Game of Love(19)

Tomorrow. I’ll take the step tomorrow. First she needed to work on herself. Maybe it was her turn to make a difference in someone’s life. Maybe Dex was right to believe in her.

She texted him back before heading into town. Want to check out ops at Dept of Ed for grants. Catch up after?

He texted back a few minutes later. Meet at home 2 nite?

Home. And just like that, she’d fallen back into the safety of him.





Chapter Sixteen


DEX WALKED INTO the café and scanned the tables. Joanie Remington rose to her feet and opened her arms. The wide sleeves of her colorful bohemian top hung loosely like the sleeves of a robe and her skirt nearly swept the floor.

“Please don’t tell me that you only have twenty minutes.” Despite her stern words, the smile on her lips told Dex that his mother missed him. Her gray hair flowed in thick natural waves over her shoulders and down her back. At five foot eight, she stood nearly shoulder to shoulder with Siena, who had also risen from her seat to greet Dex.

“Hi, Mom. Sorry I’ve been so busy lately. You know how releases are.”

“That I do. They’re like giving birth. Painful and exhilarating,” his mother said.

He hugged Siena and tugged playfully at her long brown hair. He’d never get used to men ogling his sister, and in her boot-cut jeans, white blouse, and colorful necklaces, she had at least four sets of male eyes looking her way.

“Sit down before the ogling husbands start getting in trouble,” he teased.

Siena rolled her eyes. “Why do you look so happy?”

“What?” Dex pulled out a chair and sat down. They were in a quiet corner of the restaurant. He could always count on his mother to find the perfect spot to be able to talk. That was her thing. Talking. She claimed to be able to look into her children’s eyes and see through to their…hell, he didn’t know what, but she always knew if they were telling her the truth or not.

“I don’t know. Usually you’ve got that nonplussed, I’d-rather-have-my-nose-in-a-computer look, but today you look happy.” Siena was two minutes younger than Dex, and at five foot nine and thin as a rail, with naturally full breasts—a combination as rare as it was beautiful—she had taken the modeling world by surprise at a very young age and was now one of New York’s most sought after models.

Getting into a discussion about his private life—the one that had him confused as hell—was not something he was up for. He ignored Siena’s comment.

“Dex, tell me how you are.” His mother leaned forward. “Every time I call, I get your voicemail or you’re in a meeting. What’s happening with that other company? I heard you were releasing on the same day as them. Is that smart? Didn’t you once tell me it wasn’t the best path to take?”

“You really do listen to everything we say,” he teased.

“I’m your mother. Shouldn’t I?” She arched a brow.

“I guess. Yeah, we’re going out the same day. I don’t want to play with my fans’ expectations. They expect the product, and I want to deliver. We’ve been working on this for three years. Delaying is just a tactic, and not one I want to play with.” He ran his hand through his hair and draped an arm across the back of the chair, thinking of Ellie.

Siena’s phone vibrated and she scooped it off the table and read it. “Oh, yes!”

“What?” her mother asked.

Siena texted as she spoke. “Remember my friend Jordan? The makeup artist? She just texted and said they’re going to move forward with that article on Sage sometime this year. But she doesn’t know when.”

“Why is a makeup artist interviewing Sage?” Dex asked.

“No.” Siena swatted the air, then finished texting. “There’s a gallery that’s hosting a show for him and Mom, and Jordan has been talking to one of the mags that she does some makeup work for about doing an interview. I don’t have all the details, but it sounds like it’s a good thing.”

“Mom?” Dex asked. “You’re doing a show with Sage?”

“Apparently so. I’m not sure why they want me to do it, but it’s a family theme featuring a few different artists.” His mother flagged down the waitress. “It should be fun. If nothing else, it’ll give me time with Sage and your father a chance to put on his Sunday best and be proud of us. You know how he likes that.”

They ordered lunch, and Dex texted Ellie under the table. Thinking of you. D. He set the phone on the table.

“Who are you texting?” Siena asked.

“Mitch,” he lied.

