As Hot as It Gets
Page 67

Bullshit.
As usual, her bothersome brain voiced its disagreement. And as usual, she tried to ignore it. But it was getting a lot harder to do that lately. Over the past few weeks, Jackson had stayed over more often than not. He cooked her breakfast and kissed her goodbye before she left for work. Sometimes he dropped Danny off at school if he didn’t have to report early to the base. Other times he fixed them dinner. He was sweet and attentive. He was patient. He had the uncanny ability to make her laugh even when she was in the foulest of moods.
And the sex… God, the sex. It only seemed to get better. Whether he was kissing her with infinite tenderness or tying her up to his bed with bungee cords, he treated her as if she were the most beautiful, most desirable woman in the world.
Bottom line—Jackson Ramsey was an incredible man.
Yet despite all the wonderful things, Mia couldn’t stop imagining the worst-case scenarios. Like maybe they’d get bored of each other and break up. Or he’d cheat on her, and they’d break up. Or they’d get into a colossal fight—and break up.
Breaking up was always the end result in her pessimistic mind. Either that, or losing Jackson when his chopper crashed down in some godforsaken jungle, or when he got shot on a mission in the “desert”.
Her dark, fearful thoughts also shared another commonality—no future. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t picture a future with him. With anyone, for that matter. She couldn’t see herself growing old with someone, couldn’t imagine finding a love that lasted forever. In her experience, happiness was fleeting. The bad always crept in to destroy the good. It was inevitable.
“Mia?”
She lifted her head to find her mother’s concerned gaze fixed on her. “Yeah?”
“The coffee’s ready.”
“Oh. Right.” Banishing her disturbing thoughts, Mia hurriedly prepared two cups, then handed one to her mom.
Before she could take a step to the door, Brenda spoke up uncertainly. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Cue an instant rush of suspicion.
“What is it?”
“Danny and I were talking before the game…” Her mother hesitated for a beat. “We were discussing his chances of getting a college scholarship. He thinks he’s got a good shot.”
“He does,” Mia said with unfailing conviction.
The faint wrinkles around Brenda’s mouth creased as she smiled. “I believe it. But I wanted to ask you about your backup plan, in case the scholarship doesn’t pan out. Do you…are you…?” Embarrassment flashed in her eyes. “Do you need any money?”
Mia’s jaw fell open.
“I mean, I don’t have a lot saved up,” her mom hurried on, “but if you need help paying for Danny’s expenses, I’d be happy to contribute.”
It was impossible to mask her shock. Her mother was offering them money?
God, maybe Jackson was right. Maybe the woman was trying to turn over a new leaf.
“That’s really nice of you to offer,” Mia managed to say through the lump of emotion clogging her throat, “but we’re fine for now. I’ve got some savings, and so does Danny.”
Brenda blinked in surprise. “He does?”
Mia nodded. “He’s saved every penny he’s made working for that landscaping company. He even has his own bank account. And he’s ridiculously responsible with his money—he doesn’t spend a dime unless it’s for something important.”
Her mom’s expression reflected back the same pride Mia was feeling. “He’s a very smart boy.” Brenda’s voice cracked. “You’ve done a wonderful job with him, baby.”
“I didn’t exactly have a choice, seeing as his mother couldn’t be bothered to raise him.”
The muttered response triggered a wave of tension that crashed over and efficiently wiped out the emotional moment they’d been sharing. Mia immediately regretted the verbal jab when she saw the hurt look on her mother’s face.
“Sorry,” she said, sighing. “I know you’re trying. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I deserved it,” Brenda said sadly.
They both went quiet for a moment, and then Brenda offered a smile, albeit a forced one.
“Come on, let’s go see what kung-fu movie Danny has decided to torture us with.”
Mia responded with a weak laugh. “I’ll be right there. I’m just going to make a sandwich first. Do you want one?”
“No thank you, baby. I’m still full from those hot dogs we had at the game.”
After her mother left the kitchen, Mia drew in a deep breath. Keep an open mind, she thought, repeating the same mantra she’d been relying on for two weeks now. Brenda did seem to be making a genuine effort, and throwing her past mistakes in her face every two minutes wasn’t at all beneficial to the situation.
As she prepared a ham-and-turkey sandwich, the sound of footsteps came from behind her and she turned to see Danny enter the kitchen. His hair was damp from the shower he’d taken in the locker room, and his black T-shirt and dark-blue jeans emphasized his tall, broad frame and muscular arms. At times like these, she had to blink to make sure this was actually her little brother and not a grown man who’d somehow moved into her apartment.
She had to face the facts, though—Danny wasn’t a kid anymore. He nearly was a man, and maybe it was time for her to stop being so overprotective of him.