Chapter 8 #2
“Hi, Shayanne. Nice to meet you.” I throw the words over my shoulder, still eye-fucking Brody. “Think I’m gonna need a jar of this lemon curd and a cherry one too.”
I notice he doesn’t introduce me to her, but that’s okay. We’re not walking down the aisle or anything, and meeting family is a big deal for most folks.
“Ahem.” Mom has no such rule about not needing to meet people, especially not ones who are obviously split seconds away from fucking me against the nearest surface. “Rix, would you like to introduce me to your friend?”
It sounds like I have a choice. I do not.
“Mom, this is Brody. Brody, this is Janice Cole, my mom.”
I see his jaw clench like it’s hard for him to look away from me, but he does it anyway to offer Mom his hand. He looks a little embarrassed too, like maybe he didn’t realize it wasn’t only Emily and his sister bearing witness to his heated come-ons. “Good to meet you, Mrs. Cole.”
She shakes his hand and smiles, but it’s that threatening flash of teeth that Mama Bears do when they try to look perfectly pleasant but are really ready to go to battle for their cubs. Never mind that I don’t need Mom’s protection.
“Hey, Brod, I sent the family group text a picture just now. Katelyn seems to think you met this one at the resort bar, says she saw you drinking with her. Sophie says she’s from the garage.
And so help me if you’ve already been on two dates with this woman and I haven’t heard about it, I will gut you and serve you to the goats.
Except for Baarbara. She’s got a sensitive tummy, you know? ”
I try to take in everything she just said, including the clear picture of Brody and me on her phone’s screen as she waves it around. A text bubble pops up, then another.
“Oh, the resort was me!” Emily raises her hand like she’s telling the teacher she’s present for attendance check. “And the garage was Rix, of course. So they’re both right.”
Emily doesn’t realize how that sounds until it’s too late.
Shayanne’s eyes go skinny and hot as she looks from Emily to me and then focuses sharply on Brody. “Forget the goats. I’m gonna serve you up to Mama Louise on a damn platter like a fat, brown Thanksgiving turkey. What the actual fuck, Brody?”
He holds his hands up, in any man’s worst nightmare . . . surrounded by four women.
Mom and Shayanne look ready to tag-team a murder, one of those random ‘we don’t know each other, so we can’t be in on it together’ type deals I’ve seen on late-night crime shows, Strangers On A Train style.
Emily looks confused at the fuss. And I’m on the verge of busting a gut from holding back laughter.
“Wait, wait, wait a second. I can explain. I met Erica, then saw Emily at the resort and thought they were the same person. Obviously, they’re not.
” He shrugs like none of this is his fault.
To be fair, it’s not. Just one of those things that happen when there’s someone else walking around with your face.
I jump in to save him . . . after I’ve had a little more fun at Shay texting on her phone and Brody trying to look over her shoulder. “Why aren’t I getting those messages?”
“Because I removed you from the group so we could talk about you behind your back. I’ll add you again when we’re done . . . maybe.”
“We’re all good here, guys. The important thing is that Emily and I know who we are, and more importantly, Brody knows who we are. And who we’re not.” I pinch his nipple through his shirt, twisting it hard in teasing punishment for the confusion.
He flinches away. “Shit, Erica. Stop. I said I want your hands on me, but I didn’t mean for you to rip my nipples off.”
I realize a moment too late that touching him like that implies a level of intimacy I maybe wasn’t ready to shout from the rooftops yet because Mom is looking between us as though she’s mentally picking out wedding venues.
At least she’s on board with my never marrying Reed.
She understood back in high school why I didn’t want that then, even if she hadn’t wanted me to enlist to get out of it.
But her interest in my future is perking right back up like she got a caffeine injection right to her sentimental heart.
Mom leans in to Emily, a tiny smile on her lips as she stage whispers, “He calls her Erica, did you hear that?”
Emily hums as she concurs. “Yep, and he’s still alive and standing. This could be serious.”
Mom suddenly yawns, exaggeratedly fake. “Oh, dear, I’m feeling so tired. I’d best be getting home. Emily, dear, do you think you can drive me?”
“Yeah, Mom. No problem,” Emily answers as Mom basically drags her away.
“Nice to meet you, Brody!” Mom calls out as they disappear, probably already discussing the whole Rix-met-someone situation.
I turn to Shayanne. “Sorry for messing up your sale with my Mom, but I’ll take two of each of the jellies and order a cake too.
I love carrot cake. It’s my favorite way to eat vegetables, but I promise to share.
Or you know, shove it in Mom’s mouth so she’ll stop asking me questions about the last five minutes of my life. ”
She somehow glows even brighter. “Wait until you have Mama Louise’s zucchini bread with chocolate chips and you’ll be singing a different tune. You should come out to the ranch sometime because it’s best when it’s fresh outta the oven.”
Brody stiffens beside me, and not in the good way.
He stays quiet and stoic while Shayanne rings up my purchases and puts them in a bag with her business card.
“Call or text me anytime . . . about anything.” She pauses and adds, “Oh, and for real, let me know if there’s a specific date you want the cake.
Or if my soonest availability works for you, that’ll be about four days from now. ”
Brody grabs my hand, asking Shayanne, “Think you can handle teardown on your own?”
She raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, asshole. I can fold a folding table and shove it in the back of the truck. I’m almost sold out of everything, anyway.”
And before I can tell her goodbye, Brody is dragging me away.
I let him for a few steps, understanding the need to escape family sometimes even though you love them, but quickly, my strides become no match for his and I have to pull at his hand. “Slow down, Cowboy.”
He spins in place, pulling me against him. I have to look up and he has to look down, but somehow, he doesn’t make me feel less-than or weak.
“Lil Bit, that whole thing was weird as fuck, but the main thing I picked up on is that Emily seemed fine with this. True?” His jaw is clenched, tension woven through his muscles as he waits for me to agree.
“True.”
“You didn’t call. You still good with this?”
“I thought about you last night. Got a few ideas. Maybe more than a few . . . if you’re game?”
Heat flickers across his face as his eyes dart to my lips like he wants to taste those words. I think he’s going to do it, kiss me right here to learn all my dirty thoughts, but he growls and starts his speed-walking again.
Now, I can see it for what it really is. He’s not escaping his family. He’s desperately trying to get us alone to pick up where we left off.
And I am one hundred percent onboard for that plan. “My truck’s parked over there.”