Chapter Nine

Panic blazed through Cori. In a matter of seconds, her mom would walk into the kitchen and see… She glanced down at Grey’s erection jutting out from the towel. Shit! Pushing past him, she whispered, “Stay here.”

“Wait—”

Cori rushed out, just closing the door behind her when Adina Ross came down the hallway.

“There you are.” Her petite mom, neat and comfortable looking in beige capri pants, a loose navy shirt, and matching flats, stuffed her keys in a navy shoulder bag as she walked into the kitchen. “Sorry for barging in and not waiting for you to answer the door, but I made the mistake of asking your favorite neighbor how she was doing.” Her mom’s light brown face was free of makeup. Soft creases formed at the corners of her eyes as she chuckled and gave Cori a brief hug. “That woman talked for ten minutes straight about her root canal. She was about to go into the neighborhood drama report before I finally got away from her.”

“But it’s Saturday. Don’t you have a standing hair appointment this afternoon?”

Her mom smoothed a hand over her ebony hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. “I’m on my way there, but I needed to talk to you first. What were you so busy doing that you couldn’t call me back?”

“I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. We were out late catching up.”

“And this morning?”

Images from earlier flashed in Cori’s mind of her and Grey on the couch…and of him standing in her pantry closet wearing nothing but a towel and a hard-on. Well, he probably didn’t have the hard-on anymore.

Her mom waved away a response. “Never mind. Keep making breakfast.”

“Breakfast? Yes, that’s exactly what I was doing, scrambling eggs for breakfast.” Cori went to the bowl and started whisking the eggs. “Want some?” Shoot! Wrong question. She needed her mother to go, not stay. Sure, her mother knew she had a sex life, but there were some things her mom just needed to imagine and not see…like Grey.

“I can’t. If I’m late to the salon, I’ll lose my spot. But I’ll have some coffee.” Her mom went to the Keurig and rifled through the wire basket beside it. “I really loved that Green Mountain Breakfast Blend you gave me the last time I was here. It looks like you’re out. You have more in the pantry, don’t you? I’ll check.”

“No!” Cori dropped the whisk into the bowl and turned from the counter. The response had earned her a raised brow from her mother. “I mean, maybe. I’m not sure. But I’ll look for it. Don’t you want to put your purse down?” She pointed to the place where her mother usually dropped her things when she came for a visit—the kitchen stool on the living room side of the breakfast bar.

Her mom glanced down at her purse and laughed. “I guess I do look like I’m about to run right back out the door. I have a few minutes to spare.”

As her mother left the kitchen, Cori quickly went to the pantry and opened the door.

Grey held out the box of Green Mountain Breakfast Blend.

If the situation hadn’t been so surreal, the look on his face would have been comical. But his raised brow expression reflected exactly how she felt about her mom being there.

Cori mouthed “sorry” to him before snatching the box from his hand and shutting the door in his face. Her mother had undoubtedly mulled over the unreturned phone calls and the “no” RSVP for Dana’s and Ben’s engagement party. Grey standing half-naked in the pantry was a topic Cori didn’t want to add into the conversation.

She busied herself with brewing the coffee her mother wanted.

Her mom took a container of hazelnut creamer from the fridge and shook it. “This is almost empty. I guess you’ve been so busy, you haven’t had time for grocery shopping or to put away your laundry.”

Noted. She not only had to keep her mom out of the pantry, but also from investigating the clothes on the couch.

“Busy. That would be me.” Cori went back to the stove and turned on the gas burner under the non-stick ceramic skillet. Grey was probably starving. Once her mother left, she’d make him fresh eggs with toast and bacon as an apology for shutting him in the closet.

Her mother took the full coffee mug from the drip tray and poured in the creamer. “Work is important, but…”

Here it comes…

“So is family. You need to make time for Dana and Ben’s engagement party.”

Cori poured the eggs in the skillet and used the whisk to scramble them. “I know you’re worried about Dad, but I don’t think you need me there.”

“What about Dana and Ben?”

“I’ll buy them a really nice gift as an apology. It’s just an engagement party. It’s not like I’m missing their wedding.”

Her mom released an audible breath. “It’s still an important moment, and you should be there to help them celebrate. That’s what Dana and Ben and the rest of your family would do for you if the roles were reversed.”

As Cori took a plate down from an upper cabinet, memories of the last family get-together Kevin had attended rose up. It had been Thanksgiving at her parents’ house last year. He may not have liked being there, but he had enjoyed the food. He’d practically eaten his weight in turkey. In hindsight, that was fitting, and what happened at the table during the meal was also telling. Everyone had been teasing her and Kevin about when they were getting engaged. She’d laughed and said, “Who knows? It could be soon.” But he’d coughed as if he’d suddenly gotten a turkey bone stuck in his throat. And he hadn’t agreed with her.

Sorrow welled up as she scraped the eggs onto the plate sitting on the counter. Her family would undoubtedly remember that moment, too.

“Mom…” She turned around to face her mother, planning to lean even harder on the work excuse, but the way her mother looked at her as if she’d guessed the real reason stalled the words.

