LITMIR.BIZ

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      She rose up on tiptoes, lifted her eyes fully to his and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Adam. You’ve been very sweet.”

      His mouth wrenched up. “Welcome.”

      “I’d love to repay you for your kindness by cooking you one of my grandmother’s favorite Tuscan dishes, but—”

      “But?” His brows arched. He seemed interested, thank goodness.

      “My stove is on the blink.” Not exactly a lie. Two burners were out and the oven was temperamental.

      He shook his head. “There’s no need to repay me for anything.”

      Her hopes plummeted, yet she kept a smile on her face.

      “But I love Italian food, so how about cooking that meal at my place when you’re up to it?”

      At his place? In that gorgeous state-of-the-art kitchen? Thank goodness for small miracles. “I’d love to. Saturday night around seven?” That would give her three days to heal.

      “Sounds good.”

      It was a date. Well, not a date.

      She was on a mission and she couldn’t forget that.

      Even if her mouth still tingled from the taste of his skin on her lips.

      * * *

      Adam removed his glasses and set them down on the drafting table. He leaned back in his seat and sighed. His tired eyes needed a rest. He closed them and pinched the bridge of his nose as seconds ticked by. How long had he been at it? He turned his wrist and glanced at his watch. Seven hours straight. The villa off the southern coast of Spain he was designing was coming along nicely. But his eyes were crossing, and not even the breezes blowing into his office window were enough to keep him focused. He needed a break.

      And it was all because of a beautiful woman named Mia. He’d thought of her often these past two days. It wasn’t often a woman captured his imagination anymore. But somehow this beautiful woman intrigued him. Spending those few hours with her had made him realize how isolated he’d become lately.

      He craved privacy. But he hadn’t minded her interrupting his morning, or her nosy questions. Actually, coming to her aid was the highlight of his entire week. He was looking forward to their evening together tomorrow night.

      “Adam, you have a phone call,” Mary said, bringing him his cell phone. Few people had his private number, and he deliberately let Mary answer most of the calls when he was working. “It’s your mother.”

      He always took his mother’s calls. “Thanks,” he said, and Mary handed him the phone. “Hi, Mom.”

      “Adam, how’s my firstborn doing today?”

      Adam’s teeth clenched. The way she referred to him was a constant reminder that there had once been three of them and that Lily was gone.

      “I’m doing okay. Just finished the day’s work.”

      “The villa?”

      “Yeah. I’m happy with the progress.”

      “Sometimes I can’t get over that you design the most fascinating places.”

      “I have a whole team, Mom. It’s not just me.”

      “It’s your company, Adam. You’ve done remarkable things with your life.”

      He pinched the bridge of his nose again. His mother never came right out and told him she was proud of him. Maybe she was, but he’d never heard the words and he probably never would. He couldn’t blame her. He’d failed in doing the one thing that would’ve made her proud of him, the one thing that would’ve cemented her happy life. Instead, he’d caused his family immense grief.

      “Have you spoken with your brother yet?”

      He knew this was coming. He braced himself.

      “Not yet, but I plan to speak with Brandon this week.”

      “It’s just that I’m hoping you two reconcile your differences. My age is creeping up on me, you know. And it’s something I’ve been praying for, Adam...for you and Brandon to act like brothers again.”

      “I know, Mom.” The only justice was that he knew his mother was giving Brandon the very same plea. She wanted what was left of her family to be whole again. “I’ve put in a few calls to him. I’m just waiting to hear back.”

      “I understand he’s in San Francisco, but he’ll be home tonight.” Home was Newport Beach for his brother. He was a pilot and now ran a charter airline company based out of Orange County. He and Brandon never saw eye to eye on anything. They were as different as night and day. Maybe that’s why Jacqueline, his ex-girlfriend, had gotten involved with his brother. She craved excitement. She loved adventure. Adam would never be convinced that she hadn’t left him for Brandon. Brandon was easygoing and free-spirited, while Adam remained guarded, even though he’d loved Jacqueline with all of his heart.

      “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll work it out with Brandon. He wouldn’t want to miss your birthday party. We both know how important it is to you.”

      “I want my boys to be close again.”

      Adam couldn’t see that happening. But he’d make sure Brandon would come to celebrate their mother’s seventieth birthday and the two of them would be civil to one another. “I understand.”

      It was the best he could do. He couldn’t make promises to his mother about his relationship with Brandon. There was too much pain and injury involved.

      “Well, I’d better say goodbye. I’ve got a big day tomorrow. A field trip to the Getty Museum. It’s been a few years since I’ve been there.”

      “Okay, Mom. Is Ginny going?”

      “Of course. She’s my Sunny Hills partner. We do everything together.”

      “And you haven’t gotten on each other’s nerves yet?”

      A warmhearted chuckle reached his ears. It was a good sound. One he didn’t hear enough from his mother. “Oh, we have our moments. Ginny can be overbearing at times. But she’s my best friend and next-door neighbor, and we do so love the same things.”

      “Okay, Mom. Well, have fun tomorrow.”

      “Thanks, dear.”

      “I’ll be in touch.”

      Adam hung up the phone, picturing his mom at Sunny Hills Resort. It was a community for active seniors, inland and just ten miles away from Moonlight Beach. Thankfully his mother hadn’t balked about leaving Oklahoma and the life she’d always known after his father died. Adam had bought her a home in the gated community, and she seemed to have settled in quite nicely, her middle America manners and charm garnering her many friendships. The activities there kept her busy. He tried to see her at least once or twice a month.

      Mary walked into his office. “It’s dinnertime. Are you hungry, Adam?”

      “I could eat. Sure.”

      “Would you like me to set you up on the veranda? Or inside the kitchen?”

      “Kitchen’s fine.”

      Mary nodded.

      Mary asked him every night, and he always had the same answer for her, but he never wanted her to stop asking. Maybe one night he’d change his mind. Maybe one night he’d want to sit outside and see the sun set, hear distant laughter coming from the shoreline and let faint music reach his ears. Maybe one night he wouldn’t want to eat in solitude, then watch a ball game and read himself to sleep.

      “Oh, and Mary?”

      She was almost out of the doorway when she turned. “Yes?”

      “Take the day off tomorrow. Enjoy a long weekend.”

      Sundays

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