But Luke had insisted on her flying with his pilot and, Naya had to admit, the flight had been extremely nice. Huge, leather seats that reclined all the way back, a flight attendant offering her drinks since she was the only person on the plane and the pilot made the flight smooth and easy.
Unfortunately, she had absolutely no idea where to go now.
Thankfully, a moment later, uniformed workers walked over and started to unload her luggage. She felt a bit silly since she’d only had a carryon bag. She wasn’t planning to stay here with her mother for a long time. She’d just needed…good grief, Naya had no idea why she was here. She was confused about her relationship with Luke. She had feelings that she shouldn’t have…feelings of possessiveness, and dreams of a future with him. She could picture strong little boys running around with dark hair and mischievous green eyes. Even the little girls would be dark haired. No way would she dream about cursing her children by inheriting her wild, red curls. Not going to happen, she thought.
Well, none of it was going to happen. Because marriage was wrong. Marriage would destroy them. It would destroy her…
She didn’t love Luke! No way! She was smarter than that!
“Honey?”
Naya looked up after hearing her mother’s voice. When she spotted her, standing beside a black vehicle, Naya had to blink again. “Mom?” she called back. It had been several months since she’d been home, but her mother looked great. “Mom? Really? Is that you?” she asked and hurried over to her mother, wrapping her arms around the woman.
Pulling back, she looked at her mother’s shining face. “You look wonderful, Mom!”
Anna Jefferson laughed and wrapped her arm around Naya’s waist. “Come on. Let’s get home.”
Naya blinked. “Is this your new car?”
Anna laughed. “Nope. I got a message from a very nice lady, saying she was Luke Steele’s assistant. She explained your flight and arranged for a driver to take me here to pick you up.”
Naya almost rolled her eyes. “Luke is a bit bossy, isn’t he?”
Anna shook her head. “Not bossy at all. It was very sweet to arrange a driver to bring me here to pick you up. Made for a very smooth morning.”
They climbed into the back of the vehicle and the driver closed the door. A moment later, they were driving out of the airport, heading for her mother’s house. “Okay, so explain to me why you look like you’re on cloud nine, Mom.”
Anna blushed! Her forty-five year old mother actually blushed! “I’m in love, Naya,” she admitted and lifted her hand to display the diamond ring sparkling there.
Naya gasped. “You’re getting married?” Naya’s world just altered in a dramatic way. “You can’t be getting married!”
Anna’s fingers curled around her ring and she couldn’t stop grinning. “Why not? Jeff makes me happy. I love him, he loves me. It is the natural course of that love to decide to spend our lives together.”
Naya could only stare at her mother as the driver maneuvered around the Charlottesville traffic. Her mind was buzzing with questions, but the only one that came out was, “I thought, after Dad, that you wouldn’t ever get married again.”
The glow to her mother’s smile diminished and she turned to face her daughter, laying a hand on Naya’s arm. “Honey, is that why you don’t date any man seriously?”
Naya couldn’t really answer so she just shrugged her shoulder.
Her mother sighed but the driver pulled up to her mom’s house. “We need to talk, honey.”
They got out of the vehicle and the driver handed Naya her luggage. “Call me when you’re ready to head back to the airport, ma’am,” he smiled, handing her a card with his number on it.
Naya smiled her thanks and waved weakly as the man pulled out of her mother’s driveway and drove off down the street.
“Come on, honey. We need to talk.” Anna took Naya’s luggage and walked into the house.
Naya looked around, shielding her eyes from the bright sunshine and looked around. Her mother’s house was small, like her own, but there were more flowers this time. Her mother had started gardening? When had that happened?