20. Saige
20
SAIGE
E ven though I’d talked to her on the phone, I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of emotion at meeting Erin Cole. She’s even lovelier in person than I imagined, her smile warm and radiant as she approaches me.
“Saige, it’s so good to finally meet you.” She beams, wrapping me in a hug that takes me a second to reciprocate.
I’ve never been good at this, and when she finally releases me, I feel Bridger’s hand on the small of my back, the touch grounding me.
A lifeline.
And I give him a small smile that he returns as his father and Lettie join us in the kitchen.
“Saige, it’s a pleasure,” Troy Cole says, his hand outstretched toward me. “We really appreciate you doing this for us.”
Lettie huffs and Bridger grunts as I return his shake. “It was my pleasure.”
“ Please act like I didn’t offer to fly you guys down here for Christmas,” Lettie mutters, earning a side-eye from her mother.
“Your father wasn’t ready to travel.”
“And last month when I asked?” Bridger prods.
“I took your mother to the theater downtown to see that show everyone was raving about,” Troy says unapologetically as he takes a seat on the couch, Erin sitting beside him on one side and Lettie on the other. “We were enjoying some normalcy.”
This feels like a private moment, like I’m intruding on time and conversations I shouldn’t be privy to.
As if he can feel me trying to sit alone in the armchair, or bail out the back door, Bridger takes my hand and guides me toward the love seat, his thigh firmly pressed against mine as he rests our joined hands in my lap.
It’s very… coupley.
It must be obvious how out of place I feel because he grips my hand tighter. Whether it’s a show of support or to ensure I won’t take off running, I’m not sure.
Strangely, I like it.
“Honestly, it’s just so nice to finally meet the woman our son has been talking about for months,” Erin says sweetly as Lettie tries to hide a laugh by coughing into her hand.
“ Months, huh?” I murmur as I tilt my face to look at Bridger. His expression is somewhere between guilty as charged and I can’t believe my mom just said that. “I can only imagine,” I say tightly, my brain on a loop of how aggravated I’d been every single day with the man I’m holding on to like a lifeline.
“Don’t worry.” Erin laughs. “These Cole men take a little getting used to.” She pats Troy’s leg fondly.
“I think I’m supposed to be offended,” Bridger stage-whispers to me, making everyone laugh as Erin rolls her eyes.
“You guys love big right from the start, but the rest of us need time to catch up.”
“Jesus, Mom, could you not scare her off?”
I can feel him tense even though he’s trying to make it a joke, but as much as I fought him to get here, I like being with him.
I like it a lot.
“It is rather exhausting being your girlfriend,” I muse, my lips twitching when his head whips to mine. “All that smiling and happiness.” I lift one shoulder and let it drop as Bridger’s face splits into a grin. “It’s a lot to get used to.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” he rasps, his eyes sparkling as he watches me.
“You’ve already made plans for Christmas, Band Camp.”
I didn’t mean to use his nickname in front of everyone, and my cheeks heat when Lettie starts laughing. Leaning in, Bridger kisses my cheek, his lips warm and soft, the touch melting a little of my nerves away.
“You two are just adorable,” Erin exclaims as we turn our attention back to them. “Honey, maybe we should look for a house while we’re down here. What do you think? Bridger and Saige are here and Lettie is staying. It makes sense for us to be closer.”
“If we can find someone who knows the area.” Troy looks at me with a wink and I nod.
“Whenever you’re ready, I’d be happy to find some properties to see,” I tell them as Bridger all but launches himself off the couch, excitement pouring off him in waves.
It was a hard secret to keep—not just that I voluntarily reached out to his parents in order to show him I’m serious about us, but that they’d shared their plans to move down here now that Troy is in the clear.
“You knew,” Lettie mouths to me, and I shrug as her lips curve up. “Thank you.” Her eyes are watery now and so are mine because I helped make this happen. The love and relief in the room are palpable, and I’m so humbled to be a part of it.
So I lean into it, the feeling of togetherness and family and the butterflies in my stomach. Because I deserve this too…right?