Page 18 of Revived My Heart

And I found that having sex whenever I want was a whole lot harder to have if she wasn’t living with me.

But I also knew that his coming wasn’t just to check out the town and her diner. It was to check me out. Especially since I heard them talking about me once more. She kept arguing about something, but once I heard my name, I left. I didn’t need to hear it because I had no doubt she would talk to me about it.

Which she did.

She told me about her son’s concerns, and I wanted to laugh it off, because it was evident he didn’t know her mom, or what she wanted or liked. And knowing her, I had no doubt that she tried talking to him about it too and he probably didn’t want to hear it. Not that I could blame him. When I was his age, I sure didn’t want to think about my mom having sex with my dad.

“Dixon is coming in two days. I’m hoping my place is done by then,” she told me, sitting next to me on the couch. She curled her legs under and leaned against me.

“I mean, there’s a room he can stay in at the diner if not, because there’s no room in my cabin.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t want that. Don't need to scare the poor kid either with our moans.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

“He’s still not coming to terms with all of that, is he?”

“No. I mean, I'm the parent, the adult, I know what I want with my life. He makes it sound like I’m in a nursing home and he has to take care of me or something. But I’m not there yet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like it’s not understood, but it’s a bit much sometimes.”

“He’s a kid who is looking out for his mom, can’t blame him.”

“I don’t. I just wish I could smack him enough for him to see why he needs to stop being like this,” she told me, laughing a little. “It’s been him and I since his dad walked out of our lives and didn’t look back. Which was always fun raising a boy alone, but we made do. Even from a little age, he took it upon himself to look out for me, which I always found endearing. Now, I’m finding it annoying.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped because I could see that.

Patty was a very independent woman who didn’t take too well to asking for help, or having it offered. So, even though this washer kid, someone she raised alone, someone she loved fiercely, he was still pushing the wrong buttons on her and it was great.

Okay, maybe not so much for me, because by him coming to check things out, he was putting a damper on all my plans of being buried in her, but I still was able to acknowledge how funny this was.

“He doesn’t see it, does he? How he’s pushing you?”

“Oh, I’m sure he does. Does he care? Probably not. He’s a young man who has no woman to dote on. I know when the time comes, I’ll be pushed aside. But his focus is school and myself, so I’m sort of stuck.”

“Do you want him dating?”

“He has. He really is a great catch, and one day, he is going to make a fine husband. But per his own words, he wants the good job, the good life, then he’ll look for the good wife. I always like to knock him down a peg or two and tell him that wife is going to land in his lap a lot faster than he thinks he will and his plans are going to shit.”

Once more, I busted out laughing. Patty really was something else.

We both jumped at the sound of someone pounding on the door, and I frowned. I wasn’t expecting anyone and usually my friends were good about texting if they wanted to come over. I got up and opened the door, my eyes opening slightly at the young man standing on my doorstep.

~ Patty ~

I saw the figure past Mason and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I jumped off the couch and ran to my son, engulfing him in a big hug.

“I’ve missed you,” I told him, squeezing him. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he held on just as tightly.

“I missed you too, Mom.”

After several moments, I pulled back, cupping his face to smile at him.

“Now why the hell are you here early?”

He laughed as he just shook his head. “Well, how else am I to surprise the happy couple?”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him. He wasn’t going to let this go at all, and I just knew it. Maybe he didn’t catch on how annoying this was for me. I truly did understand his feelings and I respected them; they were valid. I’d be the same way if it was my parents too.

But that didn’t give him the right to barge in here, unannounced, and it certainly didn’t give him the right to keep pushing me to ‘behave’. As if I was a little one in need of the scolding.