Adios Pantalones (Fisher Brothers 3)

“I know.”

“You told me he wants you to see Ryan, right?”

Why did my mom remember everything I mentioned to her in passing? Couldn’t she forget some of the details? Or why couldn’t I lie to her like a normal daughter?

“Yeah. He wants me to give Ryan a chance. See him in action or something. Even though I’ve already seen him in action before.”

“I’m confused by all of this. Ryan is a bartender? Or he owns the bar?”

“Both. He owns the bar, and he bartends,” I said, basically summing up all I knew about Ryan in just a few words.

“And he’s cute?” She gave me a knowing look.

“Does it matter?”

“It always matters.”

“He’s very good-looking,” I said, trying to sound unaffected as I thought about how gorgeous Ryan Fisher actually was.

Mom gave me a cryptic look. “It’s the good-looking ones that get us into the most trouble.”

“Not if you don’t let ’em,” I said confidently, certain that there was nothing Ryan could do to change my mind.

She laughed. “True. And you’re good at not letting them.”

“I just want to make the right decision for Matson and me. It’s not enough if the guy is good enough for me, but not for him, you know?”

Mom wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close. “Of course I know. You’re a great mom, Sofia. I’m proud of you. But at some point, Matson will need to know what love looks like between a man and a woman.” Her voice was so romantic and nostalgic.

“That’s why he has you and Dad,” I said as if that solved everything.

“Your heart can’t always stay locked behind a door no one has the key to. Sometimes you need to let it come out and breathe. That’s how it grows.”

Smiling at her, I said, “Well, it’s not coming out to breathe tonight. It’s not even getting involved in this.”

I believed what I told her, honestly thought my heart wasn’t involved when it came to Ryan. Hell, I believed it wasn’t interested in him at all.

I should have heard my heart laughing all the way to the bar, but I didn’t.

• • •

When Grant rang my doorbell, I had to stop both my mom and Matson from rushing to the door. I still wasn’t ready to go there with Grant, so I answered the door before I hurried out of it. My jaw dropped when I stepped outside and saw the classic brown Cadillac waiting at the curb, whitewall tires and all.

Feeling like I’d stepped back into a time I’d only ever seen in movies and pictures, I told him, “This is a beauty, Grant,” as he opened the door for me. Seated on the cool white leather, I glanced around, impressed at how everything was in pristine condition, almost like new.

Once Grant was situated in the driver’s seat, he turned to me. “Aside from my beautiful wife, this Caddy was my baby. Never had any real babies, you know,” he said, his tone almost wistful as he pulled away from the curb.

I’d assumed they didn’t have children, since no one was at the hospital except for Ryan and me, but I hadn’t been sure until now.

“Does she have a name?”

“My wife or my car?” He glanced at me as he navigated through the busy streets.

“I meant the car, but both, I guess.”

“The car’s Miranda. My wife’s name was Carol. Lost her a little over a year ago. Life’s not the same without her here. It downright sucks, if you want to know the truth. That woman lit up my damn life. She made every day brighter. I hate being here without her.”

“I’m sorry. She sounds lovely.”