Chapter One

Pete’s shoulders sagged when he saw the crowded boarding area. Was all of Chicago flying to Scotland? It sure seemed like it. One of the overhead lights flickered, which, combined with the constant blare of the announcements, just upped his irritation. He scanned the area for open seats and didn’t spot any. Several people sat on the floor, their carry-on luggage arrayed around them. Many of them wolfed down fast food, purchased from one of the various airport vendors. The loud babble of voices just added to the mess.

“Come on.” Mom pointed to a single open seat at the end of a row. The floor space next to it was mercifully free.

He trundled toward it, and then lifted the carry-on off its wheels to step over an outstretched foot. Mom smiled at him sympathetically but didn’t say anything. He forced a smile back. Next time he should insist on going through Atlanta or New York. O’Hare was a nightmare.

“You can have it.” Mom gestured toward the hard plastic seat.

“That’s okay,” Mike replied. “I’d rather stand for a bit.”

“Sorry about the flight from Denver.”

He shrugged. “Next time you get the middle seat.”

“We should be fine on this next one. It’s only two seats on the side.” She rocked on the balls of her feet and looked over at the gate agent.

That’s when the intercom called her name.

Pete groaned and followed his mom to the counter.

His gut tightened when the woman at the counter said the flight was oversold, but he relaxed when she continued by offering a free upgrade to Business Class for one of them.

“You take it,” he told Mom. “It is your birthday.”

“But it’s your graduation,” she said.

“Nah. You’re the one who needs to be rested for the conference.”

“No, you should take it.”

He huffed in exasperation. “Take it, Mom. You can do something nice for me later.”

“You sure?”

He put his hand on top of hers and squeezed. “I’m sure.”

She smiled and then turned to the ticket agent. “I’ll take the upgrade. Thank you.”

***

Pete stood in the aisle and blinked. He checked his boarding pass. Yes, he had the correct seat. But the woman in the seat next to his was a MILF, if there ever was one.

A brunette his mom’s age, she looked like a young Sophia Loren. Except bustier. And with higher cheekbones. She raised an eyebrow when she looked up at him.

“Uh, excuse me.” He gestured at the seats. “I think I’m the aisle.”

“Oh, do you mind?” She nodded toward the adjacent window seat. “I’m going to be up and down, and I’d hate to disturb you.”

Her smile made his pulse jump.

“Sure.” He stepped back and let her move out of the way so he could get in.

“Long flight,” she said once he’d gotten settled.

“That’s what I’ve heard.” He gave her a friendly smile.

“Oh? Your first time?”

“To Europe? Yeah.”

“Vacation?”

“Sort of,” he said. “Mom’s got a conference. Then we’re going to play tourist for two weeks.”

“Ah.” The woman smiled. “That’s nice. Where are you going?”

“Well, Edinburgh, obviously. Then London, Amsterdam, and Paris.”

“I love Paris! You have to visit the French Quarter. Oh, and Montmartre, of course. That’s where the Moulin Rouge is.”

“I’d love to,” Pete said with a grin. “If I can talk Mom into it. She’d spend all her time in the Louvre if she could.”

“Oh, I would, too. I’m Jenna, by the way.”

“Pete.”

She smiled. “And I was worried this flight would be boring.”

***

Jenna laughed, loud and full. She grinned at Pete and wiped a cracker crumb from the corner of her mouth. Pete sipped some of the complimentary Coke and grinned.

“That’s wild,” Jenna said. “Did you really do that?”

He smirked and shrugged. “I may have left out how scared we were, but the cop let us go, so it worked out okay.”

Jenna chuckled and shook her head.

“What about you?”

“Never anything like that. But… this one time, back in college, my friend’s boyfriend—he was this huge animal rights activist—decided he wanted to break into the biology building and free all the mice.”

“Uh… those mice can’t survive outside of captivity.”

She smiled. “I know that now.”

“Oh, boy!”

“No kidding.”

***

“No, no, no,” Jenna said. “Sunsets are far better in San Francisco than sunrises.”

“The one we saw was pretty spectacular,” Pete said.

“Where’d you see it from?”

“Coit Tower.”

She snorted. “Well, everything’s spectacular from Coit Tower. No, you need to be on the beach. That’s where you go to watch the sunset over the water. There’s this one beach…”

***

Jenna leaned back in her seat and sighed. They waited until the flight attendants had finished giving out blankets. She’d demurred, but accepted a pillow.

“Yeah…,” she said. “I’m better off without him. I got so tired of him always doing that damned Sudoku when I wanted to talk.”

