Water from the pot boiled over and gushed onto the burner. Brooklyn let out a squeal and removed the lid. Then she grabbed a sponge and wiped up as much of the spillage as she could. The beef on the stove was bubbling, and she turned it down so it wouldn’t burn. She wiped her forehead, glancing at the clock—a quarter to six. Fifteen minutes before Dax was to arrive for dinner, and she still had to put the garlic bread together, make the salad dressing, and finish setting the table. She’d hoped to get home from work earlier but had to put out a fire before she could leave. Jessica, one of the brides, was turning out to be the most indecisive person on the planet. Her wedding was in two weeks, and she’d changed her mind four times already about which flowers she wanted for her bridal bouquet. Brooklyn explained that she’d already ordered most of the flowers and that it would cost extra to order more. But Jessica insisted she didn’t care. She wanted her wedding to be perfect. And, of course, she could afford to be picky because her parents were footing the bill. The phone call with Jessica had taken an extra forty-five minutes, putting Brooklyn way behind. Plus, when she got home from work, the house was a disaster. Madison was camped out in the living room, her crap strewn everywhere. It was hard enough to have her mom there without having Madison too. Brooklyn’s quiet, orderly house had been turned into chaos.

At least Brooklyn’s mom, Paula, was taking a nap. Otherwise, she’d be in the kitchen lecturing Brooklyn on the proper way to prepare a meal. Brooklyn wasn’t keen on the idea of having Dax over for dinner, while her mom and Madison were in the house. But her mother insisted on meeting him, so Brooklyn figured she might as well get it over with.

Madison stood at the island, chopping vegetables for the salad. She looked at Brooklyn, frowning. “You’re stressed to the max.”

Brooklyn’s first inclination was to say something smart, but she resisted the temptation. After all, Madison was trying hard to be pleasant. And she was putting the salad together. “It’s been a busy day at work.” She felt Madison’s eyes, scoping her. “What?” she mumbled, pushing her hair out of her face.

“You must really like Dax.”

Discussing Dax with Madison wasn’t something she wanted to do. “Yes.” Better to keep her answer short.

“It’ll be good to see him. I haven’t seen him since—”

Brooklyn spiked an eyebrow, shooting Madison a death glare. “Since when?” If Madison knew what was good for her, she wouldn’t mention the infernal Valentine’s dance or she’d throw her out on her ear.

“Um, high school,” Madison, mumbled, taking interest in the carrot she was slicing. “I’m glad you found someone.”

“Thanks.” She couldn’t tell if Madison was sincere or if she was just paying lip service. Brooklyn watched as she peeled a cucumber and began slicing it. “Of course, Mom’s pretty set on fixing you up with Ramsey Smith.”

Brooklyn briskly stirred the brown sauce then added it to the pan of beef strips for stroganoff. Now, she only had to add the sour cream. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.” She dipped in a spoon and tasted it before adding a dash of salt and more pepper.

Madison glanced around, lowering her voice. “Mom’s not happy about you dating a blind guy.”

Brooklyn bristled. What was Madison trying to do? Wreck the evening before it even got started? Her eyes narrowed as she planted a hand on her hip. “What’re you getting at?”

“Only that you need to be prepared. Mom’s not gonna take this lying down, if you know what I mean.”

Before Brooklyn could reply, their mother stepped into the room and looked around. “Sorry I slept so long. Something smells good.”

Madison looked mortified, like she worried Brooklyn might rat her out for talking about their mother. “Thanks,” Brooklyn said. “It’s almost ready.”

Paula stepped up beside Brooklyn. “Whatcha making?”

“Beef stroganoff, cream corn, salad, and garlic bread.”

The corners of Paula’s lips turned down. “Really?”

“Really,” Brooklyn said flatly.

“Your sauce looks a little runny. Did you add cornstarch?”

It was always this way with her mother. She just couldn’t seem to help herself—she had to pick everything apart. Brooklyn let out a breath. “Yes, Mother, I did.”

Paula’s lips formed a tight smile. “Okay, I’m sure it’ll be fine once you pour it over the noodles.”

Brooklyn dragged a spoon through the sauce. Was it too thin? Now she was second-guessing herself. Maybe she should add cornstarch. No, this is what her mother wanted—for her to feel insecure. The sauce was fine. She straightened her shoulders, looking her mother in the eye. “Would you mind slicing some French bread and putting butter and garlic on it? Then we can pop it in the oven.”

“Sure, dear. I’ll be glad to.” Paula looked back and forth between Brooklyn and Madison. “It’s so wonderful being here with both of you. I was thinking that tomorrow we might go to the mall and do a little shopping.”

