20. Rose
rose
This is why I’m not really a planner. I think I have a plan. I get excited about the plan. I go for the plan. And then all the ramifications of the plan hit me in the face like bugs splattering a windshield.
I’m sitting in Reed’s Bronco, on our way to his parents’ house, trying not to look like I’m still reliving our kiss from this morning. I’m calm and collected and totally not fizzy with warmth as my brain plays my favorite highlight reel for the millionth time.
See, I honestly thought he needed the practice. He was so stiff and awkward after I kissed his cheek the other day, I assumed he wasn’t comfortable enough with me to make a convincing couple. I actually believed he needed my coaching to get him to relax.
Um, no. He needed no help in that department.
He got me to relax so totally, I forgot we were only kissing “to practice.” I forgot he’s only in this fake relationship with me because I couldn’t tell my parents the truth.
I especially forgot that I can’t be that woman who develops real feelings for the man who only agreed to pretend to date her.
It would be humiliatingly on-brand with my “doing too much” theme, though.
“Everything good?” He’s got that line between his eyebrows again, his concern only adding to the sparklers going off inside my ribcage.
“Mmm-hmm.” Just thinking about practice-kissing you until I become a pro with stadiums named after me to honor my skills. The usual.
“You’re quiet.” He grips the steering wheel tighter, the vinyl squeaking beneath his palms. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can tell them you caught a summer cold or something. They’ll understand.”
“No, I want to go.” His family looks so wonderful from the outside, I’m dying to see what they’re really like on the inside. I want a behind-the-scenes peek at the loving chaos I’ve glimpsed in the coffee shop. “I just want them to like me.”
The need for every last Bridger’s approval rises up inside me like a kraken from the deep.
I’ve never been introduced to a boyfriend’s relatives this way before, and the “fake” label doesn’t change the fact I’m about to spend the evening with Reed’s entire family.
They’re so sweet and fun—I’m desperate for them to think the same of me.
His exhale borders on a laugh. “That’s not a problem. They already think you’re perfect.”
“Perfect is a strong word.” One of my mother’s favorites, FYI. Easy to say, hard to live up to. More of a requirement than a compliment.
“I can show you Jovie’s texts to prove it.”
I spin the jar of honey I bought, sunlight dancing through it to fill the car with a golden glow. “I have a feeling she’s been known to exaggerate.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t. And I think you’re perfect, too.”
I shift in the passenger seat, resting my temple on the headrest. Reed stares straight ahead, his throat working as he swallows. It’s probably a good thing he’s paying attention to the road and not the heart-eyes I’m aiming his direction.
Perfect is still too much, but coming from a guy who doesn’t hand out compliments easily, it means everything.
“I stand corrected.”
A few blocks later, he pulls to a stop in front of a two-story home nestled in a wooded neighborhood.
Several cars and trucks are parked in the driveway and on the street.
The rest of his family must already be here.
Nerves skate through me, but it’s mostly the good kind of anticipation, like the thrill before going on a rollercoaster.
Reed rushes around the front of the Bronco to open my door.
I clutch the jar of honey as I climb out.
I changed into my favorite blue sundress for dinner, but hopefully my sneakers keep it from looking like I’m going overboard.
He’s wearing jeans and a plain blue T-shirt, unintentionally matching me.
He holds out a hand, and I take it as we walk up the driveway. As we pass the front window, Jovie’s excited shout echoes from inside, followed by a lower voice I imagine is Luke telling her to calm down. I appreciate her untethered enthusiasm because it gives mine a companion.
At my side, Reed gusts out a sigh, his hand paused on the door knob. “Are you ready?”
I give him a firm nod. “If things go sideways, I’ll stick with Jovie.”
“If things go sideways, I’ll pick you up and carry you out of here myself.”
“Then I look forward to things going sideways.”
His eyes widen, and he stumbles over the threshold into the house. His family members wait for us in the living room, and a low hum of laughter greets us.
“Can’t wait to show off your girlfriend, huh?” Nathan’s grin looks like he pulled it from the How to Get Under Reed’s Skin handbook.
Reed regains his composure, shooting a frown at his youngest brother. He makes introductions all around even though I know everyone’s names. At least by sight. Graham and Luke rarely come into Perk Me Up so I don’t know them as well as the others, but they all greet me with the same enthusiasm.
Or, almost. Nobody tops Jovie, who bounces in front of me like she can’t decide if she’d rather hug me or perform a tap dance. If I give her a minute, I bet she’d do both.
