With Strings Attached Read Online Free Page B

and this was good, some kind of cinnamon and brown sugar combination. He leaned against the counter and finished the muffin and was brushing his fingers off when his mom rushed into the room.
    “Matt! What are you doing here?” Her hands were still tying the robe she wore.
    “I came to fix your toilet. Remember? Sorry if I woke you up.”
    “No, that’s okay, I was awake. I just, uh, wasn’t out of bed. Yet. Coffee. I’ll make some coffee.”
    She seemed kind of flustered. “Yeah, coffee’d be great. So which toilet is it that’s the problem?” He moved toward the door to the hall.
    “It’s fixed.”
    “What?” He stopped and turned to look at her. Her head was bent as she concentrated on scooping coffee grounds into the filter basket. Had she colored her hair? She was only fifty-four but she’d been getting quite a few gray hairs among the golden brown. Now there were none, just shiny golden highlights in the short strands. “How’d you fix it?”
    “I…um…”
    A door upstairs opened and closed again. Matt went very still. He looked up, then back at his mom. “Someone’s here?”
    “Er…yes.”
    He waited. “Neve?”
    “No.”
    “Mom. What’s going on?”
    “It’s Corwin.”
    “Who?”
    “Corwin Barrett.” She turned to face him and straightened her shoulders, smiling. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while now.”
    “Seeing each other?” What the fuck? “As in…dating?”
    “Well, yes.”
    He blinked. Had he heard right? Had his mother actually said she was dating someone? After all these years? And the guy was upstairs…Jesus Christ! They’d been in bed together. Matt covered his eyes with one hand. Oh God. It was his mother. “Who is this guy?”
    “He’s a lawyer. He’s working with Paul now at the firm, and we met when I went in to update my will.”
    So the guy knew exactly how much she was worth. Great. Just great. “Mom…d’you think that’s a good idea?”
    “Is what a good idea?” Her brow furrowed. “Me dating someone? You and the girls have always said I should do that. I thought you didn’t like to think of me being on my own.”
    “I…I mean…dating him. Or…hell.” He shook his head. “I guess I mean, I don’t know this guy.”
    She smiled at him, affection lighting up her eyes. “Matt. Do I need your approval?”
    Hell yeah! “Well…”
    “I’m a grown woman,” she said gently. “I know what I’m doing. Corwin is a very nice man. I want you to meet him. He fixed the toilet for me. And he fixed the lawnmower the other day when I couldn’t get it started.”
    “I thought you had a kid from the neighborhood mowing your grass.”
    “I do, but he uses my lawnmower.”
    “Well. That’s…good. I guess.”
    So now what was he supposed to do? He’d come there to fix the damn toilet only to find it no longer needed to be done and some guy was upstairs probably naked in his mom’s bed. Urgh.
    “So sit down, have a cup of coffee,” she invited him. “What’s new with you?”
    “Er…you sure this is a good time?” He sent another glance upward.
    Mom smiled. “Corwin will join us, if you want to stay for a while.”
    “Okay.” He slowly pulled out a chair from the round oak kitchen table and lowered himself to it. “Well. Dylan’s home. You remember Dylan Schell?”
    “Of course. He’s still surfing?”
    “Yeah, but he broke his foot so he’s off for a while. He decided to come home for a visit.”
    “His parents don’t live here anymore, though, do they?”
    “Nah. They split up and moved away. But he still thinks of this as home, I guess. He’s staying with me for a while.”
    “That’s nice. You two will have lots to catch up on. I’m sorry to hear about his foot, though. Will he be okay?”
    “He says so.” He took the cup of coffee his mom handed him, already with the milk and sugar added as he liked. “Thanks. So. Uh. Tell me more about Corwin.”
    They chatted, Matt trying to keep an open mind despite the