Chapter 52

Gage

Bentley’s agreement to visit my mom had come as a surprise. It was a big step, especially when I’d just convinced her to give me a chance. I needed to check on my mom. That meant either taking Bentley with me or leaving her at home. Having her by my side was always my first choice.

“This is a nice place,” Bentley remarked as we walked through the gardens of the assisted living facility my mom was staying at.

“I owe Colin for making this possible,” I told her. “He’s paying a big chunk of the bill.”

“He considers her his mom, too,” she reminded me. “It’s crazy how much I’ve learned about Colin recently.”

“My brother’s not much for sharing,” I told her.

“No kidding,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t know about him and James until Colin’s accident. I’m surprised James kept it from me. You’d think I would have figured this out with the amount of time I spend around James at work. Granted, he tries to keep things professional.”

“How did you and James meet?” I asked. “I know you dated, but not how you met.”

“A friend of mine set us up on a blind date,” she replied. “I got along fine with James, but there was no chemistry. We ended things on good terms. I was looking for a job at the time, and he suggested I apply at your brother’s company. To be honest, I don’t think he expected me to actually apply. I didn’t start out working with James, but that’s where I was by the end of my first year working there.”

After checking in at the main office, we made our way to my mom’s apartment. She knew we were coming. I’d told her two days ago and then called again today to remind her. My mom didn’t like surprise visits.

“Thank you for being here with me,” I told Bentley when we reached the door to my mom’s apartment. “This means a lot to me.”

“Gage!” my mom called out. “Stop harassing Bentley and let her come in here to talk to me!”

I grinned at my mom’s command. I’d rather have her bossy than confused. Her desire to see Bentley also pleased me. I’d told my mom a lot about my feelings for Bentley, but she didn’t always remember our conversations. As soon as we walked into my mom’s little apartment, she hugged Bentley.

“I am so sorry I thought the worst of you,” she told Bentley. “I was worried about Colin.”

This appeared to be one of my mom’s more lucid days.

“I understand,” Bentley assured her, stepping back when my mom released her. “You didn’t know me.”

“Now, I know you’re not Colin’s type,” she continued as she took a seat in the living room. “Come and sit with me.”

Since my mom hadn’t hugged me yet, I moved beside her chair and kissed her cheek before taking my seat beside Bentley.

“How are you doing today, Mom?” I asked.

“I’ve been bored,” she replied. “I miss having my car. It would be nice to drive out to do some shopping.”

“I can take you out,” I offered.

“It’s not the same as going out on my own,” my mom grumbled. “The doctor says I shouldn’t drive anymore, just because I got lost a few times.”

The loss of her car was something I was grateful for. My mom shouldn’t have been driving for the last year. It was an understatement to say she’d gotten lost. She’d admitted to driving places and not being certain how she’d ended up in her car.

“I know it’s not the same,” I agreed. “Why don’t you decide where you’d like to go, and we can plan a day out Wednesday? This gives me an excuse to spend more time with you.”

“That would be nice,” my mom said with a smile.

“We could also go out to lunch today,” Bentley suggested.

My mom shook her head. “My hair is a mess. They made an appointment for me to get it done Tuesday. We should march in that Pride parade.”

I hadn’t expected that suggestion.

“We’re too late this year,” Bentley told her.

“Have you done it before?” my mom asked.

Bentley shook her head. “No, I haven’t.”

“I want to show my support for Colin,” my mom explained.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,” I told her.

My mom turned to Bentley. “When Colin came by to visit me, he mentioned you were dating Gage. He said Gage wasn’t going to let you get away. When do you plan to start having children?”

Bentley’s eyes darted in my direction as if hoping I’d help her respond to that question. I decided to let her handle it, partly because I was curious about her answer.

“I’m not planning to have children any time in the near future,” Bentley replied.

“Because Gage is a musician?” my mom asked. “I can see why you’d worry he won’t be around to help you raise them. Or is it all the women who throw themselves at him?”

“Mom,” I interrupted. “We’ve only been dating a short time. Could you wait a few months before you to try to scare Bentley off?”

“She’s obviously not going to be scared off by any of this,” my mom argued. “She survived that horrid tabloid article. Someone should sue them.”

“In the end, it wasn’t too bad,” Bentley insisted. “It was just a small magazine, and Colin’s not that interesting to the media.”

“I suppose it will be worse when the media realizes you’re dating Gage,” my mom mused.

Bentley nodded. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap, and her smile now seemed forced.

I had to bite back a curse. While I knew our relationship was likely to attract media attention at some point, I tried to avoid talking about it with Bentley. She had to know it was possible, but I suspected she was avoiding thinking about it.

I waited for her response, and much to my relief, her features relaxed, and she shrugged. “I suppose there are worse things than having people know I’m dating Gage.”

Bentley didn’t look completely convinced, but I took comfort in the fact that she hadn’t made a run for the door. Thankfully, the rest of the visit went smoother. There was no more talk of me getting Bentley pregnant or her ending up in a tabloid article.

I was also more confident in my mom’s mental health by the end of the visit—that is, until she said, “It’s so nice that Bentley moved up here to Portland to be with you.”