Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Jory
“What does until it looks right mean?” I ask, peering into the skillet and wondering what the hell I did wrong.
Breakfast for dinner was supposed to be easy. Gus wanted my mom’s famous biscuits and gravy, and I figured it couldn’t be hard. And it’ll hopefully look fancy enough to impress Markie.
Markie.
A tug that I’m growing very familiar with pulls across my chest. This woman keeps me on my toes.
It took everything in me, and the fact that I had a kid sleeping in the other room so I couldn’t just leave, not to go to her house last night.
It ate me up inside that she might not have understood where I was coming from when I told her that we had to put the brakes on things before they got out of hand.
Or even if she did understand it, maybe I overstepped.
“I’m pretty sure that I know what I can and cannot handle, and I certainly don’t need you deciding that for me—regardless of your intentions.”
Markie is the strongest, fiercest woman that I’ve ever met, and her strength and intelligence are two of the things that I enjoy the most about her. She doesn’t back down from anything. She goes after what she wants … and she’s smart enough, and capable enough, to make those decisions for herself.
Mom sighs. “Until it looks right means keep stirring until it gets thick. Until it looks like gravy.”
“This mess is gonna wind up being gravy?” I make a face. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure if you followed the recipe I texted you. I’m less sure if you didn’t.”
I roll my eyes.
“Are you stirring? I don’t hear stirring,” she says like she’s fed up with me.
That makes me smile. “Yes, Mother. I’m stirring. Here. Listen.” I put the phone next to the skillet and stir for a few seconds before bringing it back to my ear. As I do that, the liquid magically changes … and turns into gravy. “Hey! Look at that. It’s thickening.”
“Shocking, I know.”
Chuckling, I turn the heat way down. “You know, I used to think that Gus got his smart-assness from me. But I think maybe we both got it from you.”
“Don’t you say such a thing about my sweet grandbaby,” she says, feigning shock.
“He’s eleven, you know? I get reminded of that all the time.”
“Oh, I know. It’s not one of my favorite things to think about, but yes, I know he’s eleven. Twelve, soon.” She sighs. “I miss you boys so much.”
My heart sinks.
I hate that I’ve been so far away from her for most of my adult life.
We talk a lot, and I visit her every offseason and during the holidays, but it never seems enough.
I’ve volunteered to rent her a place in whatever city I’m working in, but she says she likes her life with her friends in California.
What’s a man to do? I don’t know. Live with the guilt, I guess.
“I miss you, too, Mama.”
“Are you good with the gravy? Need anything else?”
I survey the kitchen, finding the biscuits on the counter and a plate of bacon beside it because Gus looked at me like I was out of my mind when I told him that bacon doesn’t go with biscuits and gravy.
“That’s what Gram does,” he’d said. I also did a few scrambled eggs in case Markie doesn’t like gravy. She’ll have options.
“Is dinner ready yet?” Gus asks from the table. His head is propped up on his hand while he pretends to do his math packet.
“Almost.” The gravy is perfect, so I shut off the heat. “I think we’re good, Mom. Thanks for your help.”
“Of course. Love you, baby boy.”
I grin. “Love you, Mama.”
“Love you, Gram!” Gus shouts from the table.
“Aw, you tell that boy that I love him more than the moon and stars,” she says. “Bye, Jory.”
“Goodbye.”
I end the call and turn to set the phone beside the sink when a knock rings through the house.
“I’ll get it!” Gus shouts, jumping up from the table, all too happy to abandon the packet that he was supposed to start on half an hour ago.
I figured it was good for him to attempt it alone.
And if he managed to get some of it done before Markie got here, that would give her and me more time together alone.
I pull in a breath at the thought of being alone with her again. Let’s pray it goes differently this time.
My eyes are glued to the doorway, but their voices reach me before they do.
Markie follows Gus into the kitchen, and I swear her presence sucks the oxygen out of the room.
Holy shit.
Markie didn’t come to play.
Or … maybe she did.
A smirk settles against my lips.
The bombshell is temptation wrapped in a sundress.
The green dress hugs her curves, and her hair is pulled back, save for a few strands that fall around her face.
The delicate slope of her shoulders is on full display, and I have an irrational urge to brush my thumb along her collarbone.
And the coy grin on her face tells me none of this was an accident.
She pauses at the table before moseying my way. Her thick lashes flutter with mischief. “Hey, you.”
“Hey to you,” I say, rooted in place. My gaze is trained on her as she moves like a vision, inching closer.
