Chapter Fourteen
BOUNCE HOUSES AND BAD TIMING
Three days in China. That’s how long it took me to officially fall in love with the man of my dreams. Although, by man-of-my-dreams definition, I think I loved him from the first day we met.
Love was immune to time. Fuck the naysayers and anti-insta-lovers.
They were nothing more than bitter people who had never met their “one.”
The morning after we had sex for the first time, I started my period.
I blamed Cage at first, claiming he broke my vagina.
After he made a sincere offer to take me to the hospital for an X-ray, I conceded the probable explanation was the start of my period.
In my dreams—where I controlled the world—men bled out of their penises one week every month. Fair? Yeah, I thought so too.
“My ticket is wrong.” I stared at my phone on our way to the airport. “Thad messed up. I need to call him. He has me going to Portland, but that’s it. I don’t see a ticket to Minneapolis.”
“Thad didn’t book your flight … Well, he helped, but I booked our flights.”
I glanced over at Cage and his dimply smirk. “Oh?”
“I thought we could stay in Portland for a couple days.”
“Oh?” My eyes grew with each “oh.”
He rested his hand on my knee, giving it a little squeeze. “Remember I said my sisters have a birthday party they wanted me to attend?”
I nodded.
“It’s tomorrow. Perfect timing, right? I may be out of a job but … family.” Another squeeze to my knee.
He listened to my family speech. It was so unmanly of him. Guys could hear, but their ability to listen was low. Another theory of mine. “I’m your date to your sisters’ birthday party?”
“It’s not really a plus-one party, maybe a bounce house, but nothing formal. Are you OK with meeting my family?”
Such a simple question, but the answer was a bit more complicated.
“Are you?”
He laughed. “I’m the reason your ticket ends in Portland. Yes, I think it’s fair to say I’m good with introducing you to my family. They’ll love you.”
Do you love me?
“Then you’ll tell them we met like three weeks ago and that you flew to China to kiss me, and they’ll think I’m a witch that’s cast a spell on you. I do believe you told me you’re not impulsive.”
“Three years. We met three years ago, not three weeks.” He winked.
“That’s our story? Really?”
“No. The story is in your purse.”
I narrowed my eyes. He nodded toward my purse under the seat in front of me. I grabbed it and unzipped the top. A notecard, of course.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Tell me, this is killing me! What does this mean?”
A grin, it’s all I got. He seemed quite proud of himself. For what? I had no idea.
“It’s official. I’m nervous. This is insane.” I squeezed Cage’s hand as the cab pulled into his mom’s driveway. “You’re taking some girl home to meet your family and you’ve never even mentioned my name.”
“You’re right. They’ll probably make you sleep on the porch with the dogs until they can trust you.”
“I’m serious.” I glared at him over the roof of the cab as I shut my door.
He paid the cab driver and took our luggage. “So am I. But don’t worry about it. The hammock on the porch is ridiculously comfortable and Dora and Diego, the Brittany Spaniels, love the company.”
“Dora and Diego?” I followed him to the front door of the two-story brick house. The front porch lights were on as the sun, low in the sky, made its exit.
“My sisters, Hayden and Isa, named them. They were six at the time.”
He opened the front door and plopped the luggage inside. “Where’s the welcome wagon?” he called.
A stream of high-pitched squeals and barking preceded the tornado of two white and hazelnut-colored dogs jumping on Cage’s legs as two girls with long, blond hair practically tackled him to the ground.
“Cage! It’s Cage! Mom? It’s Cage!” one yelled.
“You came! I can’t believe you came! Are you staying for our birthday party?” the other asked with her arms wrapped around his neck.
“Birthday? What birthday?” he teased.
“It’s our birthday tomorrow, silly.”
“Oh, well, I think I can stay for a day or two if you’re willing to share your cake.”
The one attached to him like a monkey, kissed his cheek. “Of course we’ll share our cake. Mine is going to be lemon with vanilla frosting, and Isa is having chocolate with cookie frosting.”
“There’s my favorite boy!” A tall, very thin blonde, clearly their mom, hugged Cage as soon as he set his sister down.
Gorgeous mother.
Beautiful sisters.
And me: scraggly girl hanging out on the porch with hair that looked like it barely survived the long flight and most likely hideous bags sagging under my tired eyes as well.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet Lake Jones.” He held out his hand.
I smiled past my overwhelming fear and stepped in the house, accepting his hand.
“Lake, this is my mom, Brooke Hathaway.” Cage pulled me into his side.
His mom’s eyes moved over our joined bodies and a big smile grew along her face. “Lake, it’s a true pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand.
“You too, Mrs. Hathaway.” I shook her hand.
“Brooke, only Brooke, dear.”
