Page 96 of The Triple Threat

“It wasn’t a date.” I cleared my throat. “We went as friends is all.”

Friend with amazing benefits maybe, but still friends.

“Oh hush.” She waved a dismissive hand at me. “Daddy saw you together in Hunter’s truck and said you were practically climbing the boy.”

“I slipped while I was trying to get Dad to go back into the house,” I remonstrated. “It was an accident.”

Mom gave me a secretive smile and turned back to her potatoes. “Well, whatever way you look at it, you like him. If you didn’t you wouldn’t want him to ask you to the dance. If I have to be honest sweetheart, I’m surprised that you didn’t just bat those eyelashes and put some more swing into your ass. Your great-grandma gave us those assets for a purpose, ergo getting Hunter Delaney to ask you to the dance.”

Exhaling, I pushed the heels of my hands against my eyes and groaned. “He did ask me,” I admitted. “He called on Sunday morning while you were making breakfast, but I turned him down.”

Mom dropped the knife into the sink and gasped. “He did?”

“Yes, Mom, he did.”

“Why the hell did you turn him down then?” she asked, throwing her hands into the air.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I just don’t want to be one of his hit and run victims.”

“Who says you would be?” She moved over to me and combed gentle fingers down my hair. “We Maples women have amazing honeypots that get those worker bees coming back for more.”

“Mom.”

She grinned and kissed the end of my nose. “You ask your dad.”

I closed my eyes and groaned. “Did I not see enough when I walked in on you? I don’t need to know anything else.”

“Okay,” she said going back to chopping. “But I think you do that boy a disservice, and yourself for that matter. You’re a beautiful, clever young woman and Hunter would be lucky to have you, but I get the feeling that he’d know that and would treat you like a queen. Just like his dad treated his mom.”

Resting my head on my hand, I watched her as she carried on with her chores and realized that there wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t do her hair and make-up. She was beautiful and even though she might complain about the extra pounds Carter and I had put on her butt and thighs, she had a great figure. It was no wonder my dad worshiped her.

“When you met Dad, were you scared he might break your heart?” I asked. “Or did you always know he’d be your baby daddy?”

“Oh my God,” she said around a laugh. “I thought he was a typical cocky jock who thought his shit didn’t stink.”

“He had to woo you with flowers, didn’t he?”

“Woo was hardly the word, sweetheart. The first lot he presented me with he said, you fancy a date or not?” Mom raised her brows. “I kid you not.”

“Wow,” I replied. “Dad really had the moves of a douche didn’t he.”

“Yeah, but he improved as the week went on.” Mom smiled and let out a little sigh of satisfaction, the memories evidently warming her heart. “When I gave in, a little part of me felt sorry for him, but the biggest part thought he was hot.”

“You two are weird.” I laughed and moved from the stool. “I’m going to take a shower, all that shopping and getting trapped inside dresses has made me feel sweaty.”

“You mean you need a cold shower after spending an afternoon with Hunter.” Mom nudged me and winked.

“Yep,” I sighed. “Real weird.”

“Maybe, but I still think you should be brave and ask him.”

“And therein lies my problem,” I replied. “I’m too much of a coward to get my heart broken by him. Plus, can you imagine how it would affect everyone if we had a thing and then broke up?”

Mum shrugged. “We’re all sensible adults, we’d cope. If things don’t work out between Jim and Darcy, then we’ll still be friends with both. Yes, it’ll make some get-togethers difficult, but we’ll figure it out.”

My thoughts went to Bronte and her brothers and how devastated they’d be.

“You don’t think they’ll work it out?” I asked.