Page 106 of Made of Steele
His mother leaned closer. “You’re in love with her.”
“What?”
“Teagan. I see how you look at her. You’re in love with her.”
He thought to deny it, but his mother was too perceptive for him to lie. “Yeah.”
“And she returns the feelings if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
He shrugged.
She grabbed his arm. “You’re not still hiding behind that old thing of not wanting someone to get hurt by you potentially dying young like your father, are you?”
He shrugged again, but yeah, that was exactly what he was clinging to.
“You know I’m whole again, right? Have been for many years. Your father was the only man for me, but I’m still living a full life.”
“I know, but…”
“But I had a season of grief. Pain. Almost unbearable pain. You saw it and had to help me through it. But it’s gone, and if I had to do it all over again, I would choose love even if it ended the same way.”
He heard her words. Knew she believed them, but he couldn’t internalize it. Not with the terrible anguish he’d seen her suffer.
“Look at this family. They had a huge tragedy in losing their Thomas, but they are coping Are they sad? Yes, I’ve only been here a short time and have seen it. But I’ve also seen the kind of love I wish for you, son.”
“But I’m in law enforcement and what if—”
“Stop the what ifs. Teagan is a strong woman. Much stronger than I was. From what I can see she’s made of steel.” She smiled. “Yes, pun intended.”
The vision of Teagan fending off a serial killer came to mind. Yeah, she was one tough cookie. “She is, isn’t she?”
“Yes, so don’t close yourself off. Open up your heart. Embrace the Steele family. Join them.” She squeezed his arm. “Besides, I want them to adopt me too.”
He laughed, gave his mom a hug, and turned, Teagan in his sights. It was about time he let her know how much he’d already come to love her and start talking about that relationship he’d been fighting against for what seemed like his entire life.
Teagan finished the tenth string of lights she’d put on the tree and still had bare areas to fill at the bottom. Her grandad had gone in search of additional sets, and he approached with another long string, his eyes solemn behind his glasses. This meal was one of his big service projects for the year, and he took it very seriously. The whole family was blessed to serve the men and women who, without this meal, would be alone on Christmas, helping to repay them for years of service.
“Everything okay?” she asked him. “And if not, can I help fix it?”
“Things are going great.”
“Then why such a serious look.”
“Just thinking about your guy, Drew. I’m glad to see you finally brought a guy home.” He handed her the string of lights. “I like him.”
She didn’t want to be having this conversation out here where others could overhear, and she’d rather be talking to Drew. It looked like he was trying to get across the room to her, but kept being stopped by others. She loved her family, but they’d been in the way all afternoon of her getting some alone time with him.
“Like him as what?” She plugged in the lights to be sure they worked. “A law enforcement officer?”
“Sure, yeah. From what you said of the investigation, seems as if he’s a good one. But that’s not what I was thinking.”
“A team player on the Christmas tree hunt, then?” The lights glowed bright white in her hands.
“You can stop that right now, young lady. I might be getting old, but I know what you’re doing. I mean as your future husband.”
