I Only Have Pies for You (Pumpkin Spice Life 1)

Now’s your chance.

“Well—”

“Oh, look who’s here.”

He glanced over his shoulder and groaned at the sight of Kasey. Her chestnut-colored hair framed her round face and tumbled down her back. The light pink dress brought out her peaches and cream skin. Still slender, and beautiful, she did nothing to move him.

“Hey, Al.” She wriggled her fingers at him, and he fought to keep from scowling. He’d always hated that nickname.

“Kasey.” He kept his tone flat. The spark in her eyes waned for a moment. His mother nudged him under the table.

“What a nice surprise this is. Granville is such a small town. You never know who you’re going to run into.”

Come on, Mom. The two had loved each other from the start. He knew his mother had gotten used to the idea of her as a daughter-in-law, but her blatant attempt to rekindle the long-extinguished flames was grating on his nerves. Every time he thought she’d let it go, they popped up together like they were in cahoots. Maybe Kasey was using her connection with his mother to get back into his life. Regardless, his mom should know better.

He’d never had a problem being friends with his exes. Kasey couldn’t settle for that. She wanted more than he was willing to give. She seemed to think if she gave it enough time, their visions for the future would magically align. So he always felt he needed to be firm. Any sign of kindness that could be perceived as romantic interest would be used against him.

“We shouldn’t be surprised. We both know how much she loves River Road, don’t we?” his mother asked.

“That we do. I was expecting to get some mother-son time.” His jaw ticked as he flashed her a look that said he wasn’t pleased with her antics.

“Honestly, Alaric, your only child is showing. There’s plenty of me to go around.”

He’d planned on mentioning the fact that he was dating someone new to her. So much for that. Kasey’s smile wavered. He almost felt bad. She aimed to please. It was one of the reasons they broke up. Over time he watched her change from the woman he thought she was into the one she believed she had to be. Her likes had slowly but surely shifted to become identical to his own. Decisions were left up to him as she waited to hear what he wanted. He never understood how such a beautiful social butterfly with a successful career as an RNA could be so insecure. If he’d been after a trophy wife, she would have been everything he dreamt of.

It drove him crazy, trying to pinpoint when the personality swap had begun. He never could figure out if she’d always been that way and managed to hide it for the first half of their relationship, or she’d become what she thought a man wanted. Either way, it hadn’t worked for him. It made him feel like he couldn’t trust her.

“I’d ask you to join us, but the table only sits two, so ...” He shrugged.

“Oh, yeah. It was nice to see you again, though.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He nodded politely.

Kasey cast a confused look at his mother who shook her head, obviously shocked by his chilly reception.

“I’ll just go grab my order.” She shuffled away.

“Why did you embarrass that girl that way?”

“Because I’m old enough to pick and choose who I date, Mom. We broke up for a reason, and I have no interest in going down that road again. I told you that. Egging her on is cruel.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re not dissuading her either.”

“She’s such a nice girl. I just don’t understand why you’re so dead set against her.”

He sighed. “She is, but she’s not for me.”

“And who is? Hmmm?” His mother arched a thin brow.

“That’s what I’d been trying to figure out.”

She tensed. “Past tense?”

“I’m seeing someone. It’s new, and I’m not sure where it’s going, so I won’t get into much detail, but I wanted you to know.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.”