“I was raised in a pretty black-and-white world order....”

“But did they urge you to try harder with Ted and his family?” Scott asked.

“Ironically, not at all. They asked me what I was doing. They pointed out that he was not like ‘our people.’ Which of course, made me try harder to prove I knew what I was doing.”

He chuckled. “I’m not surprised. So, can we talk about you and me? When it comes to things like commitment—I appreciate it. Respect it. But I don’t want you to stay one day longer than you feel is right for you. Just because you said three months, I won’t hold you to it. I like commitment, but I like intelligent, adult choices even more. I don’t want a reluctant PA. I really don’t want a reluctant lover filled with doubts, struggling to find some happiness in the ruins.”

“Scott, you don’t have a reluctant lover. Have I done one thing to give you the impression I doubt my choices so far?”

He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Not one. Which is why I’m such a happy man. But promise, you don’t stay if it’s not working.”

“You think just because we get along so well and have such great sex, it’ll stay perfect? Forever?”

He laughed at her. “You think I didn’t ever fight with Serena?” He whistled. “We had some beauts. I even slept at the hospital a couple of nights. That really pissed her off. I was probably tired and grouchy, but...underneath it all, we knew we could work things out. Deep down, we knew at the core of things, we were good together. I never doubted that.” He glanced at her. “You doubted with Ted, yet you stayed.”

Doubted? She knew! She just had a hard time facing it.

“You don’t have to do that with me,” he said.

“One thing I feel sure about is it won’t be your kids who drive me away....”

“Oh-ho, we have our issues, Peyton. You haven’t been present for one of Will’s legendary meltdowns.”

“And then what happens? What do you do?”

“It varies, because I’m never quite sure what to do. Sometimes he gets a time-out, sometimes he gets punished, sometimes I just put him in the shower. It’s really hard to be taken seriously if you’re naked, screaming your brains out under water.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “But won’t it break your heart if I leave you?” she asked. “Even a little bit?”

“It would break my heart to pieces. But it will heal. What would kill me is you staying with me by sheer dint of will when you know you should move on. Let’s not do that to each other.”

She threw him a gentle smile. In a whisper she said, “Let’s not.”

“You’ve probably come across a few red flags with me,” he said.

“Just to save time, why don’t you lay them out for me?” she suggested.

He laughed at her. “They’re so obvious, Peyton. I’m poor for one thing—I still have some med school debt. I have a complicated family life. I have a terrible schedule. I have a difficult mother and an annoying mother-in-law. I’m an incurable idealist—I always think things will work out eventually—that can be draining. My kids are pretty cute right now, but one of them might have pot in a backpack someday. I don’t know. I’m messy—I use my car as an office. Devon will tell you, paperwork makes my eyes roll back in my head. I don’t dance... Oh, that’s right, you experienced that for yourself. I can’t cook, but I’m good at laundry.”

He wasn’t messy, she thought. And he wouldn’t ignore pot in the backpack.

“That’s a pretty scary list,” she said. “I’ll have to give this some more thought.”

“You do that.”

* * *

When they arrived at Scott’s mother’s house, the kids came flying out the front door. “Peyton’s here! Peyton, Peyton!” They completely ignored Scott and wrapped their little arms around Peyton’s legs. She tried to ignore the way their arms felt, the way their smiles and shining eyes filled her up inside. She could not afford to fall in love with them.

Scott’s mother, Patricia, was a small woman of angular lines, but she had a very tall personality. Her hair was colored a soft brown with blond highlights, teased for height, her nails were manicured and shiny red, she wore plenty of makeup and she was businesslike. “You look tired, Scott. You’re not getting enough rest.”

Indeed, he had not, Peyton thought with a slight blush. And it had been glorious.

“You saw me a few days ago, Mother. I’ve gotten plenty of rest since then.”

“I wonder if you take care of yourself,” she said. “Do you eat right?”

“Yes,” he said. “Enough,” he added. “Stop it.”

Patricia was a paralegal who managed a law office, and Peyton had no trouble imagining all the partners taking orders from her. And she could also see where Scott got at least some of his good looks; Patricia was a fetching woman. She had never remarried after her husband’s premature death, and Peyton found that surprising.

Suzanne, his mother-in-law, was softer, rounder, seemed more nurturing and kind of cuddly. She had a quick smile, a high-pitched laugh, plump hands with clipped nails, had let her hair go gray in a very attractive short cut. At first glance she seemed far less threatening than Patricia, but Peyton knew looks could be misleading. “Scott, the kids are so well behaved, Serena would be so pleased with how well you manage with them. Nice to meet you, Peyton. Are you and Scott dating?” she said.

“That’s really not our business, Suzanne,” Patricia said. “Are you?”

“We’ve been out to dinner a couple of times,” Scott said.

“So, are you single? Widowed? Divorced?” Suzanne asked.

My God, these women are as bad as my mother! “Single,” she said after a moment of hesitation.

Scott had been so right. Within ten minutes Peyton could see that these women might be polar opposites, but were bent on a single mission—to have control over their grandchildren. Suzanne was Grammy and Patricia was GiGi—they were even named appropriately.

Scott’s older sister, Nancy, showed up for dinner with a twelve-year-old son and a fourteen-year-old daughter. Aside from being thrilled to see their uncle Scott, they were self-contained—iPad, texting, TV—entertaining themselves while listening should Patricia ask them to do something or inquire as to what occupied them.