Facing the entire Bridger clan at once is a lot to take in.
Four handsome, dark-haired men who look like they could feature in old-school magazine spreads.
Their gorgeous, curvy sister who’s already grinning at me like we’re close friends.
Their parents, watching us as if it’s taking all their self-control not to whip out a camera to document the moment.
And of course, the littlest Bridger, who’s beaming like class just got out and she’s ready to run wild through the halls.
“Let’s give Rose some room, peanut.” Luke motions for his daughter to step back and join him, but she feigns ignorance.
“We’re so glad you’re here.” Her eyes sparkle like having me join them for dinner is the highlight of her summer. She’s my favorite already. “I’m not supposed to bother you too much if I want ice cream on the way home.”
Luke hefts a sigh that sounds remarkably like Reed’s. “You’re supposed to keep bribes quiet, Jovie.”
I lean down as if I’m about to share a secret. “That’s a good deal for you because there’s no way you can bother me.”
Reed squeezes my hand. Hopefully that means “good job making friends with Jovie” and not “you shouldn’t cross Luke.”
“We’ve got ice cream, too,” Russ tells her. “Looks like you’ll get some whether you bother her or not.”
Luke rolls his eyes, but Jovie’s satisfied by her grandpa’s countermeasures. Her attention latches onto the jar in my hand that’s not clasped tightly in Reed’s. “What’s that?”
I offer the jar to Sara. “It’s vanilla-infused honey. We tried it at the craft fair this morning, and it was so delicious, I wanted to bring one for you.”
She admires the jar of golden honey before cradling it to her chest like I passed her a baby. “That’s so sweet of you. We can put it on some fresh fruit for dessert.”
Russ slinks an arm around her waist. The pair smile at me as if I arrived in their living room riding on a cloud. “You two, ah, went to the craft fair together?”
“That makes sense.” Nathan looks entirely too pleased by this information. “We all know how much Reed loves crafts.”
“We must have missed you,” Lucy says. “Olive and I went, too. I got a print of a raccoon reading a book for my classroom.”
“Those were really cute. My favorite was the one wearing a sombrero.” I cast Reed a cheeky side-eye.
“Come on in. We don’t have to stand around in the entryway.” Sara waves us in, snaking past her children deeper into the house. “Dinner’s just about ready. Only a few more minutes.”
“I hope you like sausage and gnocchi, Rose.” Russ straightens his black plastic glasses but they sink back to a slight angle on his nose. “Reed said you don’t have any allergies.”
“Nope. I like everything,” I tell him automatically. “It smells wonderful. Can I do anything to help?”
“Just make yourself at home.” Russ gestures around the room before following his wife.
“You come, too, peanut.” Luke takes Jovie’s hand. “You get the joy of helping me set the table. All the cool kids are doing it.”
“Dad.” Jovie’s whine echoes around the room. “You’re so embarrassing.”
“I know, kiddo. That’s my job.”
They disappear through a doorway into the rear of the house, Jovie’s grumblings drifting behind them.
The living room is cozy, with a big comfy couch and several armchairs.
The coffee table has books on it, each with a bookmark as if the person reading just stepped away.
The shelves on the far wall are filled with a mishmash of books, mementos, photographs, rocks, trinkets, and special papers.
The blanket thrown over one chair looks so soft, I’m tempted to burrow underneath it and take a nap.
The room’s well-loved appearance makes something in my throat catch. This isn’t an interior designer’s showcase where everything has to look flawless and untouched. It’s someone’s home.
I want to stay forever.
“Did you get anything else at the fair?” Lucy asks me.
I pull myself out of thoughts of flopping onto the couch and snuggling in. “No. I had my eye on a mug with flowers carved into it, but I couldn’t take the leap. Now I regret it.”
“I feel that. I have so much non-buyer’s remorse now.”
I can’t help my delighted laugh. “I’m writing that one down. I love it.”
“How were the fish today?” Graham asks Reed. “Catch anything?”
He shifts at my side. “I didn’t go fishing this morning.”
All three of them stare at him as if he sprouted a tail.
“You always fish on Sundays,” Nathan says in a flat voice.
Reed lifts a shoulder. “Not today.”
Nathan’s momentary frown slowly lifts into a look of ecstasy.
I turn to Reed, searching his eyes as a fresh bout of nerves crawls through my stomach. “Did I keep you from something you wanted to do this morning?”
His frown eases, his gaze softening. “I did exactly what I wanted to do.”