Free Trinity Falls by Regina Hart Page A

work.
    Ean struggled free from the weight of grief. After his mother left for work, he’d go for his morning jog. Would he see Megan in the park again? He couldn’t stop thinking of their near kiss three weeks ago—and how badly he wished she hadn’t run from him.
    â€œI thought I’d make us dinner tonight.” His mother’s response interrupted his thoughts.
    â€œYou wouldn’t rather go out? My treat.” Ean returned to the table to collect his mother’s empty breakfast dishes.
    â€œI’d assumed as much.” Doreen’s smile was unsteady. “But I’d rather stay in for dinner. Just the two of us. And a friend.”
    â€œWho?” Ean stacked her dishes in the dishwasher, then closed its door before facing his mother.
    Doreen hesitated. “Leo. I want the two of you to get reacquainted.”
    Ean leaned against the kitchen counter for support. “You mean you want me to accept him as your boyfriend.”
    Doreen inclined her head. “At my age, the term ‘boyfriend’ sounds odd, but you’re essentially right.”
    It did sound odd to say his mother had a boyfriend, but Ean would embrace that word, if only to avoid the images associated with alternative terms. “I’m not going to stand in the way of your dating Coach George, but there’s no reason for me to spend time with him.”
    â€œYes, there is. I’m not going to divide my life into two halves just because you’re uncomfortable with my relationship with Leo.”
    Ean recognized the determination in Doreen’s warm brown eyes. She’d been giving him that look all of his life—when he protested eating his vegetables, doing his homework or cleaning his room. Now she was giving him that steely regard because he didn’t want to spend time with her boyfriend. How their relationship had changed.
    He crossed his arms and tried to stand his ground. “I’m not asking you to. If you want to have dinner with him tonight, I’ll make other plans.”
    Doreen narrowed her eyes. “What if I want to have dinner with both of you?”
    â€œWe’re not a family, Mom.” Ean regretted the flash of pain that crossed his mother’s round face at his quietly spoken words.
    â€œI’m not trying to replace your father. I just want . . . a friend.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “And I want you to accept that.”
    Ean let his arms drop. “How can I do that?” His throat burned at the sadness in his mother’s eyes, but he wasn’t ready to accept her new relationship.
    â€œHave dinner with us tonight.” Doreen spun on the heels of her white-pink-and-blue cross-training gym shoes. She strode from the kitchen.
    His mother sounded impatient. What did she have to be upset about? He was the one stuck in some bizzaro version of his life. He’d thought his mother was a stay-at-home widow. Instead, she had a new man and a full-time job.
    Even her appearance had changed. She’d cut her hair. Her wardrobe seemed filled with brighter colors and more modern styles. He hardly recognized her. Was Coach George the cause of all of these changes? Resentment knotted his stomach muscles.
    Ean followed her. “I was worried about your being alone. With Dad gone, I thought you’d be at loose ends.”
    Doreen looked as confused as Ean felt. “I wasn’t.” She collected her purple shoulder bag from the dining room’s corner table, then continued toward the coat closet in the front hallway.
    â€œI came home to keep you company.”
    She gave him a startled look over her shoulder. “I never asked you to.”
    Ean crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m your son. You don’t have to ask me.”
    â€œBut it’s been almost a year.” She pulled her cream-colored wool coat from the closet. “Ean, you needed to come home for you, not for me. And that’s fine.