“You’re sure you want me to come? I know this isn’t exactly like a job interview but…” I didn’t know how to phrase it without sounding mean, but how many job interviews did you bring your boyfriend to, much less your Dom and Daddy?

Bryan threw himself down on the couch, looking frustrated. “You didn’t hear him. I want the internship, but he said applicants had to be able to explain why they wanted to work in a practice that handled more unique relationships. Well, ours is unique, but if I have to tell him, then you have to be there.”

“I’m not saying I won’t be there for you, B, but I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. You want this, right?” I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea. When he’d come back from class last month talking about this crazy guest lecturer they had, I was glad he’d found the guy interesting. When it turned into a possible internship, I’d been excited—until I’d heard about the fine print.

He gave me a confused look. “I do, but it’s…I…I have to talk about it—with a stranger. This is the perfect opportunity though. As long as I don’t give myself a heart attack or something.”

“Are you sure there wasn’t something else we were supposed to do before we left? Didn’t we promise Mom we’d run an errand for her?” Wandering around the kitchen, pretending to look for the car keys, I glanced over at Maddox. He was leaning against the table, watching me. “I’m sure there was something. Can you remember what it was?”

“We’re supposed to run down tomorrow and place an order at the bakery. She wanted us to have treats for the ride back and the first day or two at school.” Maddox stood up and walked over to me. His hands came up and started rubbing my arms tenderly. “What are you doing, B?”

“Looking for my keys and making sure we didn’t forget anything.” I tried to play innocent.

“Your keys are in your pocket and have been for almost ten minutes now. They’re not in the fridge or the cabinet or mixed in with the mail. You also haven’t forgotten anything because we’ve been over the to-do list three times in the past week.” He leaned in close and gave me a kiss on my forehead. Pulling back, he smiled at me and pressed again. “What are you avoiding? Or maybe I should ask what you’re worried about?”

“I honestly have no idea what to say. Your mind wasn’t focused on what it was supposed to be, that’s obvious. What were you thinking?” He could have gotten hurt. Not just killed the lawn mower, but himself as well.

Bryan looked down at the kitchen floor and mumbled something about being distracted and very sorry. He certainly looked remorseful, but there were other emotions mixed in.

“Do you even know what you ran over?” It had been like shrapnel going everywhere. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt.

He shrugged. “A lawn gnome, I think?” That seemed to be his best guess and it made sense. But how in the hell did he miss a lawn gnome? Maybe his mother was right, and he shouldn’t be given anything that might be in the realm of heavy machinery. That should probably include any kind of machinery really, considering he wasn’t allowed to use the toaster.

“You’ve mowed the lawn before, right?” Was this one of those things that he wasn’t allowed to do—like use the toaster?

Every time I looked at him, it was like he was a puzzle with a crucial piece lost. You could still see what it was supposed to be, and you could see it was a fabulous picture, but the empty spots made it feel like you could be missing out on something important. Some part of the puzzle that would make it even better. It was completely maddening.

It had been that way since the first time I met him.

I’d filled in some of the blank spaces, but there was a huge chunk that was gone. I think in the beginning that was part of what drew me to him, but now I was here because I couldn’t be anywhere else. Being with him was where I was supposed to be.

Sounds totally like a teenage soap opera, I know, but there isn’t any other way to describe it. I needed the confusing little bugger around just to be able to breathe. I wasn’t even sure when he’d become so important…and the biggest problem? He had no idea.

How could he have no idea?