“He could’ve at least put it down for five minutes.”

“Yeah!” she said. “Five minutes. That’s all I was asking for.”

Pete nodded. “My girlfriend… toward the end there, she’d spend all her time on TikTok when we were together. It makes for a really boring date.”

“Mmm.” She nodded. “I got tired of looking at the top of his head across the dinner table.”

“She even did one of those stupid dances in a restaurant once.” When Jenna laughed, he rolled his eyes. “Said there was a time limit or something.”

“Boy, that must’ve been embarrassing.”

“Yeah, but thank God it was mostly empty.”

“Yeah… well, speaking of restaurants,” Jenna said. “There’s this one in Edinburgh you really must try…”

***

“I love the French.” Jenna rested her empty champagne glass against her breast as she smiled into space. “They understand refinement.”

“Mmm.” Pete sipped his own glass, amused they hadn’t requested ID when he’d asked for it.

“There’s this hotel in France. The Mandarin Oriental. So romantic.” She smiled at him. “You must stay there if you can.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. What do you find romantic in Edinburgh?”

“I love to drive out into the countryside,” she mused. “There are some places that take you back. It’s easy to imagine the highlanders in their kilts, riding across the land…

***

Pete stowed his tray and shifted his seat to the upright and locked position. He smiled at Jenna, who returned it.

“This has been delightful,” she said. “Usually these long flights are so dull.”

He laughed. “I’d been planning to sleep or read.”

“This was so much better,” she said warmly.

He nodded, and then an idea hit him.

“What about continuing over dinner?”

She chuckled. “I’m old enough to be your mother.”

“So?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just dinner. Besides… you did say you were in Scotland for pleasure.”

She rolled her eyes and then smiled.

***

“Who was that?” Mom asked as they walked away from baggage claim.

“Jenna,” Pete answered. “My seatmate.”

“She’s attractive.”

He grinned. “I noticed.”

“She’s my age,” Mom teased.

“What can I say? I like older women.”

Mom chuckled. “Uh huh.”

“Seriously. They know what they want. They know how to ask for it. They don’t play games.”

“And it doesn’t hurt when they look like that.”

“You’re just as hot, Mom.”

“Now you’re flattering me.” But she was smiling.

“No…” He grinned at her. “If you weren’t my mom, I’d be asking you out instead of her.”

“So you asked her out, huh?”

“Yeah.”

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. His tone had conveyed Jenna’s answer well enough.

***

“I’m afraid,” the hotel desk clerk said, “that the hotel is oversold. We only have one room left. Would you and your son be willing to share?”

Mom raised her eyebrows.

“It’s a two-bedroom suite,” the clerk continued. “An upgrade, if you don’t mind sharing.”

“An upgrade?” Mom said. “Let’s do it.” She smiled at Pete. “I assume you don’t have a problem with it.”

“Not at all.”

***

Pete gaped as they entered the suite lounge. With hardwood paneling, overstuffed brown leather couches, and a small breakfast nook by the windows overlooking the garden, it easily surpassed the chain hotels he was used to. Even the throw pillows dripped with elegance.

“Wow.” Mom walked to the middle of the room before stopping to look around. “This is… nice.”

“That’s like saying French champagne is nice.”

“It is, but you have a point.” She chuckled. “And speaking of which…”

An actual bottle rested in a bucket of ice on the breakfast table.

Mom strolled over and pulled it out while Pete brought the rest of their luggage in from the hall. She picked up a folded note from beside the bucket.

“Aww…”

“What?” Pete asked.

“It’s from Tom. ‘Congratulations on your promotion.’”

“Who’s Tom?” Pete walked to her side.

“Tom Fielder. He’s a director in the Chicago office.” She smiled. “We hit it off during that company retreat last fall.”

“Hit it off?” He gave her a salacious grin.

She playfully slapped his arm. “Nothing like that, young man.”

“Why not?” he teased. “You’re not a nun.”

“No…” A small smile spread across her face. “There just never was a good time…”

“Ah. So… this trip?”

She laughed. “Why are you so interested in my sex life?”

“What sex life?” he teased.

She squawked and slapped his arm, harder this time.

“C’mon, Mom. I’m not blind. You, uh, left your vibrator out last week.”

She clapped her hand over her face and groaned.

“Nothing wrong with it. At least that’s what you’ve always told me.”

“It doesn’t mean I want it public.”

“I’m not the public. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen me.”

She lowered her hand and smirked at him. “That’s true.”

