Page 15 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)

A NICE SURPRISE

“ C an I bring some beer back with me?”

“You want to bring beer back home?” her brother Elias asked. “The ones you like? I’ve got some here.”

“A bunch of different things.”

“Why?” Elias asked.

“Because Talia is dating someone and won’t tell me who and I bet he likes your beer.”

“Who is it?” her brother asked.

“No one anyone needs to be concerned about. It’s been three dates and not much is going on.”

“Nothing much should be going on until you’re married,” Elias said. “Unlike Mom over there who is laughing and lied to us all for years.”

“Burn on you, Mom,” Talia said, giggling.

Her mother waved her hand. “When you know, you know. I knew right away your father was the one for me. Right, Phoebe? You know those things too. And I’m sure your brothers have given you a hard time in the past. Are they with Elias?”

Talia looked at her brother’s girlfriend. An attorney that opened up a family satellite office in the small town of Southern Pines. It was a far cry from Charlotte where Phoebe was originally from.

“No one gave Elias a hard time,” Phoebe said. “Ben knew Elias prior. I want to say it worked in my favor, but Ben is pretty even keeled. Matt is the wild card but more so to say embarrassing things about me.”

“Hmmm. I might have experienced that a time or two myself.”

Talia was staring at Elias.

“Don’t give me that attitude. Everyone does it to everyone else. We learned it from Mom.”

She turned to see her mother smirking. “That’s true.”

“Do you really want to take home beer?” Elias asked.

“Yes. I’ve never asked before. Why would you think I wasn’t serious asking now? It’s not that he can’t afford it, but he’s busy. He knows who you are and drinks your beer. I thought it’d be a nice surprise.”

“So he knows the family?” Elias asked. “Why can’t you tell us who it is?”

“Because I don’t want to. Geez, it’s three dates.”

And the last thing she needed were her brothers to find out how much older Jace was than her.

Or the reputation that he might have.

Every part of her being wanted to do an online search, but he didn’t seem the type to be on social media.

They’d had a conversation about dating apps and he looked so appalled that there was no way he’d be on them.

And maybe she didn’t want to see anything bad about him either.

She grew up knowing there was all sorts of misinformation on her brother online, that you couldn’t believe everything you read.

It was more important to get to know him as a person.

They had fun together. He made her laugh and feel things she hadn’t felt for a man before.

Not just on a physical attraction level, but how honest he was.

His upbringing was just as tragic as parts of hers, yet he turned out well.

He had an important job and when asked whether money should be donated to him and his men for equipment or the community fire victims, he didn’t hesitate to say the community.

Jace cared for the right things and the right people. His family.

Whether he could care for anyone else...that was the question she kept asking herself.

“Is there going to be a fourth?” her mother asked.

“Since I’m asking for beer to surprise him with, I’d say yes.”

“If you won’t tell us his name, can you tell us what he does for a living?” Elias asked. “How do we know that he’s not after you to get something else?”

“Geez, thanks for making me feel so great about myself.”

Her mother moved over and rubbed her arm. “Your brother doesn’t mean any harm and is only voicing the same thing all of my kids have had to worry about for years.”

“I know. I’m not saying anything about him. I don’t want to jinx it.”

It might get them off her back that she was more invested in hoping something worked out rather than saying what Jace did for a living.

If she said he was a fireman, her mother would know right away who it was.

“Talia,” Elias said. “Seriously. Does he not work?”

“Of course he works. He does construction.”

There. That was the truth. It was only a part-time job though.

“So he’s handy,” her mother said. “That’s a great guy to have around.”

“Mom is already making a list of things she wants changed in the house,” Elias said.

“Are you kidding me?” her mother said. “If West found out I did that or wanted something, he’d have my head for not going to him first. When are you going to see this mystery man again, Talia?”

“I don’t know and we are leaving for New York on Friday.”

She, her mother, and Phoebe, along with any other extended family that could make it to the airport for a flight on West’s private jet for Abby’s baby shower would be going on Friday afternoon. They’d be returning on Sunday via the jet as well.

“I hope for you it works out,” her mother said. “Just remember to take it slow and don’t force it.”

“The pot calling the kettle,” Elias said. “You married Dad in six weeks.”

“Because you were pregnant,” Talia said.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant when your father and I married,” her mother argued. “Maybe West was early. If we want to talk about it, I’d had sex with your father for the first time two weeks before we married. Sometimes you’ve got to try a car out before you buy it.”

Her hands went to her ears. “I’m not listening to this.”

“Me neither,” Elias said. “Mom!”

“I’m only pointing out what you all have done and for you not to give your sister a hard time either. Got it, Elias?”

“Oh great. Now you’re sticking up for her. How many times in the last decade have I been the one to get called to deal with things because I was the closest?”

Talia moved over and gave her brother a hug. “Thank you for that. And for not being too much of a jerk when you met men I’ve dated.”

“It doesn’t mean I don’t want to still do it,” Elias said.

“You’ll be the first to know if it comes to that.”

“Why won’t you say anything about this man?” Aileen asked on the drive home.

“Why do you care so much?”

“Because you’re evading enough that my radar is up. You’re too secretive and that means either you think we won’t approve for some reason or you’re afraid that I’m going to scare him off. Or someone else in the family is going to.”

Her mother was good.

“There you go.”

Her mother turned her head, her expression stunned belief. “Which one is it?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“I don’t like to think it’s because we wouldn’t approve and you’re dating someone to rebel.”

“Mom,” she said, sighing. “Have I ever done that before? I’m not going to spend my time with someone that I don’t like just to get under someone’s skin.”

“True. You did take a lot of beer. Is this guy an alcoholic?”

She rolled her eyes. “Noooooo. I don’t know which ones he likes. I just took one or two of a bunch of kinds. In the three dates we’ve had, he’s had no more than one beer at a time and one time he didn’t have any.”

“I’ll trust you.”

“Thank you. But something tells me you really don’t.”

“That’s not true, Talia. I’ll admit you’re my baby and the last one home. I know you’ll leave at some point.”

“You worried I’d move to New York, didn’t you?”

“I did. I had hoped not, but I knew you’d be fine there. Part of me feels in my heart it’s not the place for you though.”

“It’s not. I don’t mind visiting. That’s exciting and fun, but not for me. I don’t like the small town vibe thing with Elias either. Not even Foster.”

Her brother Foster lived in Merrick on Long Island. An hour from New York City but still a small town vibe.

“You like where we are. It’s a big enough city for you to find everything you are looking for, right?”

“I do. That doesn’t mean I’ll stay here forever. I can work anywhere, but for now, I want to stay close to my mom. Is that wrong of me?”

It was as if her mother needed to hear that. “No, sweetie. It’s not. You can stay as long as you want. The house is going to be lonely when you move out, but I know the day will come.”

“Not too soon, don’t worry.”

“As long as I continue to give you your space,” her mother said. “Got it.”

She laughed. That couldn’t have worked out any better.