“Does it now?” Mom tightened her arms across her chest. “Who?”
Dara swallowed.
Her mom came closer, eyes narrow. “Who, Dara?”
Dara lowered her gaze. “I have a friend who’s more than willing to step in and—”
“That’s not being a father,” Mom snapped.
“Well, it’s all I’ve got right now. Jon made his decision, and I can’t take him back. So as long as Matt is willing—”
“Him?” her mother spat. “That man is going to step in?”
“Yes, he is. And without a second thought either.”
Mom threw up her hands. “For heaven’s sake. Your baby needs a father, not just some man who thinks he can—”
“He isn’t just some man.” Dara folded her arms, struggling to contain her temper. “Besides the fact that he’s a Coolidge, what exactly is the problem with him?”
Mom shrugged. “You know I’ve never liked him.”
“Why not?”
“Well, he’s never been very polite.”
“He’s not rude, Mom. He’s shy. And you and Dad scared the crap out of him when we were younger because of this stupid rivalry, so you can’t really blame him for being intimidated when he was a kid.”
Her mother shrugged again, scowling. “Do you know that boy has never been married? A man with that much money, and he’s certainly good-looking, but he’s clear into his thirties and can’t find a woman?” She wrinkled her nose. “That’s not someone you want around your baby, honey.”
Dara groaned with exasperation. “Maybe he doesn’t want to settle for a gold digger.”
The tired sigh told her Mom wasn’t going to back down, so Dara spoke first. “Look, I don’t want to discuss this any further. Everyone can gossip and judge all they want, but none of them know Matt, and none of them know what it was like to live with Jon. If they have anything to say about who I’m divorcing and who’s going to help me raise my kid, they can shove it up their asses.”
“Dara!” Mom threw up her hands. “Don’t you see what you’re doing? You’re setting this baby up for a terrible start.”
“How? Because I’m getting away from a man who obviously doesn’t respect me? Or because I’m involving someone you don’t respect?”
Her mother’s features hardened. “You need to think about what you’re doing.”
“I am. I have.” Dara shook her head. “And I’m sorry it doesn’t line up with what you and everyone in Aspen Mill think I should be doing. But this is how it’s going to happen. And that’s final.”
The rumble of Matt’s truck made her stomach flutter. He wouldn’t be here long today—he was just coming by to pick up a faulty external hard drive—but she was glad to see him. Hell, she was almost giddy at the sound of his footsteps coming up onto the porch.
Which was weird. She’d never felt this way about Jon. Or Charlie. Or anyone, for that matter. On the other hand, she hadn’t enjoyed sex this much in years, so these butterflies were probably the same thing—hormones.
Seemed only fair that some good would come from those fucking things. On one hand, morning sickness and gagging over smells that didn’t used to bother her. On the other, hair-trigger orgasms and feeling all twitterpated over a guy, one who happened to not be a giant bag of dicks like most of the ones she’d dated—or married—in the past.
As she opened the front door, she couldn’t help smiling.
“Hey,” he said, taking off his baseball cap. “I didn’t catch you while you were working, did you?”
She waved a hand. “I’m always working.” She gestured for him to follow and took him into her office at the other end of the house.
“So what’s wrong with the hard drive?” he asked.
“It was working fine the other day, but then it stopped talking to the computer.” She picked it up off her desk and handed it to him. “I’ve got everything on it backed up elsewhere, but I’d just as soon get this one working again if I can.”
Matt nodded. “Has it been knocked over or anything?”
“Not that I’m aware of. I mean, it might’ve been jostled when I moved, but it’s been working fine since I got here.”
“Hmm. Something might’ve come unseated. I’ll take a look.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
He returned the smile. This was probably the moment when he should head out and she should get back to work, but she couldn’t make herself show him to the door quite yet. After spending lunch with her mother, it was nice to be around someone who didn’t make her hackles rise.