Page 40 of The Disasters of Dating (Love Connections #6)

POPPY

Don’t take your direction from everyone else. Trust your instincts. As the sun and lunar nodes clash, yours needs to be a unique path.

You have a strong foundation. Start there and continue to build on it. Deferring to those you love will only confuse your purpose. Even if they mean well. Do what feels right to you. Do what feels worth pursuing.

Follow your impulse.

Brody

Mom has what????

I wake up in the morning to a string of text messages.

They must have come through while Keaton and I were eating ice cream and talking.

By the time we were done—let’s just say I wanted to give Mom and Adam plenty of time to finish up whatever it was they were doing—it was late enough that I tiptoed into my room and went to bed before my mom could ‘talk’.

I wasn’t ready to face that conversation yet.

Although I’m going to have to face it sometime. Just. Not. Yet.

Shadie

WHAT!?!?! How long has Mom been dating? Why didn’t she tell anyone? And I’m so sorry about your eyes seeing that. GROSS. So, so gross.

Yep. A BOYFRIEND.

Brody

I have no words. What did she say? What did he say? What is he like?

For someone with no words, that was a lot of them.

Brody

Just answer the questions, Soda. I’m so not in the mood…

He seems nice. Which made me kind of mad. Because I wanted to hate him. But I actually feel bad for him. Mom did him a disservice.

Brody

You like him? That’s so weird. What did Mom say?

Yeah, I do like him. His name is Adam West, and like the snot-nose brat I can be, I asked him if he was Batman.

He took it all in stride and wasn’t offended or anything.

He actually laughed. Which I thought was rather polite of him because I’d guess he’s been asked that like a million times. I’d have totally given me an eye roll.

Mom was guilt-ridden, as she should be…apparently book club and the food drive were excuses for her to be with him.

Brody

I mean, I knew it would happen someday. We all did. But now that it’s happening, I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I know. I want to be happy for her. But I’m angry right now. I feel betrayed. Why did she have to hide it?

Brody

Daphne just told me I need to get over myself and be happy for Mom. She says that Mom was probably worried that we would all freak out, and that is why she hid it. And now we are doing exactly what she was worried about.

I’m freaking out more about the lying than the Adam.

Brody

Yeah, me too.

Shadie

I agree, the hiding is not cool. It’ll take some adjusting to see Mom with another man, but I do want her to be happy.

But she totally didn’t handle it well. I’m still reeling from the fact she made out with him on the couch.

She was so giddy when Max and I kissed for the first time.

Do you think she got back out there because of me?

Ugh! Leave it to Sadie to bring it back to Max and her. I’ll be so happy when she can talk about something else.

I have no idea what to think. I mean, how long have they been dating? Because she has been acting weird for a while. I think it started before the family reunion?

What are you doing this afternoon? Can you meet for lunch?

Brody

I can’t get away today. Why?

Shadie

Me either. I have a deadline to meet and I’m behind because I’ve been spending all my time with Max.

I let out a gagging sound.

I don’t think I should have to have the ‘talk’ with her by myself. Because you know there’s going to be one. I think it should involve all of us.

Shadie

Ugh. Do we have to have the talk? It’s going to be awwkkkkkward.

Brody

For realz…

Yeah, and I’m not going through it alone. Buckle up, Buttercups! You’re coming along for the ride! Schedule it in for tomorrow then. I’ll let you know the when and where after I talk to mom…

There’s a knock at the front door, and I’m half surprised to see Keaton standing there. I’d been waiting all day for a text from him, canceling our date to the planetarium. I mean, if it were me, I’d jump off this crazy train as fast as I could.

I smile at him. “Hey, I’m glad to see you weren’t scared off after last night.”

He tips his head to the side and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Why would extraordinarily large ice cream sundaes scare me off?” He grins.

I lightly slug him on the arm. “Yeah, I was talking about the ice cream.”

I reach over and grab my purse that I’d made from an old quilt my Grandma Sue had made and sling it over my head and across my chest. “I’m ready to go if you are.”

“Poppy?”

My mom calls my name from the kitchen. I’ve done my best to avoid her all day.

I don’t plan to be snared when I’m at the five-yard line.

“I’m heading out, Mom. Don’t wait up. I’ll see you in the morning.

” I wave Keaton off the porch and slam the door behind me.

Scampering—yes, I said scampering—toward Keaton’s car, not even waiting for him to open the door.