“Brooke.” I nodded with a smile.
“This is Hayden and Isa.” Brooke rolled her eyes as the girls latched onto Cage again. “Girls, put Dora and Diego on the back porch then go get showered.” Brooke motioned us in and shut the door behind me. “They’re just a little excited to see you.”
Cage grinned. “Well, it worked out perfectly. We’re on our way back to Minnesota from Beijing. Lake had a business trip there.”
Brooke wrapped her white hoodie jacket around her as if the door being opened had let in too much cool air. “You’ve been in China?” She gave Cage a wide-eyed look. That confirmed it for me—Cage didn’t fly halfway around the world for just any girl.
“Yes.” He led me toward the kitchen. “Lake tests robotic legs for this cutting-edge company. She was testing swimming and climbing limbs. She’s amazing.”
I wanted to crawl under the kitchen table.
Amazing was never the word I used to describe myself.
Brooke looked at my legs. They were both covered by my jeans and Nikes.
I only wore my pretty leg … well, when I wanted to look and feel pretty which seemed to be quite often since Cage arrived in Beijing.
“Car accident.” I pulled up on the left pant leg of my jeans.
Brooke’s head jutted forward as her eyes squinted a bit. “Wow, that’s a prosthesis?”
“Crazy, right?” Cage grinned. “It has hair-like follicles, veins on the top of the foot; and the heel, and the ball of the foot is slightly pink.”
Yes, in those few days, Cage became an expert on my many legs.
“That’s incredible.”
I shrugged. “It’s basically a regular prosthetic leg underneath a cosmetic silicone leg. I call it my pretty leg. I have several to wear with different high heels as well.”
“You told me they’re your sexy legs.”
With my blushing face, I turned to Cage who was biting into an apple, and leaned up against the granite countertop of the kitchen island. “Yes…” I gritted my teeth behind my tight smile “…but since we’re talking to your mom, I’m using pretty instead of sexy, but thanks for correcting me.”
“You’re welcome.” He winked.
I shook my head while releasing a nervous laugh.
“Cage inherited his father’s gift of bluntness.” Brooke gave her son a challenging look.
“Mmm, maybe.” He didn’t appear the least bit bothered by that assessment. “Where’s Rob?”
“On call. He had a patient get her tooth knocked out, so he left about an hour ago.”
“Dentist,” Cage said to me.
I nodded.
“Anyway, he could be a while. I bet you two are exhausted or jet-lagged or something. You’ll have to excuse my bluntness, but my darling son didn’t mention he was bringing a friend, so I’m not sure if I need to get another bed made up or …”
Nothing awkward about that moment.
“My room is fine, Mom.”
I smiled, not sure what or if I needed to add to the uncomfortable conversation. Cage looked completely relaxed as he finished his apple, like discussing sleeping arrangements for his … girlfriends? was a daily occurrence.
“Well, I don’t need to tell you to make yourselves at home. I’m going to make sure the girls are getting ready for bed. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Night, Mom.”
“Goodnight, Brooke.”
She waved while walking toward the stairs.
“You didn’t tell her I was coming?”
He shrugged and tossed his core in the trash.
“I like to surprise people.”
I tucked my hair behind my ears and nodded. “She looked surprised. Shocked might be the more accurate description.”
Grabbing my wrist, he pulled me into his chest then lifted me up on the island, settling his body between my legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he nipped teasingly at my lips.
“Tell me you’re done with your …” He kissed along my cheek to my ear, sucking my earlobe into his mouth.
“My?” I laughed. “Period?”
“Mmm hmm. One night with you and then nothing for days. I’m dying a little.”
“Would you buy me tampons from the store?”
He pulled back, brows knitted. “Do you need some?”
“Nope. I’m done with my period. I just wondered if you were that guy.”
“That guy?”
“Yes. The guy that buys a woman tampons.” I tapped my temple. “In my head, you’ve always been that guy.”
“Pussy-whipped?”
“No.” I laughed.
“It’s flattering to be in your head, however, I’d rather be naked or part of some fantasy, not shopping for tampons.”
“All the best fantasies start off with a guy shopping for tampons.”
Cage’s eyes grew wide, a smirk teased the corners of his mouth. “Tampons to stop the bleeding after fantasy guy breaks said girl’s vagina?”
Biting my top lip, I nodded. “It happens.”
“I see. Something tells me that my answer to the tampon question could be a pivotal moment between us.”
I shrugged, biting the hell out of my lip to keep from smiling. “A make or break.”
“Ouch. We’re a little early for ultimatums.” He lifted me off the counter. “Come on. My room is downstairs. We have the basement all to ourselves.”
I grabbed my carry-on bag, and Cage took our suitcases.