“Corinne Aubrey Porter Ross.” Sternness and compassion filled her mother’s eyes as she recited Cori’s full name, which included the first names of Cori’s maternal grandparents. “This isn’t about you. It’s about how your father and I raised you.” She sat down the mug of coffee on the counter, went to Cori, and cupped her cheek. “When you stopped coming around last year, we knew it was because of Kevin, and we all tried to be understanding because the two of you were in a relationship. But there’s no excuse now. Family is always there for family. We rely on each other, and we’re also there for each other for celebrations as well as the rough spots.”

There was only one response to the reminder of the rule her parents had taught her, probably from the moment she could comprehend words, and how she’d set it aside because of Kevin. “All right. I’ll be there.”

“Good. I’ll let them know you’re coming.” She kissed Cori’s cheek then hurried out of the kitchen to grab her purse. “I have to get going. Otherwise, I’ll be stuck at the salon all day.”

“Love you,” she called out on her way to the front door. “I’ll see you next weekend. Don’t forget, it’s at one o’clock. And wear green.”

The front door shut.

The pantry door opened.

Grey came out and joined her at the counter by the stove. “You okay?”

No. But the decision was made. Frustration, along with hints of dread, sat like weights in her stomach. Cori forced a smile. “Now that my mother is gone, I am. Talk about awkward. That was close. I’ll make you some fresh eggs. And I have bacon if you want some.”

He grasped her shoulders, stopping her from turning back toward the counter. “What I want is for you to be truthful with me. You and your cousin Dana were tight growing up, weren’t you? Why don’t you want to celebrate her engagement?”

“I do.”

“But?” His unwavering gaze held hers.

Frustration leaked out. “Because when I’m around Dana and Ben, it’s so obvious that they’re right for each other.” The envy she picked up in her voice drove her gaze down to her feet. “And it reminds me that Kevin and I weren’t. It makes me feel even more foolish for staying in a relationship with him for so long. That sounds terrible, doesn’t it?”

“And understandable.” He gave her a squeeze. “But what your mom said about family being there for family, it’s not just about you being there for Dana. It’s about them wanting to be there for you, too.”

“I know, but showing up alone at an engagement party because my boyfriend left me will feel like I’m riding a neon pink elephant into the room.”

“You don’t have to go alone.” Grey slid his hands to her back, in a loose embrace. “I’ll go with you.”

A part of her screamed “yes,” but last night and that morning was just a hook-up. A chance to roll back in time to when things had been really good in her life.

She laid her hands on his chest. “I appreciate the offer. I really do, but I can handle it. I’ll show up for an hour, wish Dana and Ben well then leave. No big deal.”

Grey opened his mouth as if to speak then shut it. He stared at her for a long moment as if he was debating something in his mind. Nodding slowly, he let her go. “Okay. I should head out. It’s almost noon. I don’t want to make you late.”

“It’ll just take a minute for me to make more eggs.” She grabbed the plate behind her on the counter. “Or I can warm these up in the microwave.”

“You should eat them. Moving takes a lot of work, and you’ve had a busy morning. You should fuel up.”

He winked at her, and just like when they’d first met, her internal pause button stuck. But this time, she watched him walk away.

As he got dressed in the living room, Cori busied herself cleaning up the kitchen. He wasn’t upset by her turning down his help, right? He’d volunteered to go with her because he’d felt sorry for her. He was just being nice. Grey viewed what happened between them—just like she did.

Never retrace your steps back to a one-night stand…

She hadn’t thought of the rule in ages, but it was fitting. She’d created it years ago after Grey but before Kevin. She, Alexa, and Nat were just getting to know each other after meeting at L’Enfant Plaza in DC where they would catch the metro at the same time after work. On Friday evenings, they’d started going out for drinks together at a restaurant near the station. One night, over glasses of wine, they’d entered into a mostly teasing discussion about the rules of dating, and she’d latched onto that rule, having recently had a decent one-night stand abruptly change into a lackluster memory when she’d agreed to meet the guy again a few days later. The spontaneity factor was gone. Sleeping together again had been disappointing, and they’d shared an awkward good-bye afterward.

She didn’t want that experience with Grey. Years ago, their good-bye had been bittersweet, but they had parted on friendly terms.

Grey paused at the entryway of the kitchen fully dressed, holding the towel. “Do you want me to put this in the bathroom upstairs?”

“I’ll take it.” She accepted the plush terry cloth still slightly warm from his body heat and walked with him to the front door.

He paused after opening it. “What’s your number?”

She told him without a second thought. Just because he had her number didn’t mean that he would call her or that she would hook up with him again.

Grey tapped it into his phone. A moment later, hers rang in her purse in the living room. He leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers.

As she sank deeper into the lingering kiss, Cori dug her fingers into the towel, fighting the urge to reach out and hold onto him instead.

He pulled back a fraction, and the warmth from his mouth bathed hers. “Now, you have my number, too. If you need me, call me.”