"And Mom will do the same?"
"Yes."
"And when did you agree to these terms?" she asked archly.
"Our wedding night, nearly forty years ago. Still haven't changed our minds. We love each other, but one of us can live without the other if that's how it pans out."
"That's romantic," she mumbled.
"No, it isn't, but you know your mother. She likes her lists as much as you do.
Helps her feel more in control of things she knows damn well she has no control over."
Alexis bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the tabletop. "And you're okay with that?
The idea of her with another man."
"I'll be dead. What do I care?" He shrugged. "Anyway, it wouldn't erase the love she has for me. If I'm not here to make her happy, I sure would like it if someone else could do the job. God knows she deserves it."
Alexis nodded, understanding the words that he'd left unspoken -- and you do,
too.
He returned his attention to the crossword. "I'm glad you've been able to reconnect with old friends since you've been home. I hear that Tyler is a real nice guy.
Good to his folks and his neighbors."
Alexis couldn't resist a small roll of the eyes. "Real subtle, Dad, but thanks." She took her coffee cup and placed it in the sink. "You know what might make Mom happy while you're still alive and kicking? Cleaning up the kitchen once in a while."
He raised a scruffy eyebrow but didn't turn his head. "Have fun at Verde Beach."
Alexis was nervous about meeting Tyler at his house before they went to Verde Beach. He'd made such a good impression so far; she didn't want to discover any bad habits now. Nothing turned her stomach like a dirty bathroom.
The house was a real beach bungalow, painted cottage white with a bright blue door and a green roof. The lawn was neatly manicured with a couple of potted plants beside the porch steps. Charming was the first word that sprang to mind.
As she was about to knock on the door, the whirring sound of a lawn mower caught her attention and she glanced next door to see Tyler zipping along the front of his neighbor's lawn. He waved when he saw her and she raised a confused hand in return.
She checked her watch to make sure she had the right time. She did.
He turned off the mower and trotted over to her, sweaty and smelling of freshly cut grass. In Alexis's mind, a lethally sexy combination.
"I'm so sorry," he said, bounding up the steps. "The door's open."