Madison’s eyes rounded. “I have to work tomorrow.”

“So do I,” Brooklyn added.

Paula nodded. “Of course.” Her face fell a notch, then she picked herself right back up, brightening. “No worries. We’ll go after you both get home from work. We’ll go out to eat, then do some shopping.”

Brooklyn planned to spend tomorrow evening with Dax, and she could tell from the cornered look on Madison’s face that she didn’t want to go out tomorrow night either. But what could they do? Their mother had spoken. And as usual, she got her way. It occurred to Brooklyn that they should probably start standing up to her, but old habits were hard to break. She was still peeved that her mother was so quick to believe she made a play for Justin. Not to mention her constant matchmaking with Ramsey. Brooklyn needed to confront her mother about those things, but she’d have to work up the courage to do it. It was silly, really, that she had such a hard time standing up to her mother, but it was easier to simply go around her than face her head on. Still, she’d better not try to undermine her relationship with Dax. That might just be the thing to push Brooklyn over the edge. And then they’d have war.

The doorbell rang. Brooklyn smoothed down her hair and adjusted her blouse. Then she had to laugh, remembering that Dax couldn’t see her appearance.

“I’ll get it,” Madison chirped, rushing to answer the door. “Dax,” she said in a bubbly voice. “Hello, it’s Madison. Oh, is this your cute dog? What’s his name?”

Brooklyn cringed as Madison went on and on in a sickly sweet voice. Did she not realize how fake she sounded? And, of all things, she was wearing a short, blue-jean skirt and tight blouse. Her hair was cut in the latest fashion, she had a fake tan, eyelash extensions, tattooed eyebrows, and Botox, which probably explained the main reason she had no money for a place—because her upkeep was so costly. She was sure Madison would up the ante now that things were ending with Justin. Every guy within a ten-mile radius would be on Madison’s radar. But the joke was on her this time, for Dax would be totally unaffected by her charm. Brooklyn stepped into the living room and had to smile. Dax was cordial to Madison, but she could tell from his body language that he was put off by her incessant jabbering. Brooklyn stepped over to him and put a proprietary hand on his arm. “Hey.”

He looked relieved that she’d rescued him. “Hey.” He hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Why don’t you have a seat? Dinner’s almost ready.” Brooklyn had just led Dax and Tucker to the couch when Paula stepped into the room.

She halted in her step, her hawk eyes sweeping over Dax. “Hello,” she said in a voice too cheerful.

When Dax heard her, he made a motion to stand up again.

“Don’t get up,” Paula inserted. She stepped up to him. “I’m Paula, Brooklyn’s mom.” She held out her hand, as if he could see it to shake.

Dax nodded, offering a friendly smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Paula’s hand hung awkwardly in the air until she dropped it to her side. She looked uncomfortable, like she wasn’t sure what to do.

Brooklyn sat down beside Dax and put a hand on his arm. “Thanks for coming.” She looked at Paula. “Mom, why don’t you sit down?”

Paula nodded and sat down in the chair across from them, but her posture was stiff and she shifted back and forth, unsure how to act around Dax.

“You and Dax can get acquainted while I set the table,” Brooklyn continued. She hated to leave the two of them alone but didn’t know what else to do. She’d warned Dax that her mother was difficult, but he assured her he could hold his own. Brooklyn figured Dax was wishing he was anywhere but here right now.

“Stay where you are. I’ll take care of the table,” Madison said.

“Thanks,” Brooklyn said, relief spilling over her.

Madison winked, leaving Brooklyn to wonder what was taking place. For a second there, she’d felt a connection with her sister. It was kind of nice … and strange.

An awkward silence passed as the three of them sat there. Brooklyn cringed at the hostile way her mother was eyeing Dax, as if he were a rodent that needed exterminating. Her mother could be so small-minded sometimes.

“Brooklyn tells me you live in California,” Dax began.

“Yes, but we’re from Utah. Cache Valley. My husband’s job took us to California,” Paula said primly.

“What type of work does your husband do?” Dax said.

“He’s a consultant. Companies bring him in when they want to get in a good position to sell.”

“My dad always says that from the time he steps foot in a new job, his days are numbered. He’s basically working himself out of a job,” Brooklyn added.

Dax nodded. “I see. You must move often.”

“No, actually, we don’t,” Paula sniffed. “This is the first time in years that we’ve moved outside of Utah. My husband’s very good at what he does and is highly sought after.”