My breath hitches in my throat as she drags a fingertip over my abs as she passes me. Goose bumps spread across my skin like wildfire, and I can’t do anything to stop it.
“It smells amazing in here. What did you make?” she asks, moving to the stovetop.
“Biscuits and gravy,” Gus says. “If it sucks, that’s on him because he used my grandma’s recipe, and hers is killer.”
Markie laughs. “Good to know. Grandma recipes are always the best.” She looks at Gus over her shoulder. “You should taste my Lolly’s fried chicken. It’s the best in the universe.”
“I love fried chicken,” Gus says.
“I made a few other things in case you aren’t a fan of gravy,” I say, hoping it doesn’t sound like I’m trying too hard. “There’s bacon and eggs, too.”
“He’s trying to impress you,” Gus whispers loud enough for me to hear.
I start to deny it, but chuckle instead. “Yeah, I mean, I guess it’s obvious.”
Gus scrambles by me, grabbing a plate and loading it with food. I think about telling him to only take what he’s going to eat—that he can always come back for seconds—but just as I open my mouth to tell him, Markie leaves the stove and comes toward me.
She smells like vanilla and sunshine, and her tanned skin looks like it’s been kissed by the sun. She’s a dream and nightmare all rolled into one. There’s something about that combination that I fucking love.
“Have you starved him today?” she asks, glancing at the piles of food on Gus’s plate.
“You’d think.”
“I’m a growing boy,” he says with a piece of biscuit hanging out of his mouth as he walks to the table.
I turn my back to Gus and peer down at Markie. “Point taken.”
“Whatever do you mean?” she asks, grinning.
“You’re trying to torture me.”
“Am I?” She lifts a brow, biting her lip. “I probably just misunderstood the situation. It seems I’m bad about that. My apologies.”
I growl as she brushes her ass against me while turning toward the stove.
“Is it any good, Gus?” she asks as if she wasn’t just screwing with my head.
“It’s great. Make sure you get some bacon. Dad thinks it doesn’t go together, but he’s wrong.”
She grins at me. “He’s been wrong about a few things lately.”
I stare at her, making her giggle.
She heads for the table while I pour us all a glass of juice and make my plate. Gus and Markie chatter about his math and the friends he’s made at the park. She seems to know most of them. And their parents. And their grandparents.
But that all comes to an abrupt halt once I sit down.
Gus takes his fork and taps it on his glass. His Cheshire cat-style grin puts me on edge.
“Gus …” I warn as my blood pressure rises. I know this look. He’s about to be a shithead.
“Now that the family is all here,” he says, smirking.
Markie lifts a brow my way. I shrug helplessly. We’re at the mercy of an eleven-year-old.
“I’d like to discuss a rumor that I heard at the park,” he says, sitting back in his seat like the CEO of a boardroom. “Well, maybe it’s a rumor. That’s to be determined.”
“You know, rumors are usually lies,” Markie says, placing her chin in her hand. “You should take that into consideration before repeating them.”
“Good point.” He looks at her. “But I’m repeating this one.” He looks at me. “I heard through the grapevine that the two of you are dating.”
Markie sets her fork on the table.
I look at the ceiling.
Gus steeples his fingers together like a madman whose plan just came together.
I blow out a breath and steal a look at Markie. She half shrugs as if she doesn’t know how to handle this. Well, that makes two of us.
“So …” he prompts. “Is there any truth to this or is the rumor mill working overtime?” He points a finger at Markie. “You know, rumors might usually be lies. But I’ve heard that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“Gus,” I say, trying to stay even-keeled. “First of all, it’s none of your business.”
He scoffs. “Um, yeah, it is.”
“And second,” I say, ignoring him, “what you’re doing right now is rude. You and I could’ve talked about this alone, but you chose to do it when Markie was here. There was no reason to make her uncomfortable for your entertainment.”
He looks me dead in the eyes. “That’s not what I was trying to do, Dad.”
“Sometimes you have to think about the effect your behavior has on others before you act,” I say without flinching. The irony of my own behavior last night is not lost on me. “Think before you speak.”
Markie holds up a hand. “Let’s … back up a second.
” She looks at Gus and sighs. “What your dad is saying is absolutely right, but I believe that you weren’t being mean.
You’re just curious. And I’m glad that you asked instead of worrying about it or wondering why we didn’t say anything.
You should always ask if you have questions. ”
“So it’s true?” His eyes light up. “You’re really dating?”
“Gus—”
“Kind of,” Markie says.
We are? I try not to look shocked by this revelation.