“We’re both adults,” he said. “We both have needs. And maybe… Tom can help you with yours.”

She playfully slapped his arm once again. “I need to go unpack. Then we need to get some sleep.”

***

Pete groggily strolled into the hotel restaurant. Jet lag had completely messed him up, but it could’ve been worse. He wasn’t the one who had to attend the conference this morning. It’d be better once he had some coffee.

He paused and looked around. The dark wood paneling continued the elegance from their suite. The conversation and clink of silverware from the other guests was muted, and only one waiter moved around. He could smell bacon, which was promising.

Then he spotted Jenna reading a book while she ate.

He grinned and walked over.

“Mind if I join you?”

She looked up, blinked in surprise, and grinned. “I didn’t know you were staying here.”

“I didn’t know you were staying here.”

“Have a seat.” She nodded to the one opposite her. “How’s your jet lag?”

“Awful…”

***

They were still laughing when the waiter cleared their dishes. Jenna grinned and reached for the check, but Pete was a bit faster.

“Let me,” he said. “It’s the least I can do.”

“For what?” She still smiled, even as her brow wrinkled.

“For the company. This might end up being the best part of my day.”

She chuckled. “What do you have planned?”

“Nothing really.” He grinned. “I thought I might see if I could rent a car somewhere and take a drive in the countryside. It’s supposed to be really romantic.”

“Is it?” Her grin grew wider.

“Mmm hmm. A very attractive woman told me that.”

She laughed and rolled her eyes. He shrugged, unrepentant.

“Well… it’s a good thing I have a car.”

***

The little country pub smelled of baked bread and fresh mown grass. After a delightful drive, the beer was divine. Jenna must’ve agreed. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and smiled when the server set the check in front of Pete.

“I can get that,” she said.

“No, no. You’re paying for the car. And the gas.”

“You sure? You haven’t even started your job.”

“Details.” He waved away her concern. “Besides, how often do I get to treat a beautiful woman to lunch in Scotland?”

“You’re laying it on thick.” But she grinned anyway.

“Just telling the truth.”

“I’m twice your age.”

“Which just makes you more beautiful.” He placed his credit card on the check. “You’re more confident. More secure in yourself. You’ve kept your figure.” He made a point of flicking his eyes down her body. “Everything that makes a woman attractive, you’ve got.”

Her smile grew, even as she rolled her eyes.

“Let me get the check,” he continued. “You can buy coffee, later.”

“I can, can I?”

“Well… assuming you want to continue this amazing day.”

She laughed and shook her head merrily as the waiter retrieved the check and credit card.

***

She squeezed his hand as they walked out of the pastry shop. “I really shouldn’t have.”

He chuckled. “It was tasty, though.”

“It’ll go straight to my hips.”

He released her hand and slid his arm around her. After a quick hug, he slid his fingers to the top of her hip.

“They’re fine. Trust me.”

“You are incorrigible!”

“And you love it."

***

They strolled into the hotel lobby just as evening tea service was finishing. Jenna released his hand, but slowed her step.

“So…,” Pete said. “This has been a great day. Interested in a late dinner?”

Jenna furrowed her brow. “Why late?”

“I have to put in an appearance at Mom’s reception. So… eight?”

“Mmm…”

He turned to face her squarely. “Do you really want this great day to end with a hug in the lobby?”

Her beaming smile answered that question.

***

“Wow,” Pete said. He made a point of looking his mom up and down and grinning. “All this for the opening reception?”

She blushed. She wore dark hose, a deep blue knee-length skirt, a lighter blue silk blouse, and a thin gold necklace that both set off the auburn streaks in her hair and highlighted her cleavage. She’d also done her hair, and her make-up was perfect.

“I want to look nice,” she said. “Dress to impress, you know?”

“I thought your boss didn’t get here until tomorrow.”

She shrugged. “He’s not the only one to impress.”

There was a hint in her voice of something… more.

“So Tom will be there?”

“Now never you mind.” She smiled warmly. “Get your tie on.”

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I need to dress up for your reception.”

“What? You have something better to do?”

“Yeah… but not until later.”

Mom blinked and started a bit. “Oh?”

“I’ve got a date. Don’t wait up.”

She laughed. “Well… maybe I’ll have a date, too.”

He grinned. “The way you look, I’d count on it.”

“Aw. You’re just saying that.”

“Nope. If you weren’t my mom, I’d put the moves on you myself."

She laughed again and playfully swatted his arm. Then she smirked.

“If you weren’t my son, I’d let you.”