked by how open and affectionate she is with him. He’s so good with her and patient,” I stated.
“I think it’s from working around kids,” Ryan stated matter-of-factly. “I mean, look at his job. Kids are what keeps the man in business.”
“No,” I said, glaring at my mother. “It’s grandparents who want to spoil their grandkids who keep the man in business.”
She huffed. “Please, like it’s only the grandparents who are paying. Plenty of parents are spoiling their own kids.”
Ryan pointed to our mother. “Yeah, but they don’t have a busybody mother trying to fix them up with the builder of said playhouse.”
“Oh, son, you took it too far with the name calling,” Daddy said as my mother shot daggers at Ryan.
“If you prefer me to move my attention to you, dear son, I’m more than happy to fix you up on a few blind dates,” Momma said. “A number of women in my book club have single daughters.”
“Did I say busybody? I meant, the most caring and amazing mother ever, who is simply looking out for her daughter’s happiness.”
I snarled my lip at my brother. “Kiss up.”
He winked at me.
My phone rang and my mother glanced down at the same moment I did. “Speak of the devil.”
Sliding my finger across the screen to answer it, I quickly put the phone to my ear and got up from the table to take the call. I could feel the heat of my mother’s stare on my back.
“Hello?” I said, peeking back at her before I stepped out onto the sun porch.
“Hey, Saryn, this is Truitt.”
My chest did a little flutter and I tried to sound casual. “How are you this morning, Truitt?”
“In a bit of a pickle. Listen, Lee is on vacation in England and fell and broke her leg in two spots. She’s due to have surgery over there and won’t be back for another few weeks, at the least. I really need to get some of the decorations down for the rooms in Liliana’s playhouse, as well as the paint colors.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that. Mind if I ask who Lee is?”
“Shit, yeah sorry. She’s my cousin, and she works for me, doing the interior decorating and paint for the playhouses. I can build them, but when it comes to decorating them, she’s the go-to girl. I’ve got your playhouse and another one I’m making for a senator in Austin. That one is for a boy, Jack, and I can pretty much take care of that one, but Liliana’s, yeah, I’m thrown for a loop. I have a few ideas, but I could really use some help, and who better to ask than her mother?”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. When I looked up, I noticed my parents and Ryan were all staring at me. I dropped the smile and acted casual. “What do you need me to do?”
“I was hoping you and Liliana might go shopping with me today.”
For a moment I was stunned into silence. I wasn’t sure if it was from the anticipation of seeing him, which was crazy, or the fact that he had thought of Liliana in his invitation. Then again, the playhouse was for her, so of course he would invite her to come along. Or maybe he wanted her to come along so I wouldn’t think it was a date.
“Um…”
“If you have plans I’ll totally understand, I know it’s last minute, but today is about my only free day to get this done.”
“No, we don’t have any plans. Should I meet you somewhere?”
“I was thinking I’d just pick y’all up, if you don’t mind me driving with Liliana in the truck, that is.”
Good Lord, my stomach dropped. I’d never met a man who put such thought into my child and my feelings regarding things. It was so damn refreshing. “I don’t mind at all,” I said, barely above a whisper.
“Perfect, I’ll swing by in about an hour if that works for you. We can head to the Rim in San Antonio.”
“Sounds good.”
“See you soon, Saryn.”
The line went dead and I stood for a few moments, trying to let what had happened sink