“That’s nice to be highly sought after. Good job security,” Dax said, but the words sounded forced.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut. Brooklyn sought for something to say to lighten the mood. Thankfully, Madison came back and announced that dinner was ready. Dax looked relieved.

When they got seated around the table, Paula looked around. “Dax, would you mind saying grace?”

He flashed a disarming smile. “I’d be honored.”

Brooklyn had to bite back a smile when she saw her mother’s startled expression. Paula had called on Dax assuming he’d fail miserably, but nothing could be further from the truth. They bowed their heads as Dax delivered a simple, heartfelt prayer, giving thanks for their present company and the food.

Brooklyn sat beside Dax to offer assistance. They passed bowls of food and served themselves. “Here, let me help,” she said, when the bowl was passed to Dax.

“I’ve got it,” he said, his jaw tightening.

“Okay, just let me know if you need anything.” Dax disliked it when she was over eager to help him. She was learning there was a fine line between helping and hurting his ego. Dax was determined to be independent, at all costs. And that was one of the things she most admired about him, but it was also frustrating. Most of the time she held herself back from the impulse to jump to his aid, except when she got nervous. Dax scooped out a generous spoonful of stroganoff, then passed the bowl to Paula. Brooklyn sighed in relief. So far so good.

When the food was distributed, Paula opened the conversation. “Dax, what’re you doing with your time? Now that the racing is over.”

Brooklyn nearly choked on a noodle. Her mother was going for the jugular vein right off the bat. She glared at her, but Paula only smiled, an innocent expression on her face.

“I’m the joint owner of a racing team,” Dax said, not missing a beat. “It keeps me busy. We’re renegotiating contracts with our drivers right now, so I spend long hours on the phone with the attorneys.”

“I see.” Paula took a bite of her salad.

A burst of triumph shot through Brooklyn, and she had to fight the urge to throw her arms around Dax. He could hold his own with her mother. Good for him!

“So, do you keep in touch with any of our old high school buddies?” Madison asked. “You were always the life of the party.”

Brooklyn tightened her grip on her fork, shooting Madison a warning look.

“What?” Madison said. “It was a simple question. You don’t have to get so bent out of shape about it.”

Brooklyn wanted to crawl under the table with Tucker. She didn’t dare look at Dax to see how he’d reacted to Madison’s jab. He was probably second-guessing his decision to come tonight. This dinner was awkward enough as it was. Leave it to Madison to make it worse. Any kinship she felt for Madison earlier flew out the window, and she wanted to wring her neck. She didn’t even dignify Madison’s catty remark with a response. It was better to just gloss it over. The last thing Brooklyn wanted was to start a discussion about Dax’s party days, either during or after high school. Paula had already researched Dax’s history to the point where she probably knew the date he first lost a tooth. No doubt Paula had stockpiled an arsenal of information to use as ammunition when she felt it would do the most damage.

Dax took a long drink of his water and set it back down. “In answer to your question, Madison. Unfortunately, no. I haven’t kept in touch with people from high school.” He looked in Brooklyn’s direction, the corners of his lips twitching in an intimate smile. “I take that back. I only reconnect with the important people.”

Brooklyn couldn’t help but giggle, especially when Madison flinched, her eyes bulging like she was choking on her food. A delicious sensation of warmth spread over Brooklyn. Dax knew just how to handle her sister.

“This is fabulous.” Dax turned to Brooklyn. “You’re an excellent cook.”

“Thank you.” Brooklyn took a bite of stroganoff, pleased to note that the sauce was the perfect thickness.

Dax chuckled. “It’s a good thing you cook better than you rollerblade.”

“Hey, now,” Brooklyn countered. “That’s a low blow.”

“Indeed.” Paula’s face went rigid. “What exactly do you mean by that comment?”

The air tensed as a wave of panic came over Brooklyn. Uh, oh. Dax’s teasing gave her mother an opening to go on the rampage.

Dax didn’t seem the least bit affected by the accusation in Paula’s voice. He reached for Brooklyn’s hand, and she met him halfway, linking her fingers through his. “Should I tell the story, or do you want to?”

The panic subsided as she laughed. “You seem to be doing a good job. You tell them.”

Dax gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting it go. Then he leaned back in his seat and cleared his throat, like he was about to deliver an important speech. Laughter bubbled in Brooklyn’s chest. Dax loved having a captive audience. She’d not seen this side of him since they reconnected, but she remembered it from high school As Madison said, Dax was the life of the party. He had a magnetic personality, which demanded that people pay attention to him. “So, I’d had a nonstop day, dealing with problems about the racing team. Tucker and I went for a walk around the lake to clear my head. We were standing by the water, minding our own business, when I was mowed over by this speed demon on rollerblades. She knocked me over and kept going into the lake, taking Tucker with her.”

