Chapter Seventeen
JAY
Izzy: Are you really bringing a girl home with you today?
Angie: I’ll believe it when I see it.
I wasn’t sure why they were acting surprised. Both had met a few of the girls I’d dated over the years.
Movement from next to me on the sofa had me glancing that way and smiling. Nora was asleep, though she was shifting, lashes fluttering. With a shake of my head, I typed out a quick reply.
Me: What’s with the dramatics? You guys have met plenty of the girls I’ve dated.
Izzy: Yeah. But not on purpose, and you’ve never brought one home.
Angie: Exactly. I only met that awful girl you dated last year because my car broke down and you brought her with you to pick me up. She bitched the entire ride about having to cut your date short.
I cringed. That relationship, if you could even call it that, didn’t last much past that night.
As I was locking my phone—because there was no good way to respond to that last text—Sarah stepped into my line of sight. I looked up and took her in, my breath lodging in my throat. Like it did almost any time she entered a room.
“How’s this?” She smoothed her hands down a navy dress that ended just above her knees.
“Perfect.” I smirked.
She’d changed three times, clearly nervous. But her hair was now curled, and she’d applied makeup, so I hoped that meant she was almost ready. We were celebrating Dad’s birthday, and I didn’t want to be late.
More than that, though, I wanted Sarah to feel comfortable, so I wouldn’t rush her out the door until she felt she was ready.
She blew out a harsh breath. “That’s what you said about the jeans and sweater.”
I nodded. “That was perfect too.” I stood and peered down at Nora, who was still fast asleep on the couch, then approached Sarah and cupped her face.
“Whatever you wear is perfect. You look gorgeous in either option, and I have no doubt my family will love you regardless of what you wear. Stop stressing.”
She worried her lip and dropped her focus to my chest. “I don’t have the best track record with this.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what she meant, but I got the idea.
“Maybe you weren’t with the right guy.” I pressed my lips to her forehead, and when her body sagged, I pulled her against me and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. After a moment, I leaned back to look down at her. “But tonight will be perfect. Okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Just wish I had your optimism sometimes.”
“Relax and be yourself. It’ll be fine.”
After talking to my mom yesterday and then texting with my sisters, I had a feeling they were all just excited that I was bringing someone home. But I wasn’t sure if mentioning that would make Sarah feel better or more nervous, so I kept quiet.
When her shoulders relaxed, relief washed over me. After confirming that she was ready to go, I scooped a still sleeping Nora off the sofa, and we headed out the door.
Almost immediately after placing Nora in the car seat, she let us know exactly how she felt about it.
And a few looks over at Sarah once we were on the road told me the fussing was making her feel more stressed.
So I turned up the radio and sang along with the country song. Babies liked being sung too, right?
Sarah shook her head, fighting a smile.
I reached over and nudged her thigh. “Come on, Mama. You know this one.”
She chuckled but joined in, softly singing along with me. Finally, a few songs later, Nora had stopped crying and was babbling away instead, and the tension radiating off Sarah had dissipated for the most part.
Once I parked on the street in front of my parents’ small cape cod, I got Nora out of the back seat and met Sarah on the sidewalk. Grasping her hand, I gave it a squeeze. “You good?”
Shrugging, she sent me a soft smile. “As good as I’m going to get.”
Hopefully she’d feel at ease as soon as she saw how excited my family was to have her here.
But it didn’t dawn on me until I was inside the house how chaotic my family could be.
They met us at the door, and even I was overwhelmed by their attention.
Between my sisters introducing themselves to Sarah before we were even fully inside the foyer and my parents asking me how the drive over was, I worried Sarah would be ready to snatch Nora from my arms and bolt.
Instead, when I stole a glance in her direction, she was smiling.
Nora, on the other hand, had her face buried into the crook of my neck and a death grip on my shirt.
“She’s not even that old,” Izzy directed at me, her hands on her hips.
My stomach sank. What the hell was she talking about? “What?”
“Sarah.” She rolled her eyes like that was obvious. “You said she was older than you. She doesn’t even look old.”
“Jesus,” I muttered. I had hoped my sister’s lack of a filter was something she would grow out of. Apparently, that wasn’t the case, and it didn’t look like it would happen any time soon.
“Izzy,” my mom and Angie scolded at the same time.
“What?” Izzy huffed. “Fine. I’ll shut up now.”
“Good idea,” I shot back.
Sarah, thank fuck, had her lips curved inward, holding back a laugh, and her eyes were dancing. Laughing at me and my family? I could work with.
“Come on.” Angie looped her arm through Sarah’s and pulled her into the living room. “You’ll have to tell me how you got your hair to curl like that.”