I hop inside and lock it behind me while I wait for him to settle into the driver’s side.

It may be an axe murderer rather than my mom that I think I’m hiding from.

He gives me a raised brow. “Things not going well with your mom, I take it?”

I lift a shoulder. “They’re fine. I mean, we haven’t talked since last night. I’ve made sure to keep a low profile.”

He starts the car and looks in his side mirror before pulling out into the street.

“I know it’s none of my business, but don’t you think you’re going to have to talk to her sometime?

” He only glances over at me before keeping his attention on the road.

Not that my sleepy neighborhood has enough traffic to warrant the degree of attention he is paying it.

I mean, I’m not opposed to focused driving, but Keaton might be taking it to the extreme.

“Yes, I know we will have to talk. But I don’t think I should have to talk to her alone. I think my siblings should be involved. I mean, it involves them, too. But they couldn’t get away for lunch today. So the talk can’t happen until tomorrow. I plan to make myself unavailable until then.”

He looks over and grins at me. “That seems like a sound plan.”

“Whether it is or not, it’s the plan I’m using.”

He looks at me from the corner of his eye. “And how are you feeling about it? Now that you’ve slept on it and it’s settled a little more?”

“I’m fine.” I shrug. “Apart from having nightmares about seeing my mom making out with some guy.” I full body shudder. “I can’t ever unsee that.”

Keaton chuckles. “Yeah, I can see that might be horrible.” He cringes. “I can’t imagine walking in on my dad with a lady…” He trails off, apparently imagining his own personal hell. Been there, done that, unfortunately.

Finally, he looks over at me. “So, other than the nightmares, you’re good?”

I nod. “Mostly. I’m hurt that she didn’t trust us enough to open up, you know? I mean, we’re all adults. And it’s not like any of us expected her to remain single forever. It’s been twelve years. It was very considerate of her to wait until we’re basically out of the house.”

He nods. “Yeah, that is very considerate.” He releases a breath.

“I’m glad to hear you’re okay with it. Not everyone would be.

But then, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

You are one of the most emotionally healthy people I’ve ever met.

” He gives me another side eye. “Is it the horoscopes and crystals, do you think?”

My brow creases. Am I emotionally healthy?

Several weeks ago I would have agreed with him.

But now? Would an emotionally healthy person have such a difficult time deciding if they should pursue a relationship with someone?

As much as I hate to say it, my horoscope and crystals don’t seem to be helping me figure out what to do about Keaton, for love or money.

I smile at him. “I think I might have you bamboozled.”

He tips his head to the side and stares at me. “How so?”

“I’m no more emotionally healthy than the next person. Maybe I just disguise it better.”

He stares at me for what some might consider longer than advisable when driving a car. “I don’t think so. ”

I don’t want to argue about whether or not I’m more or less emotionally healthy. Especially when I know the disappointing answer. So, I change the subject. “Okay, you know I like AC/DC, but you never weighed in on the subject.”

He looks at me like he’s not quite ready to throw in the towel on our other conversation, but then seems to change his mind. “I’m pro AC/DC.”

I scoff. “As if you could be anything else. They’re too awesome not to like.”

“Agreed,” he says as he follows the GPS directions to the Clark Planetarium in downtown Salt Lake City.

We’d decided to eat at one of the restaurants at The Gateway.

That way, we won’t have to find a new parking space when we go to the planetarium.

He pulls into the parking garage at the north end of the mall.

“The planetarium is more on the south end, if you want to park closer.”

“This is closer to the restaurant. I’ll park in the southern part of this garage so that we’re in between both.”

My brow furrows as I try to remember what restaurants are over on this side of the mall. I can’t think of any except for Flannery’s. But that one is far too expensive. I can’t imagine we’re going there.

He pulls into a parking space and jogs around the car to let me out. As he helps me out, he grins at me. “I didn’t want you hopping out on your own. I want your dad to approve of me.”

I shake my head. “Sorry about that back at my house. I just couldn’t risk that my mom would catch me while I waited for you.”

“Are you saying I’m slow?”

I give him a sad look. “If the shoe fits, mister.”

“Well,” he says in a huffy voice. But he takes my hand, so I’m thinking it is for show. “Maybe this attitude is because you’re hangry. Let’s get to the restaurant.”

I hurry alongside him, my height disadvantage showing. “Where are we going and why are we moving so fast?”