CHAPTER FOUR #2
I order the pizza, get changed, and grab a beer from the fridge. I turn the television on and sit on the couch as my phone dings with an incoming text.
Cash: So, when are you bringing your girl to Sunday dinner?
Me: As soon as she’s ready. What’s it to you?
Cash: Well…see, I was over at Mom and Dad’s earlier and she was raggin’ on me again about getting serious with a girl…
Me: What the fuck did you do, Cash?
Cash: It kinda just slipped out. I swear I wasn’t trying to throw you under the bus!
Me: No, more like a fucking semi-truck. I will bring her when we’re both ready. I’m not pushing her into it. Hell, she hasn’t even met Booker yet. One thing at a fucking time.
Cash: Mom actually didn’t start with the twenty questions. I think she was surprised, but she didn’t ask me about her.
Me: You better hope she doesn’t push or payback is gonna be hell for you.
Cash: Another reason I ain’t settlin’ down anytime soon.
I hear a vehicle pull up, so I set my phone down and go to the door.
It’s the food-delivery guy. I meet him on the porch and take the food.
Before I can go back inside, another vehicle pulls up, this one into the driveway behind my truck.
I smile when I see it’s my girl. She grabs a bag out of the back seat and bounces up the steps to me.
“I’m so glad you got pizza! I’m starving!
” She stops next to me so I can lean down and give her a kiss.
“Mmm. Well, let’s get both of us fed while it’s still hot.
I also got wings, including some boneless ones for you. ”
She gives me another kiss before heading inside to greet Murph, no doubt.
“You are an awesome person, and I love that you accept my issues with chicken bones. I know it doesn’t make sense.
” It doesn’t. I mean, only my woman wouldn't like chicken on the bone, except for fried chicken. Apparently, the frying makes it tolerable. Why not wings, you ask, since they are also fried? Size is part of it, and them being sauced negates the frying in her mind. Sometimes it’s better not to argue the illogical and just accept and order both kinds of wings.
I may not be the most intelligent man, but I wasn’t born yesterday.
Murph came in the moment he heard Kinsley’s voice and has been getting all the loving while I sorted out dinner and got her a drink.
I set her soda pop down and look at my traitorous dog.
“Think you could share and let me get some of those kisses there, Murph?” Kinsley pets him once more and comes over and wraps her arms around me.
“You and Murph get very different kinds of love from me. He’s a good dog, and I like that he keeps you company when I’m not here.
” She pulls on my shirt, and I lean down and get a proper kiss hello.
“Mmm. I think I’ll keep the lovin’ you give me.
Now let’s fill our plates and find somethin’ to watch.
I can’t wait to spend the evening curled up on the couch with you in my arms.” I love that she still gets a slight blush whenever I tell her I want her in any kind of way. Makes a man feel wanted back.
We both fill our plates. Kinsley sits down on the couch, and I go to sit next to her when I hear another vehicle pulling up in front of the house.
I set my plate down and go to the window to see who it is.
I’m surprised to see it’s Meg with Booker.
Well, I guess it’s no time like the present for them to meet Kinsley.
I look over and she’s watching me with a questioning look.
“It’s Booker and his mom. You okay to meet them?
” She looks slightly panicked at first, but stands up and nods.
I watch her inner strength come out as she looks up at me.
“As long as you’re okay with me meeting them.
” I go to the door, but I look back at the woman, who, in such a short time, has taken hold of my heart.
“Baby, you know I’m ready for the world to know we’re together, but I can wait till you’re ready to share you with everyone else. ”
I open the door and hear Booker as he runs up the steps to the front door.
“Dad! Where’s Murphy?” The roll of my eyes is second nature at this point.
“Nice to see you too, son. He’s inside hanging out with someone I want you to meet.
” He stops in front of me and pushes his glasses up as he tries to look past me into the house.
“Who is here? We never have new people over.” Leave it to my son to point out that fact.
“Well, go introduce yourself while I talk to your mom for a minute.”
He heads inside, and I turn back as Meg walks up the stairs.
I wait for an explanation from her because she rarely stops by unannounced.
“I got called into work. There’s a flu bug going around, and they’re down three nurses in the NICU.
Maddie’s out of town at her yearly conference.
My parents are on that cruise. If you can’t watch—” I put my hand up to stop her rambling sentences.
“It’s no problem, Meg. I just wasn’t expecting to introduce him to my gal just yet since I haven’t told him about her at all. ”
Meg looks shocked at my news. “You’re dating someone, and it’s serious enough to have her spending time at your house?”
