The Rancher's Redemption

“There you go again, Lizzie, obsessing over nothing. He never promised you forever. Just having sex is fine.”

She filled the coffeepot with water and put in a new filter and freshly ground beans. At least Adam had tried to deal with the issue rather than walk away from her. She supposed that was progress....

But if she hadn’t said anything, he’d probably be with her right now, in her freshly made bed, naked and having sex. She sighed and turned on the faucet. When was she going to start to believe she was worthy of being loved? She was getting way too old to hide behind her childhood fears.

Growing up with parents who were so engrossed with each other had sometimes made her feel unwanted, as if she was an intruder in their happiness. They had never said as much, and hadn’t treated her badly, but once her mother had let slip that they hadn’t really wanted children, and Lizzie had never forgotten it. The fact that they were such perfect grandparents for Roman because they could be involved with his life only when they chose to be hadn’t been lost on her.

Wasn’t it time that she asked for what she needed and assumed she’d get it? Trouble was, logic was one thing, and emotion was something else entirely. She knew her parents loved her; complaining about how they showed it would get her nowhere. And they really did love Roman and had been nothing but helpful to her all through his life.

Washing the dishes and getting something in the oven for Roman to eat when he got home was probably her just reward for overthinking everything. If she wanted Adam to be straight with her, she’d have to offer him the same deal.

Chapter Fourteen

Lizzie yawned discreetly behind her hand as she leaned up against the wall at the café. Ro had been restless and had ended up climbing into her bed around three in the morning when they’d both finally managed to get some sleep. There was no one waiting to be served as the morning rush had ended, and she was anticipating the brunch people.

“Lizzie?” Yvonne came out of the kitchen carrying her tablet. “Can you look over this menu for Nate and Della’s wedding, and tell me if I’ve covered all the basics?”

“Sure.” Lizzie took the tablet and scanned the list. She often provided a second set of eyes for Yvonne. “How many guests?”

“Fifty, I think, with a few more at the evening party. They wanted to keep everything fairly simple and at minimum cost.”

“This looks great,” Lizzie said. “The only thing that might run short is the dessert part. You know what a sweet tooth the Turner family have.”

“True.” Yvonne made an annotation on the list. “They thrive on sugar. Are you going to the wedding?”

“Yes, how about you?”

“I’m going early to help Avery with the wedding setup at Morgan Ranch. Because it’s all buffet food, I think I’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the rest of the day.”

“I can help if you like,” Lizzie offered. “My parents are taking Roman to Disneyland for a vacation so I’ll be footloose and fancy-free.”

“That would be wonderful,” Yvonne said. “How long will Roman be away?”

“Just under two weeks.” Lizzie grimaced. “I was a bit worried it was too long, but Ro’s so comfortable with my parents, I think he’ll be okay. It’s the longest he’s ever been away from me.”

“He’ll do fine.” Yvonne patted her shoulder. “And think of all that free time you’ll have to spend with Adam!”

Lizzie didn’t have a problem with that. He’d texted her first thing that morning, and suggested lunch, which had immediately made her day better. One thing she liked about Adam Miller was his straightforward, no bullshit, personality. In his mind they’d disagreed, they’d reached a settlement, and now he was marching onward.

“Yvonne, do you ever compare Rio to your first husband?” The question popped out of her mouth before she could stop it.

“Frequently. Rio is everything my first husband was not.”

“Do you think it’s normal for people to compare their previous partners to their current ones?”

“Yes, of course,” Yvonne said. “Don’t you do it?”