Chapter 45 #2
Garrett’s entire demeanor softens. A light smile tugs at his lips and he puts a hand to my cheek. There’s a moment where I think he’s going to say something important, but the feeling fades. “You sure you’re ready for this?”
“You better believe it, Bucko. I’ve heard nothing but good things about these people from you.”
He climbs out of the car and meets me near the hood, taking my hand in his and rubbing his thumb over the knuckle. “I’m really glad you’re here,” he says, bringing my hand to his lips and giving it a kiss.
“I hope you still feel that way at the end of the night.” I take a deep breath and remind myself to listen more than I talk. The last thing I want tonight is for my mouth to run away with the conversation the way it so loves to do when I’m nervous.
Garrett leads me up the porch and pushes into the house. Raucous laughter greets us from deeper inside. “They’re probably in the kitchen. They’re always in the kitchen.”
“Is that my Gare Bear?” An older woman pokes her head into the hallway with a massive smile. “Get over here and give me a hug,” she says, opening her arms wide.
Garrett scowls, raking a hand through his hair. “How many times have I said you can’t call a grown man Gare Bear?”
Hands on hips. Smile at maximum. She’s unfazed by his grumpiness. “About as many times as I’ve said you’re never too old for a good nickname.”
“It’s good to see you, Mom,” he says as he pulls her close. “This is Angela Hutton. Angel, this is my mom.”
Amelia Cooper’s long blonde hair hangs in waves down her back.
She’s wearing a billowing, floor length skirt with a t-shirt that says, “Boss Mode Activated” and bracelets jingle on her arm as she turns to me.
Her energy is bright and she seems so comfortable in her skin, I immediately like her.
How Garrett grew up with a woman like this and ended up so serious is beyond me.
“Please,” I say with a smile, “call me Angel. It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Cooper. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I’ll call you Angel if you call me Amelia.
” She takes my hands and sighs as she studies me.
“You’re just the prettiest thing! And doesn’t she have the best energy?
” She turns to Garrett with a knowing smile.
“I knew you’d find a special one when your time came.
Sometimes you have to experience the bad to appreciate the good.
It’s the nature of duality, you know. And this one? She’s your good.”
With that, Amelia leads me into the kitchen where I’m greeted by a large group of people.
I meet Garrett’s dad Jack, his sister Charlie, and their brother Connor.
After a round of hugs from them, Garrett introduces me to the Prescotts, Malones, and their children, then Austin O’Connor, all family friends. They welcome me as one of their own.
“Did Garrett ever tell you about the time he punched Toby Hinkle in the face?” Charlie asks me over dinner. She’s an absolute riot. I can see why she and Garrett are so close.
“Didn’t we pass a Toby Hinkle on the way here?” I scrunch up my nose as I search my memory. After hours of good conversation and laughter, the drive into Wildrose Landing seems like it happened days ago. “But please. Yes. Tell me this story. Tell me all the stories actually. I wanna hear them all.”
“Oh, no.” Garrett pauses with his drink halfway to his mouth. “We’re not doing the whole ‘embarrass Garrett in front of his girlfriend’ thing. Besides,” he says, lowering his glass to the table, “didn’t you also punch him in the face?” He waggles a finger Charlie’s way.
“Don’t listen to him,” she says to me. “He gets grumpy when people like him.”
“That was the day Amelia yelled at all the moms in the dojo, sage sprayed the place, and stormed out, right?” Connor asks.
My jaw drops as I try to process a situation where the super sweet woman across from me would be making a scene in a dojo. “I’m sorry, what happened?”
The family explains the story in fits and starts, each one interrupting the other in a weird sense of comradery and one-upmanship.
I don’t know what I expected today. Garrett told me his family was as wonderful as mine, but part of me thought there’d be some darkness hiding in the corners.
Something to account for his rough exterior.
There isn’t.
The Coopers are loving and supportive. They’ve made their way through twists and turns and forged ahead when the path got dark. They remind me a lot of my family—there just aren’t as many of them.
Under the table, Garrett grips my knee, gently rubbing his thumb along my inner thigh.
It’s a simple gesture, but it warms my heart.
It brings a sense of belonging, of togetherness.
There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s my person, and now, after meeting his family, I know we were made for each other.
I meet his eyes, those deep shades of blue and flecks of green feel like home. His smile feels like oxygen. His touch…sunlight. I bloom around him. I am more around him. I feel complete around him.
And you know, for as much as he swore he wasn’t interested in a relationship, I’m almost positive he feels the same.