Wincing, I considered following and rescuing her before they hounded her with a whole list of questions.
“She’ll be fine.” My mom chuckled. “If she can handle a room full of five-year-olds all day, then thirty minutes with your sisters is nothing.”
I raised one eyebrow at her. We both knew that Izzy and Angie could be far worse than kindergarteners.
Izzy would spout off whatever popped into her head, and even though Angie was more careful with her words, she had a special talent for making people feel uncomfortable.
And she was an expert at gathering information about a person before they even realized that was what she was doing.
But my mom was right. Sarah was handling my sisters just fine.
Constant chatter about hair, makeup, and clothes came from the three of them.
Even when my mom peppered Sarah with questions about how she liked her job and whether she’d considered becoming a teacher at some point, she didn’t seem fazed.
Ten minutes into dinner, I was feeling good about how the night was going.
“How’s the new apartment?” my mom asked me as Nora, who was in Izzy’s arms, held her arms out to her. “Oh, want to come sit with me now?”
Nora had warmed up quickly shortly after we arrived and seemed content visiting with each person.
My mom raised an eyebrow in my direction, reminding me that she was waiting for an answer.
“It’s good.” What did she want me to say? I appreciated the space and independence, but in reality, I hadn’t stayed at my own place in almost a week.
“Are you even going to keep it?” Izzy asked.
“What?” My mom zeroed in on my sister. “Why wouldn’t he keep it?”
I swallowed. Shit. Here we go. Thanks, Iz.
“’Cause he’s been staying at Sarah’s every night.” She shrugged. “I assumed he’d want to move in with her.”
Sarah’s fork clattered to her plate, and I pinched my eyes closed.
I really needed to stop telling Izzy anything I didn’t want repeated.
I didn’t necessarily care whether my parents knew I was sleeping at Sarah’s, but I didn’t want to have that conversation right now, and I definitely didn’t want to put Sarah on the spot.
“You know what they say about assuming, right?” I narrowed my eyes at Izzy, silently begging her to shut up.
Wide-eyed, she scanned the large oak table, at least attempting to read the room before she sighed and went back to eating her food.
“Have I ever told you about the time I had to clear an apartment building with a python loose in it?” my dad interjected.
We all groaned in unison. Yes, we’d heard this story at least a dozen times. I was grateful for the change of topic, but I wasn’t sure one of my dad’s stories was any better. Even if it was one of my favorites.
“A bunch of men who run into burning buildings every day afraid of a snake.” My dad shook his head, chuckling. “In fairness, not being able to see more than a foot in front of us made us all jumpy any time we saw movement.”
Sarah cringed but was totally engrossed in the story.
After he’d finished, he launched into question after question about how Angie’s last year of college was going. She was getting a BS in computer engineering and had already applied for several internships in Asheville.
“Everyone ready for cake?” my mom asked.
“Is that even a question?” My dad tilted his head with a smirk plastered on his face. “I’m always ready for cake.”
I took the cue that our dinner dishes needed to be cleared and leaned over to whisper in Sarah’s ear. “You good?”
She nodded and then sent me a smile.
Standing, I started to collect our plates, and as I headed for the kitchen, my mom handed Nora back to Izzy and followed me.
I rinsed dishes and loaded the dishwasher while my mom got out a serving tray and placed it on the marble countertop next to me.
“Sarah’s great.” She dropped the forks onto the tray, opened the cabinet in front of her, and pulled out a handful of small plates.
“I know.” If there was a but to her statement, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.
In my periphery, she paused, studying me, until I gave in and turned to face her.
She sighed. “I can tell you care about her, and I’m thrilled you found someone. But just don’t rush things.”
“I’m not.” I locked my jaw, thinking about Izzy’s comment earlier. “I’m not giving up my apartment and moving in with her.” Not yet, at least.
“You tend to dive headfirst into things. Just remember that there’s a child involved, and it’s only been a month. It’s important to be sure before you make any big decisions.”
I was sure of my feelings for Sarah. But I got what my mom was saying.
Sarah still had her doubts, or rather, insecurities, and she had a lot on her plate with the whole Drew situation.
So I had no plans to rush her into something she wasn’t ready for.
I also understood what a commitment of any kind would mean. For Sarah, for Nora, even for me.
I nodded. “Roger that.”
She smiled at the words my dad and I always used to let her know we heard her and understood.
A few minutes later, I took my seat next to Sarah. I put my arm around her and pulled her closer, pressing my lips to her temple.
I tried my hardest throughout the rest of the night and on the drive back home to not overthink what my mom had said. But I failed. Was I rushing into things?
All I knew was that lying in bed with Sarah in my arms later that night felt like the surest thing I’d ever known.