Madison giggled like a strangled hyena. “Oh, no. That’s terrible.”

Dax grinned. “It was terrible.”

“Yeah, and as you can imagine, I got a good tongue-lashing, which I fully deserved,” Brooklyn added before Dax could say anything. “And if that weren’t bad enough, I recognized him.” Brooklyn shook her head, remembering how horrified she’d been at that moment when the full scope of the situation hit her.

Dax winced. “Yeah, I was pretty upset, afraid Tucker had gotten hurt. But I apologized later.”

“Yes, you did,” Brooklyn agreed. “Dax came to the flower shop the following day.”

“And we’ve been together ever since.” Dax broke off a piece of bread and placed it in his mouth.

Paula’s face was rigid. Brooklyn felt a flash of triumph. Maybe now her mother would realize how close she and Dax were and would put aside her silly Brooklyn and Ramsey campaign.

“It must be hard to be in your … situation. Have to worry about such simple things … like rollerbladers not seeing you. To have to depend on a dog to take you around. I’m so sorry,” Paula cooed. “I just can’t imagine what it must be like. What you’ve lost.”

Dax’s jaw tightened a fraction, but he let out an easy laugh. “Yeah, being blind’s not for the faint hearted. It’s a lot harder than racing, I’ll tell you that.”

Mother, shut up! Brooklyn wanted to scream. She’d briefly underestimated her mother, forgotten how sharp her claws could be. Paula had found the one chink in Dax’s armor, and plunged the knife in deep. Brooklyn fought the urge to reach for Dax’s hand, to let him know she was in his corner. The one thing Dax couldn’t tolerate was pity.

“What’s it like having a seeing eye dog?” Paula asked. “Do you ever get tired of having a dog by your side 24/7?” She shuddered. “I imagine it’s a nightmare when the dog sheds, all that hair everywhere.”

Brooklyn couldn’t take another word. “Mother, that’s enough!”

Paula made an innocent face. “What? I’m just asking questions that have to be answered. You and Dax are obviously close. So, you need to be able to handle his … err …”

“Disability,” Dax cut in, marbles popping at the corners of his jaws.

“Yes, his disability,” Paula said. “I’m sorry, Dax, I’m not trying to put you on the spot. I truly am sorry for all that you’ve gone through, but my first concern has to be for Brooklyn. I just want her to understand the gravity of what it means to have a relationship with you. You’re handsome, charming, funny, a former racecar driver. It’s not hard to see why Brooklyn’s star-struck, but I don’t think she realizes what she’s getting into.”

Tears misted Brooklyn’s eyes. In that moment, she detested her mother. Why was she so determined to snuff out every sliver of happiness in Brooklyn’s life? “Mother, this is neither the time nor place to discuss this,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Brooklyn’s right, Mother,” Madison said, an appalled look on her face.

Paula’s brows creased. “Brooklyn, if you and Dax are as close you appear, then I would think he would consider your well-being too. That’s all I’m saying.”

The chair made an angry grating sound as Dax scooted it back and stood. “It’s time for me to go.” His lips disappeared into a thin line, his jaw stone hard, making him look every bit the diehard racecar driver turned superstar.

Brooklyn jumped to her feet. “Don’t listen to her. I know exactly what I’m getting into.” She caught his arm, desperation seeping into her pores. “Dax, please. She’s out of line.”

He gave her a curt nod. “Thanks for dinner.” He grabbed Tucker’s leash. “Find the door to outside,” he ordered. Tucker promptly led him out.

“Wait!” Brooklyn hurried behind them. “I told you my mother is like this. She’s presumptuous and meddlesome. You said you could handle it.”

He kept walking.

“Dax,” she pled, tears springing to her eyes. “Please don’t walk away from me. I love you.” Hope rose in her breast when he paused. “I really do.”

For one wild moment, she thought he might turn around, but he shook his head. “I’m sorry. Your mother’s right. It’s not fair to burden you with my disability,” he uttered. “I’ve been thinking only of myself.”

She touched his shoulder. “Please, don’t say that.”

“It’s true.” He turned his head, giving her a sad smile. “Goodbye, Brooklyn.” He walked away, faster this time.

“Dax, it’s my choice,” she called after him. “Do you hear me? You’re the only one walking away. Don’t be a coward!”

A couple approaching on the sidewalk, looked wide-eyed at Brooklyn before looking away. She tromped up the walkway and back inside. Then slammed the door where she collapsed, sobbing.