“I love Mitch,” she said with a dreamy look in her eyes. “He’s so…not like everyone else.”

“He hasn’t had a date in a long time. Maybe you should hook up with him.” Dex raised his brows in quick succession.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Siena said. “Besides, I think Regina has a thing for him.”

“Maybe in Mitch’s fantasies. You’re really out of touch with them.” He laughed.

His phone vibrated, and Siena snagged it before he could. She read the text and held the phone to her chest, her eyes wide, a smile on her lips. “Well, well, well. Who were we texting? Sure doesn’t look like Mitch.”

“Siena.” He reached across the table and Siena leaned back with his phone.

Their mother looked at them and shook her head. “Siena, give your brother his phone.”

“Who’s Ellie?” she asked.

His mother caught his gaze. “Ellie?”

“Ellie,” Siena repeated. “Dexy said, Thinking of you, and Ellie said, Me too, you.”

“Ellie.” His mother raised her eyebrows. “I haven’t heard that name in years."

Dex reached across the table and yanked his phone from Siena’s hands. He texted back, Will text after lunch. Xox. Then he shoved his phone into his pocket. He’d worn a white-and-blue-pinstriped button-down shirt, untucked, with the arms folded up to the elbows. Dex leaned back in his chair again and knew by the annoyed expression on Siena’s face that he appeared too relaxed for her to enjoy teasing him.

The waitress brought their lunches, and Dex took a big bite of his turkey sandwich, hoping they’d drop the conversation.

“Dex, Ellie?” His mother folded her hands on the table and watched him chew.

When he was done, he let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair again and said, “Ellie Parker.”

“Ellie Parker. Ellie Parker.” Siena tapped her chin. “Oh my God. Ellie Parker? The foster girl?”

“She’s not the foster girl. That’s a really asshole thing to say.” Dex felt the muscles in his neck tighten.

“Well, excuse me.” Siena poked at her salad with her fork.

“Dex, isn’t she the girl who broke your heart?” his mother asked.

I’m gonna kill Sage. “The one and only,” he admitted. He didn’t even try to make up excuses for Ellie or lie to his mother. Ellie had hurt him, and for all he knew, she’d hurt him again, but he was willing to chance it. He respected his mother’s opinion, and if Sage felt she needed to know about what had happened a few years back, then he had to have had a good reason—although that didn’t dampen Dex’s annoyance at Sage for not telling him. Siena? She’d always be his little sister—even if only two minutes younger—and along with that came the innate ability to ignore her opinions.

“Wait a second. Dex, that’s the light in your eyes.” Siena looked at their mother with her mouth set in a perfect “O.” “Is she here? Are you seeing her?”

“Siena, leave him be for a minute.” His mother looked at him and tilted her head.

“Really? Since when do I have to report to you two about my dating life?” He took another bite of his sandwich.

“Well, considering you don’t usually have much of a dating life, I think it’s only fair that you share the dirty details,” Siena said before plucking a cherry tomato from her plate and popping it into her mouth.

“Dexy, as I recall, you were really taken with her for a very long time.” His mother reached across the table and touched his hand. “You’re a smart man with an enormous heart. Tread carefully, sweetie, okay?”

“Taken with her? Just because they were friends as kids?” Siena asked.

His mother lowered her eyes, and in that moment Dex knew that his mother knew more than she was letting on, and he wondered what that might be.

“Okay, so you’re…what? Dating her? Doing her?” Siena asked.

“Siena,” their mother chided.

He let out a breath.

His mother met his gaze and held it. She patted his hand again. “Do whatever your heart tells you to. She was always a nice girl. I don’t like how hurt you were, but she didn’t have an easy upbringing.”

“See? She was the foster girl,” Siena said.

“Damn it, Siena. That was the situation she grew up in. It wasn’t who she was, and it certainly isn’t who she is now.”

“Dex, chill. I didn’t mean it like that. It was just a reference, like saying you’re a gamer. Jeez, I’m sorry, okay?”

He pushed his plate away and looked at his watch. “I’ve gotta take off in a few minutes.”