"You're being creepy. Stop, please." I smirked, teasing her as I opened the fridge and pulled out everything we would need for a salad. "He's a great guy. There's so much more to him than his looks."
"Oh, I know. Your Aunt doesn't shut up about what a great man he is. You know him and Ron have been running the roads together since they were old enough to get into trouble together." She pulled the top off a cake dish and smiled. "Wa-la! I tried a new cake recipe."
"Oh no." I groaned and walked over to check it out. My mom was a decent cook, but a horrible baker. "Wait. Is that peanut butter frosting?" I ran my finger around the edge, dipping it into the light brown icing.
"Yep. Just for my baby." She beamed.
"Oh. Wow." I licked my finger clean and went in for another taste as she pulled my hand back.
"Nope. Not until after dinner. I have steaks ready for dad to put on the grill and there are potatoes in the oven. Should be yummy." She picked up her phone as it rang and let out a frustrated sound as she turned the ringer off. "Creditors. All the damn time."
Guilt raced through me. "One day I'll be able to help with all of that."
"I know y
ou will." She cupped my cheek and smiled. "I love you so much. I can't imagine how hard it must be for Gavin to lose his mother. How is he holding up?"
The sound of my dad laughing in the living room with Gavin warmed my heart. He was such a good man. And I'd taken his money. I needed to give it back, but knowing how badly my parents needed my help stop me from thinking about it. I would make my decision soon. Give it back and tell him that I loved him, or keep it, help my folks, and get on the first plane to Cali.
Just because I had deep feelings for Gavin didn't mean that he shared them. He was playing his part just like I was playing mine, but the act had run up for me a while back. It wasn't hard to pretend we were together because in my heart... we were.
"Hey. You still here?" My mom waved her hand in front of my face.
"Oh yeah. Sorry." I let out a soft sigh. "I was just thinking about Ms. Hayward. She's not doing well at all. She couldn't even hold her head up this morning when we went to see her."
"Oh, no." She moved back and crossed her arms over her chest. "And how is Gavin handling it all? Getting married so fast is a tall order, but having his mother dying, too? Poor boy."
"He's doing okay." I moved up to the door and glanced through, looking for him. He was holding one of my father's guns, aiming it at the wall as my dad excitedly walked through the features of the gun. He would fit into my family so well. So well that it hurt, driving a stake of loss through me that felt like it might never heal.
"Well. Thank God he has you." She wrapped her arms around me from behind and pressed her chin to my shoulder. "You're a good woman, baby. You'll get him through it."
I nodded, unable to lie anymore. I was weary from all of it.
After helping her fix the rest of dinner, we met the boys at the table and sat down. My father and Gavin had been outside cooking the steaks and telling stories about the town and Ron from what I could tell. My handsome fake husband looked at ease, his eyes filled with merriment.
"Tell me about Maddie as a teenager." Gavin winked at me and turned his attention to my mother as she picked up his plate and started to fill it.
"Oh, my. We'll be here all night," my mother said.
They all laughed as I groaned. The stories started after we prayed and somehow I ended up laughing right alongside them.
We finished up and walked out on the front porch with my mom and dad in tow behind us.
"I really wish you'd let me and Maddie clean up the kitchen," Gavin said as we paused and turned to face my folks.
"Not a chance. We do that together every night." My dad wrapped his arm around my mom's shoulders and leaned down to kiss her. "It's something you and Maddie should do, too. There's something cleansing about it." He snorted, and my mom popped him in the stomach.
I gave them both a hug and walked to the car with my hand in Gavin's. I was dreading the moment we parted, but it wouldn't be that night. He'd agreed to let me stay, and though it wasn't good for either of us to grow closer, I couldn't help wanting to try to.
"You okay?" he asked as we got out of the car and walked up to his house. I wanted him to reach for my hand, but there was no one to perform in front of, so he didn't.
"I guess." I glanced down and breathed in deeply. "Just worried."
"About?" He opened the door and walked toward the bedroom, pulling off his shirt and kicking off his shoes.
"Everything." I walked behind him and crawled up on the bed as he flopped down on his back.
"Wanna talk about it?" He opened his arms, and I took advantage of his kindness straight away.