Did she have to pay for that one mistake the rest of her life? She stared at herself in the mirror and wondered who she’d become. Was she the woman who peaked in high school and never quite found her footing after? She’d watched most of her friends start their lives, find careers, get married, leave for brighter prospects, but she felt stuck. It wasn’t that she wanted to leave. She didn’t, but she wanted something that made her feel like she was moving forward. Purpose.
She’d found it in restoring that old house. The last week had been the best she’d had in a long time. She wanted to get up and get to work. There was a bounce in her step and the place was starting to look good. It was starting to look like a place that could really work as a B and B.
Harry was a part of it. He didn’t pat her head and tell her to call a man in to do all the work. He taught her. He was patient with her. She’d started to think about what she would do with the money from the house. What if she took that money and bought another place, a place that needed work? She was damn good at making a place look pretty. Harry was good at the practical stuff. She could study real estate. Maybe get her license. They could build a business out of their skills, and she would do something she genuinely loved.
She groaned. She had only kissed the man once and she was practically married and running a business with him.
Her phone rang, startling her since it hadn’t been working before. She glanced down, her heart seizing a bit. Her mom. She slid her finger across the screen to accept the call. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” her mom said. “Sweetie, I was calling to tell you everyone is fine here. The rain’s let up and you should be able to get back in the morning. Luc is sleeping and that dog won’t leave his room. I’ve been watching the baby monitor and every time Luc gets up and tries to climb out of bed, the dog gently nudges him back. We should steal that dog, Seraphina.”
She liked the dog almost as much as she liked his owner. “We’re not stealing Shep.”
“Maybe not steal, but you could do that thing where you bat your eyes and all the boys do what you want.”
Yeah, that hadn’t worked since high school. “Momma, I’m not stealing that man’s dog, but I will think about getting Luc one. Is everything really okay? I’m sorry for not getting home.”
“I’m not. You could use a night away. Now let’s talk about how you’re going to take that man down. Zep told me he is very interested in you. It’s been a long time since you seduced a man, and quite frankly, you are out of practice.”
“Mom.” Sometimes her mother could still shock her. “I’m not seducing him.”
“Well, you never will with that attitude of yours. I swear if I was twenty years younger, I would be all over that man like jelly on peanut butter, and it would be the crunchy kind. There would be nothing plain about it.”
She coughed. “Mom . . .”
“Don’t you pretend like he’s not the most gorgeous thing to walk into Papillon in years.” Her mom was quiet for a moment. “Is it because he’s related to Celeste Beaumont?”
“You know how she feels about me.”
“I know that you’ve let her bully you for years because you feel guilty about what happened to Wes. You have to stop that. I’ve let you wallow, but it’s time to be my sassy, take-no-prisoners daughter again. You were a girl who knew what she wanted and went after it.”
That was where her mother was wrong. “But I didn’t. I didn’t go after anything. I got lost after high school, and I haven’t figured out what I want to do with my life. Everyone else seemed to know.”
“Not everyone. It only seems like you’re alone. Life threw you a curveball. You needed a couple of years to adjust, but it’s time to get back into the game. If you don’t, you’re going to find yourself like me.” Her mother’s voice softened over the line. “Don’t get me wrong. I love my life and that it’s surrounded with friends and with my family, but I wish I’d taken the time to explore more. I wish I’d dated. I told myself I needed to concentrate on you kids, but now I know the truth. I was scared. It was easier to hide away after your father died. It was easier to lock my heart up, but I regret it now. I know that Jackson fellow hurt you, but that’s his loss. If you’re interested in this man, you should go for it. Don’t use Luc as an excuse to not take care of yourself. You’re a good mom, Seraphina. You’re a good person. You deserve to have a life as much as that Celeste Beaumont does.”