“Today.” Deanna was about to tell her what had happened when Billy showed up with her latte. He put her drink on a napkin in front of her, threw her a wink, then sauntered off. Deanna picked up the mug, took a sip, and proceeded to moan. Sheer perfection. Billy had outdone himself this time. She made a mental note to give him a big tip.
“Everything was going really well,” Deanna continued. “He and Dean even had a civil conversation this morning. Dean seems to be accepting the fact that Jonas and I are dating, which is nothing short of a miracle, considering how protective Dean can be about the guys I date.”
“Yeah, he can be a real bear. He blasted me for letting you go to Miami.” Her mother scowled and shook her head. “As if you were a teenager or something. That boy can sure try my patience sometimes.”
“Mine too. Anyway, I fixed omelets and all was wonderful in the world. Then I brought up my newest client.”
“The one you’re doing the Asian design for?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Jonas thinks he’s a drug dealer. He wants me to drop him as a clie
nt. Actually, he all but demanded it.” Thinking about it had Deanna getting angry all over again.
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Oh, my, a drug dealer? Is he positive?”
Deanna threw her hands up in the air. “That’s just it—no, he’s not sure. It’s all conjecture. I told him that if he had proof that Valdez is the guy Jonas says he is, then I’d tell the man to find a new designer. I’m not going to work for criminals.”
“That seems like a reasonable compromise. So, what’s the problem?”
“It’s annoying that he’d even think to tell me how to run my business. I don’t want, nor do I need, another father figure in my life. Dean and Wade are enough.”
“Maybe he was simply concerned?” she ventured before taking a sip of her coffee. “It sounds to me like he wants you safe. I don’t think he meant to undermine your opinion, dear.”
Deanna slumped in her seat, no longer interested in her latte. “I understand his worry. If the situation were reversed, I’d be worried too. But I don’t want to be with a guy who tells me what to do all the time. I want someone who will work through a problem with me. Someone who will see me as a levelheaded, intelligent adult.” She pointed to her mom. “I want a relationship like you and Dad had.”
Her mom’s eyebrows shot up. “Like your father and I?”
“Yes. You and Dad always talked things out. He didn’t just point his finger and expect you to sit quietly and listen.”
Her mom laughed. “Are you kidding me, Deanna?”
Deanna frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“Listen, I loved your father with all my heart and he loved me. But it wasn’t all roses. We had our share of problems. One of them was pretty much exactly what you’re dealing with right now.”
“How so?”
She sighed. “Back when your father and I first got married, he was very ... autocratic. It was his way or the highway. Well, as you can imagine, that didn’t sit well with me.”
Deanna snorted. “Uh, no.”
“We had our arguments. No, that’s not true. They were fights. Downright ugly sometimes too.”
“Really?” Deanna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d always thought her parents had had the perfect marriage. That nothing could pull them apart. It was oddly comforting to know they had had problems.
Her mother took the last sip of her coffee and smiled when Billy arrived out of nowhere to refill her cup. After he left, she asked, “What were we talking about?”
“You and Dad,” Deanna reminded her.
“Of course. As I was saying, we had our fair share of issues, but we were good at hiding it from you kids. One of those issues centered around me working as a nurse.”
She couldn’t have heard her mom correctly. “Wait, Dad didn’t want you to be a nurse?”
Her mom shook her head. “Nope. He thought my place should be at home raising you kids.”
“Well, you won that argument, obviously.” Score one for Mom, Deanna thought with no small amount of pride.
“Yes, I did. But one of the reasons he hated it was the hours. I had some crappy shifts back when I first started. He worried about me. Bad things happen every day. Muggings, rapes, murders. And back in those days, I got off really late at night.”