I know we didn’t work as a married couple, and not just because she realized she was a lesbian, but our friendship has stayed solid through the years.
It’s the strength of this friendship that makes me comfortable enough to admit to her what I haven’t said out loud to anyone yet.
“Yeah, I’m seeing someone and it’s serious. Real serious.”
Meg’s eyebrows go sky high. She’s known me since we were barely eighteen.
“You planning on introducing her to your parents?” I nod.
“Yeah, as soon as she’s ready. She’s just moved back to town.
She grew up here but lived up in Seattle while going to school.
She just finished grad school and moved back. ”
Meg gets a grin on her face that tells me she’s about to tease me about some shit.
“So you’re seeing a younger woman, are ya?
” She pats my arm and continues before I can say anything else.
“I’m just gonna poke my head in and say hello, then I gotta take off.
I know I’ll get a play-by-play from Booker when I pick him up.
” She pushes past me and into the house.
I’m beginning to question our friendship at this moment. I swear she’s as bad as Cash sometimes.
Kinsley
Tonight has been surprisingly fun. I admit I was nervous to meet Booker. I had heard so much about him that I knew he was an awesome kid. My nerves came from the fact that I would be the first girlfriend he’d been introduced to, and I didn’t know how he’d react.
I remember meeting some of Dad’s exes, and some were light years better than others.
We’re not even talking about the ones he’s had since I graduated from high school.
Some of those were very questionable. I didn’t want to be like that.
Selfishly, I wanted Booker to like me and be willing to get to know me.
I should’ve known we would get along since he’s so much like his dad.
He’s got some of the same quirks, and I swear he gave me the same expression that Emmett did when I tried to explain my dislike of bone-in chicken wings.
We just finished watching a show about dinosaurs that Booker is currently obsessed with.
Booker, who's sitting on the other side of Murph, turns toward me and asks, “Did you know that one of the biggest animals to walk the earth was the Argentinosaurus? It was an herbivore—that means they only ate plants—but scientists say that most predators didn’t try to attack it because it was just too big.” I shake my head.
“No, I didn't know that. I’m gonna have to have you teach me about dinosaurs because I don’t know a lot about them, other than the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus.
Oh! I know birds are descendants of dinosaurs. ”
Booker shakes his head and looks over at his dad.
“We’re gonna have to teach her.” He looks back at me and I can tell he just thought of something else to tell me or ask me.
“Oh! Do you know the difference between crocodiles and alligators? I learned it in school, and Dad helped me find more. He promised we could go to the zoo soon to see them in person. They’re kind of like living dinosaurs since they went extinct a long time ago.
Even before Grandma and Grandpa were born. ”
I answer the one question he asked me in that stream of words.
“I know that alligators have a U-shaped snout and crocodiles have a V-shaped snout. I also know one likes freshwater and one can live in both salt and freshwater, but I don’t remember which is which.
” Apparently, this was an unacceptable answer.
Booker looks at his dad again. “When we go to the zoo, can she go with us? If she’s gonna be a teacher, she’s gonna need to get this stuff right, Dad. ”
Emmett’s face gives away that he’s trying not to laugh.
He takes a moment and answers Booker. “We’ll have to see.
It depends on when we can get to the zoo and if Kinsley is free and wants to go.
Now, you know it’s past your bedtime, so go get into your pajamas and brush your teeth.
I’ll be in to tuck you into bed in a few minutes.
” Booker huffs but doesn’t argue with his dad.
He gets up and heads down the hallway, calling for Murph to follow him.
Emmett leans over and gives me a quick kiss.
“Find something for us to watch and I’ll be back out in just a few minutes. ”
Within fifteen minutes, the house is quiet, and Emmett is walking back into the room.
He sits back down and pulls me into him.
Cuddling into him is quickly becoming my favorite place to be.
He kisses the top of my head. “You were a big hit tonight. Booker loves that you teach. He’s always learning random shit and your willingness to listen to it and talk to him about it?
You might be his new favorite person.” I snuggle more into Emmett and kiss his chest. “It’s pretty easy to like him.
He’s an awesome kid, and he’s so much like you.
I’m glad I got to spend tonight with the two of you. It was a lot of fun.”
Emmett touches a finger to my chin and lifts my head up to meet him for a kiss.
When he breaks it, he looks at me like he can see inside my soul.
“This was a perfect night, with everything I wanted in one place. A cozy dinner at home with good food and the two people who complete my life. I can’t see myself wanting anything more. ”