I sighed. “You remember the guy I was telling you about? Grady? Well, I was on another date and Brock showed up and basically ruined it.”

“Oh no,” Mom murmured, but it was too subdued. Like I could practically see her grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, he didn’t really ruin it. I mean, if I was being honest—”

“And you should be.”

Wrinkling my nose, I folded an arm across my waist. “Anyway, Grady is nice but . . . it wasn’t going to work out anyway.”

“Of course not,” she replied.

“What does that mean?”

“Let me ask you a question, Jillian. Why are you asking me about Brock? Besides the fact that he told you he was obviously still thinking about you all these years?”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the next. “Because . . . because he came over last night and—”

“Did you two have sex?”

“Oh my God, Mom!” I shrieked, startling Rhage and causing him to jump like one of those Halloween spook cats.

“What?”

“What?” I repeated dumbly. “Okay, like I don’t want you ever asking me that again. Ever.”

She sighed heavily in my ear. “It’s human nature, Jilly. Your father and I have a very active—”

“Stop. Please stop.” I threw up a little in my mouth. “I don’t want to hear any of that.”

“Fine. So Brock came over and there was no sex. Did you guys quilt a blanket? Watch Beaches? Did you two even cuddle, because I think he’s the type that likes to cuddle.”

“Oh my God,” I moaned, close to hanging up on her. “You need to focus.”

“I am focused.”

“We just talked—talked about things, and he . . . he seems to be interested in me like more than just friends, and he’s not at all worried about us working together”

“Well, why would he be worried about you two working together? Not like the Limas have ever separated work and family before,” she replied dryly. “Brock has been asking about you for six years, honey.”

“Yeah, and for most of that time he was with someone, so that’s not an indication of anything.”

“If you say so.”

I sighed. “Mom.”

“If you think that means nothing then I’m sure there are things I don’t think he’s talked to you about.”

“Like what?” I demanded as unease brewed.

“That’s not my place to go into, hon.”

“Oh!” I threw an arm up. “It’s not your place to tell me his business, but you told him mine?”

“Not the same thing,” she repeated.

“Whatever.”

“So are you two finally getting together?” she asked.

Taking a deep breath, I counted to ten before I responded. “No, Mom. We’re not.”

“I’m confused.”

I tipped my head back and groaned, “Why?”

“You love him.”