He nuzzles his face in my neck, kissing me lightly. “Babe, you’ve been sitting here for thirty-five minutes. We’ve gotta get moving if we’re going to make it to your mom’s in time for dinner,” he tells me, and I know he’s right.
Although it makes more sense to go to his mom’s first, my family always does Thanksgiving Wednesday night since the restaurant puts on a big buffet-style feast for tourists who are on vacation for the holiday.
I lean my head back against his chest and wish we could just stay here. “Let’s just go to Alabama. I’ll tell my mom something came up.”
His chest rumbles with laughter, and he turns me in his arms. He places a soft kiss against my lips, and I move to deepen it, but he pulls back. “Woman, stop trying to distract me. It won’t work. The car’s packed, and you can’t let my first impression on your mom be a bad one. I’m already stealing you away early so we can go to my Mom’s—a bomb that I wish you’d have dropped on her already. She’s going to kill me when you tell her you’re only staying for a day.”
I wince, and I know he’s right. She already had a million questions when I told her I was bringing someone. Mom’s made plenty of hints over the past couple of years that she’s ready to be a grandma—once I settled down, of course. Well, now she’s getting her wish. Just in the wrong order.
“Okay, okay. Let’s hit the road, but if we’re late, I’ll blame it on the baby. ‘Sorry, Mom, I had to stop to pee every ninety minutes because I’m pregnant. Oh, I forgot to tell you? Well, I am. That guy’s the baby’s father.’ How’s that?”
He chuckles and shakes his head as his hands rub up and down my arms. “Good thing we have hours to work on your delivery, because if you refer to me as ‘that guy,’ you’ll have more problems than just with your mom.”
Stepping up on my tiptoes, I give him a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Kale. You’re so much more than just ‘that guy.’ So much more.”
A slow smile spreads over his face. “Good to know. Everything will be fine, okay? I’ll be there with you the whole time. You and me. We’re in this together.”
I nod in confirmation, and my nerves settle a little bit. The butterflies in my stomach slowly fade away, and I realize that, as long as I have Kale by my side, I really do think I can get through anything.
HOURS LATER, Kale is shaking me awake. Grinning sheepishly, I apologize for dozing off, but he waves me off. “You need your rest, babe. Don’t worry about it. I’d let you keep sleeping, but we’re here and I’m not sure me carrying you into your mom’s house is the best way to introduce myself.”
As I look around, I notice that we’re in the driveway of Mom and Steve’s house. “Hey, you never know. She might think it’s romantic and fall in love with you on the spot.”
He shoots a sexy grin at me, and I want to lean over and kiss the smile off his lips. “Like mother, like daughter?”
I playfully shove his shoulder. “In your dreams, Montgomery,” I tease, and he just grins even wider.
“Oh, Ms. Dawson, you’ve starred in my dreams, but they’ve definitely been a lot sexier than you just falling in love with me. That’s just the icing the cake.”
I’m about to respond when I hear a high-pitched squeal. Looking up, I see my fourteen-year-old half-sister, Marisa, bounding down the porch towards the car.
“We’ll finish this conversation later,” I tell him and then get out of the car.
“You’re finally here!!” she says as she runs to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
Having been an only child for the first thirteen years of my life, I was ecstatic when Marisa was born. I got to be the super-cool older sister, and with our age difference, we never fought. Even though she had the best parents in Mom and Steve, I spent my time showering her with all the love I could, all the love I’d missed in my own childhood. And she returned it tenfold.
“Hey, Riss! I’ve missed you,” I say as I return her hug.
“I am so glad you’re here. I really need your reinforcements. A really super-hot guy from school asked me to meet him at the movies this weekend but Mom says I’m too young to date. As if. It’s only the movies. I think I’m wearing Dad down, but Mom’s being stubborn.”
Laughing, I lean back and look at her, pushing her hair out of her sweet face, which is maturing way too quickly. “When did you get old enough to go out with boys? Nope, I agree with Mom. My baby sister is way too young to be meeting boys at the movies.” I’m only teasing, and I laugh when she scowls. “I’ll talk to her. She’s just overprotective and doesn’t want you to grow up.”
“Thanks, Luce!” She pauses and her eyes grow wide as Kale rounds the car and stands next to me. “Holy crap. Who’s the hunk?”
Kale lets out a laugh and wraps an arm around my waist. He holds a hand out to Marisa and she shakes it. “I’m Kale Montgomery. Lucy’s better, but not better looking, half.”
Marisa wrinkles her nose and sizes him up before looking back at me. “Dad’s going to love him,” she informs me before turning back to Kale. “I’m Marisa, Lucy’s sister. See, Dad always says that phrase, too, which usually causes Mom to slap him on the ass with a towel.”
“Okay, Marisa. That’s more than Kale needs to know about them. Let’s go inside, shall we?”
Kale grabs our bags, and we listen as Marisa starts telling us all about her first semester as a freshman in high school. It’s endearing, and part of me wishes I could go back to when life was simple like that. But then I feel Kale’s fingers at my waist, rubbing slightly, and I bring a hand to my stomach and realize that I wouldn’t change a thing.
Mom’s at the door when we step onto the porch, and she throws her arms around me. Kale steps back, allowing her to engulf me in a hug.
“I’ve missed you, sweetie,” she says in my ear before releasing me. “Sorry. Marisa wanted to be the welcoming committee, and I had to get the green bean casserole in the oven. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Missed you, too,” I reply before turning to Kale. “Mom, I’d like to introduce you to Kale Montgomery. My boyfriend.”
Kale holds an arm out to shake her hand, but she waves him off and pulls him in for a quick hug before she lets him go. “Kale, it is so nice to meet you and I’m so pleased you could join us for the holiday. I’m Marcy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, ma’am,” Kale says, and Mom grins.
“Oh, don’t be silly with that ma’am nonsense. Call me Marcy. Now come on in, you two. Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours. Lucy, your room’s ready with fresh linens if you two want to go get settled or get in a quick nap.”
I gape at my mom, not sure if she’s actually insinuating that it’s fine for Kale to stay in my room. Kale must be thinking the same thing because he clears his throat.
“Ma’am—Marcy, I mean—I can take the couch for the night.”
Mom looks around, presumably to see if Marisa is gone—which she is. “You’re both grown adults. If you sleep in the same bed for a night or two, I won’t be offended. Just…sleep, okay?”
I’m in complete shock, and Kale has to nudge me to get me to stop staring at her. “Mom, umm, are you sure? I mean, we’ll just sleep, but I don’t want to disrespect you if you’re uncomfortable with it.”
“Lucy Dawson, he’s at least six feet tall. What kind of host would I be if I made the poor man sleep on the couch?” I have to admit she has me there. She points a knowing finger at me then at Kale. “Like I said, to sleep only, got it?”
I nod and Kale chuckles as he holds up his stupid fake Boy Scout hand gesture. “Scout’s honor, ma’am. Sleeping only.”