Just One Wish (The Kingston Family 4.50)

“Busted,” he muttered, looking adorable. Dammit. “Mrs. Stillman, it’s good to see you. You looked familiar, but I thought you lived in California, so I didn’t think it could be you.”

“What’s with the Mrs. Stillman nonsense? It’s Marsha. And my last name is Davidson now. I remarried after my husband passed away.”

Glued to her place and unable to tear her gaze away, Tara watched as his eyes grew wide, his expression turning sad. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“Thank you. It was right after you left town. Anyway, what’s wrong with Bella?”

Tara tore her gaze from his handsome, grown-up face with more defined and chiseled features and looked around the waiting room. Harry was gone. He must have slipped out the door as Axel walked in. Her mother definitely deserved an A in scheming.

Awkward or not, it was time to grow up and face him. Tara drew a deep breath and stepped through the doors into the reception area. “What is wrong with Bella?” she asked.

“Tara.” Her name on those sexy lips turned her insides to mush.

“Hello, Axel.”

They stared at each other for an uncomfortable few moments in which her mom remained shockingly quiet.

“Is Bella okay?” She broke the silence first.

“She’s fine.” An unexpected red flush rose to his face. “I was scrolling through Facebook, came across your picture, and realized you were only a mile away, so I…”

“You borrowed a dog as an excuse to see me?” She didn’t know whether she was more flattered or shocked. But her traitorous heart skipped a beat.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve discussed Bella, my icebreaker, I’ll just get to the point. Would you have dinner with me?”

She blinked. He’d taken her by surprise. “I can’t,” she said, the words automatically coming out of her mouth. Getting to know this man could only lead to heartbreak. She knew it just by seeing him again.

“Why not? Do you have a husband? A boyfriend?” His jade-green eyes bored into hers. “Because your Facebook page didn’t mention a relationship.”

She was certain his persistence had helped him succeed in the hard-to-make-it-to-the-top music world. “No, no relationship. I’m just … busy.”

“No, you are not,” her mother said.

Tara had been aware of her mom watching them, looking back and forth like at a tennis match. “You don’t know my schedule,” Tara snapped.

Her mother ignored her and picked up one of Tara’s business cards, then a pen, wrote something on the card, and held it out to Axel. “Here. Her address and cell phone number.”

He didn’t accept it, and his gaze remained steady on Tara’s. “If you really don’t want to go out with me, I get it. Too much time has passed, too much water under the bridge.” He shrugged, but disappointment was clear in his expression and hunched shoulders.

His very real desire to see her again tugged at her, causing a heavy pain in her chest. Because she did want to have dinner with him. Catch up. Learn about his life. She just didn’t want to open herself up to heartbreak.

“Actually, I do want to go out with you.”

He released the tension he’d been holding and relaxed, straightening his shoulders, a wide smile on his handsome face. “Great.”

She snatched the card from her mom’s hand and passed it over.

Axel accepted it this time. “I’ll pick you up at seven.” He glanced at the dog, who had been so good while sitting at his side. “It’ll just be us. Bella has a seven p.m. curfew,” he said with a grin. “Come on,” he said, and the dog, as if she belonged to him, followed him out.

Tara waited until the door shut behind him before turning on her mother. “What is wrong with you?” She’d never seen her mother act so pushy, so insistent … so over the top!

Marsha looked at Tara, disappointment in her gaze. “You were always such a bright girl. So smart. Yet here you are, turning down a date with the only man you’ve ever loved. Why?”

Oh, for God’s sake. She did not want to have this conversation. “Because Axel and I don’t make sense, that’s why!”

“What doesn’t? Dating? Relationships? Good sex? Giving me grandchildren?”

“Mom!” Tara was as horrified as she was grateful they were alone and nobody was in the waiting room. She had no doubt the vet techs in the back were having a field day with this entire conversation.

“What? Somebody has to tell it like it is! Now please explain to me why you and that handsome man don’t make sense in that bright mind of yours?” Her mother sounded both concerned and exasperated.

Tara didn’t like this talk any more than her mom did. “When you take away emotions and feelings, everything else about us has always been wrong. Geography, for starters.”

“He lives in town, Tara.”

“When he’s in the studio and making music, maybe. Afterwards he spends eight months or more on tour. Sometimes in the US and other times around the world.” And that wasn’t the kind of relationship she wanted.