“Go. Entertain,” she said, grinning. “I’ll be out there in a minute.”
Jim wandered out into the living room where his parents had sprawled out inelegantly on the couch. Grinning, he asked, “You guys doing okay? You look exhausted.”
“Entirely too much walking,” his mother said.
Jim held up his hands and said, “Hey. This was his idea, not mine.”
His father grinned unrepentantly and said, “How often am I able to go on roller coasters, Patrice?”
His mother grumbled slightly but gave him an indulgent smile.
He watched the interplay between them through new eyes. They’d had a perfectly nice day together and neither of them had made negative comments about his life. He felt that this was most likely some sort of world record. He really hoped that this was a sign of things to come.
Chapter Nineteen
Elle moved into the kitchen to clean up after dinner. The chili pot would be a bitch to clean if she didn’t scrub it clean. She was surprised when Jim’s mother accompanied her and offered to help clean up.
They worked in silence for a few minutes, until Patrice finally cleared her throat and said, “I can tell you really like my boy.”
Smiling, Elle scrubbed at the chili pot and said, “He’s a great guy. I do.”
She was somewhat startled when she felt Patrice lay a hand on her arm and say, “Be careful, honey.”
Tilting her head, Elle asked, “Why?”
Giving her an earnest look, Patrice said, “My boy has always had an overly active sense of duty. You seem like a nice enough person. I wouldn’t want you to mistake that sense of duty for love.”
Giving her arm a reassuring squeeze, Patrice continued on by saying, “He was always the type of kid that picked up stray animals when he was little. Once, he brought home this scrawny little stray kitten. It had to have been the runt of the litter. He tried like heck to nurse it back to health. He kept vigil over it for a couple of days, but it still died. It was probably sick. I remember his sad little face when he went outside to bury it in the backyard. I think he felt sorry for it, more than anything. I mean, look around you now, Elle. He doesn’t own pets.”
Taking in everything she had just told, Elle said, “Okay.”
“I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but you’re the stray kitten in this situation. He’s always needed to take care of things that are weaker than he is. Don’t take this as a personal slight, but, one day he’s going to find someone that he can actually love. It would make me heart sick to know that he stayed with you out of duty. I don’t think he’ll never be truly happy if he settles with you.”
Elle felt equal waves of anger and guilt. No matter how politely it was phrased, his mother had just told her that she wasn’t good enough for Jim and that Jim just felt sorry for her.
Taking a deep breath, Elle picked up the kitchen towel and dried her hands. Looking Patrice in the eye, she said, “Thank you for your concern. You’ve given me some things to think about. I need to go now.”
Walking out of the kitchen, Elle grabbed her purse and said, “Jim. I’m not feeling well. I’m going to head home, I think.”
Jim immediately stood up and asked, “Is everything okay?”
Elle shook her head and said, “I need to go.”
Opening the front door, she moved toward her car in the driveway. Jim followed her out and said, “Elle. Wait a minute! What’s going on?”
Shaking her head, she said, “I really can’t talk to you right now. I don’t want to fall apart in your driveway. Please. Just let me go.”
Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “What did my mother say to you?”
Elle felt her eyes start to water and she said, “I need to go now. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Stop, Elle. Please. Don’t go.”
“I can’t stay here right now. Seriously, Jim. I need to not be here.”
Rubbing a hand over his face, he raised his palms and said, “If you need to leave, then go. Know that we’re not even close to done with this discussion, Elle.”
Elle nodded and opened her car door.