Free Meant to Be by E. L. Todd Page A

anyway.”
    That was a valid point. I hooked my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to me. Together, we looked at the ocean as it moved up the sand with the rising tide. The wind moved through our hair.
    “How’s my dad?” I asked.
    “Moopy.”
    “When we went to the gym the other day, this twenty-five year old woman hit on him. And she was hot.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah. She gave him her number, but he just threw it away.”
    “Wow. Andrew is a stud.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t get it. He’s not with my mom anymore.”
    “It’s only been a few weeks, Sean. Give him some time. Plus, he doesn’t seem like the type who would be interested in someone half his age.”
    “I guess not. Be could still tap her.”
    She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think Andrew is into that either.”
    “I just want him to be happy. I thought fooling around with a younger woman would put some bounce in his step.”
    “He’ll move on when he’s ready, Sean.”
    I sighed, not sure when that would be.
    “Have you visited your mom?”
    I’d been dreading the task since my father asked me to see her. “No…”
    “Sean, you need to go.”
    “I know. I know. I will.”
    She gave me a firm look.
    “I will. Don’t worry.”

10
    Cortland
    Monnique was coming over for dinner, so I made steak, potatoes, and asparagus. They were the only things I knew how to make. When I was alone, I usually ate out or stopped by Scarlet’s place and devoured her food like a black hole.
    When she came over, she was wearing a strapless dress with a cardigan over it. A golden necklace and match bracelet highlighted her features. It didn’t surprise me that an owner of a fashion magazine noticed her. They’d be stupid not to. “You look nice.”
    “Thanks.” She put her purse down and gave me a slow kiss. It was purposeful and carried all the desire she felt for me. I immediately got hard at the touch. I wondered if she did it on purpose. “What’s for dinner?”
    “Steak, potatoes, and greens.”
    “Yum. Do you need help?”
    “No. I got it.” I placed the dishes on the table and two glasses of wine. She sat across from me and folded her napkin in her lap.
    “This looks good.”
    “Thanks. It’s the only thing I know how to make.”
    She smiled. “It’s better than cereal.”
    “Well, that would just be embarrassing,” I said with a laugh.
    She took a bite and moaned. “And it tastes good too.”
    I cut into my steak and took a bite. “Looks like I know more than just computers.”
    “One point for the geek,” she said.
    “So, what did you do last night? You said you had plans.”
    “Oh. I got coffee with Hazel.”
    Did I hear her right? “What?”
    She continued to eat like the conversation was totally normal. “She and I had a talk to clear the air. We’re fine now.”
    I was still confused. “Clear the air?”
    She finally looked at me. “Basically, I apologized to her for being so… possessive of you. I asked her if we could be friends and she said yes. There’s no problem between us anymore.”
    I was speechless. “You did that?”
    “Cortland, I’d do anything for you. You said she’s important to you and I trust you. So I just did it. And honestly, she’s very sweet and easy to get along with. And when she told me the story about her boyfriend, I felt so terrible for her. Now I understand why you were so protective of her.”
    I suddenly lost my appetite. I never expected Monnique to make such an effort to get along with Hazel. I thought their relationship would take months to form, and only after Monnique realized nothing was really going on between Hazel and I. All that time had been saved. “I can’t believe you did that…”
    “It’s really that surprising?” She gave me a playful smirk. “I want you to be happy. After everything I did to you, you deserve that.”
    The gesture went straight to my heart. She really made an effort toward this relationship. I knew how uneasy she felt around