Chapter 23 #2
I think my parents like him. My belly swirls from the nerves.
I haven’t introduced anyone to them in years.
Not since Michael. My parents had been fond of him, but I see my dad watching Jaxon a lot closer than he’d eyed Michael.
He doesn’t want my heart broken again. With that said, I think even his wariness is waning.
My mother, on the other hand, looks smitten.
She’s already planning our wedding and thinking about grandbabies. I can see it all over her face.
“So, what are the plans for tomorrow?”
“I think I’ll take him sight-seeing for a bit.”
“That’s a good idea,” Dad mutters after wiping his mouth with his napkin.
“Would you be open to me taking you all out for dinner? May, would you like to pick somewhere nice?”
“That would be lovely, but wouldn’t you rather it just be the two of you?” she asks, eyeing between Holly and me.
“We came to see you guys. I will happily take Holly on as many dates as she wants when we get back.”
My mother all but swoons in her seat, while my father smiles broadly like Jaxon just passed some test.
“All done, young man? Want to have a beer and catch a little of the Cardinals game in the living room with me?”
Jaxon wipes his mouth, but I notice the twitch of nervousness his leg gives against mine beneath the table. I reach to squeeze his thigh, and his muscles relax under my palm.
“That sounds like a plan, Sir, if your daughter is fine with it?” Jaxon tilts his head to me in question, and my dad seems happy that Jaxon is concerned with what I want instead of only caring about a beer and the game.
I smile and pat his leg, and he leans in to brush a chaste kiss against my cheek. I hear an audible sigh from my mom.
“None of that ‘sir’ crap with me. Jacob, remember?”
“Alright, Jacob. You’re on. I’ll grab the beer. Ladies, do you need anything? May, the sandwiches were fantastic. Thank you.”
“Bottle of water sounds good,” I answer.
“Make that two, please, and thank you,” Mom replies with a warm smile from his praise.
“Coming right up.”
After he hands us our bottles, the men walk out of the kitchen, and I send up a silent prayer that it goes well.
“I LOVE HIM!” Mom whisper-shouts the second she thinks they’re out of range.
My cheeks feel like they could split wide open from grinning so wide.
“He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”
“Temper?”
“Patient.”
“Communication?”
“Probably talks too much.”
Mom snorts and almost spits out her water.
“What do you mean? A man that talks is a good thing.”
“He says what he’s thinking and is honest to the point that sometimes it might not benefit him. I won’t leave out the fact that he’s relentless.”
“Patient, honest, knows how to communicate, relentless, athletic, smart… I don’t see any cons here. Have you found a fault?”
“The guy is good at driving me crazy. Mom, you should’ve seen how this man chased me. In the beginning, we lost touch because we didn’t have each other’s numbers, and he couldn’t find me. He finally found Colin.”
“So, he searched for you?” She clasps her hands in front of her chest like it’s such a romantic thought. Yeah, I guess it kind of is…
“Yeah, and I was big mad. Mostly because of feelings Michael evoked from me, and–well–I projected them onto Jaxon. He wouldn’t give up though. Inserting his cocky-ass, swoony face in my circle every chance he could. The man took the job in Kittery to be closer.”
“He must know something you haven’t caught on to yet.” She smirks at me knowingly. “Oh, come on, don’t you see the way that man looks at you?”
“Oh, I see it.”
“I’m not talking about the desire part of it, honey.”
“Are we really going there?”
“I’m not naive, but I’m also not talking about sex.”
“Okay–”
“That man is crazy about you. He thinks you’re it for him.”
My insides tumble, swirling around each other like the koi in Ava’s pond, waiting for their pellets.
“You really think he might love me?”
“You mean to tell me that he hasn’t told you that yet but wanted to meet us?”
“I get kind of skittish about naming the feelings.”
“My daughter’s the one freaking out about love?”
“Mom–”
“Ahem.” A throat clears, and I close my eyes, wondering why it is this man always walks in at the most inconvenient times of a conversation.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Jacob asked for a refill.
” Jaxon dips his pinkened cheeks behind the door of the fridge, obviously having caught way more of what mom and I were discussing than I’d hoped.
When he stands back up, he seems to have mostly composed himself, but his eyes dance back and forth between my mother and me as if he’s considering saying something.
I press my lips together in complete mortification.
“That’s so nice of you to grab it for him. I hope he’s not giving you a hard time in there.” She cranes her neck toward the hallway with quirked brows, as if she can even see Dad in the other room, betraying her nosy nature. Jaxon chuckles and winks at me.
“The Cardinals are winning. He’s pretty happy about that.”
“Then you’re in luck,” Mom answers with a grin.
Jaxon raises the beer slightly in reply and disappears through the doorway, but not before looking back and catching one last glimpse of me.
“Yeah, that man loves you.” Mom sighs wistfully, like it’s the most romantic thing she’s witnessed recently. “Especially if he’s holding back so he doesn’t spook you.”
I reach out and swat at her hand as she snickers. She knows me too well.