Chapter Six #2
Rosie knew without a doubt that they were not here to see her. No doubt there was a show they wanted to see. Or a restaurant they wanted to try. Or they wanted to go shopping since the opportunity was better here than back home.
They were rich, but using their daughter’s house was much more convenient than a hotel. They treated it like their holiday home, and Rosie was just doing them a favour by looking after it.
“Well, I must insist that you cancel,” her mother responded. “We have much to prepare for tomorrow. You need to be here.”
That caught Rosie by surprise. “Tomorrow? And what is happening tomorrow that I have no idea about?”
Her mother’s smile was bright, like this was all such a great idea. “We have a dinner planned, of course. Our closest friends have been invited and are so looking forward to attending.”
“How many?” Rosie had to try and ask sweetly, instead of through gritted teeth. She was pretty sure she failed, but due to her own enthusiasm, her mother didn’t notice.
“We invited twelve. Isn’t it lovely that they all accepted? They have missed us so much.”
No, it would more likely be for gossip or the gifts her parents gave to impress people.
Of course they had a dinner planned in her home. Why was she surprised? And “we” meant Mother. Mother had planned a dinner and was using Rosie’s home because it was much better than paying for a restaurant. It meant more privacy.
A lot of their friends lived here. It made them look good having their daughter “open her home to friends”. It also saved her mother money as she wasn’t the one that would have to pay for it, cook it, or clean up afterwards.
That riled Rosie up. “This is beyond rude, Mother. Not only do you come without notice, but you have also planned an entire event without even considering my plans. We discussed this. You are welcome at my house, but please stop inviting people.”
That was waved away without a care. Nothing she said mattered.
“Your mother has been so excited about this dinner,” her father cut in. “Do not ruin this for her.”
Were they serious? If she did this to them, they would throw a fit.
Coming in with the best plates, her mother tutted. “Take your shoes off, darling.”
“I am going out!” Rosie snapped.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Not with that attitude you are not.”
Rubbing a hand down her face, Rosie was desperate for patience. One part of her wished Louis was here. He would know what to do and would be the perfect buffer. The other side of her was glad he hadn’t arrived yet, because he would be furious.
And go into battle mode.
“I am a grown woman,” Rosie tried reasoning. “You want to ground me in my own house?”
Rolling her eyes, her mother continued setting up the table. “You are not being a very good host.”
You are being a rude guest.
The doorbell chimed. Oh, thank goodness! He was here!
Unfortunately, she did not get a chance to answer her own door. Her father pushed past, no doubt planning to get rid of him. Muffling a laugh behind her hand, she wished him the best of luck.
“Can I help you?” her father asked haughtily, throwing the door open.
Rosie peeked her head around the doorframe of the living room so she could watch. Louis smiled brightly, his hands in his pockets. There was his tell, the slight head tilt. He was annoyed and confused, but he was trying to be polite.
“Hi. I am Louis, and I am here to see Rosemary. Is she in?”
Lifting his nose in distaste, her father tried to close the door without explanation. Louis wedged a foot in to stop it. Now, he was concerned.
“Well, I am afraid she is busy,” her father retorted. “She informed me to tell you that your date has been cancelled.”
Is he serious?
Louis’s back straightened and Rosie’s heart stuttered. There was that look again, the one from the bar. His face went completely calm.
This man was about to go to war for her.
“Hmm.” Louis shrugged. “Well, as you can imagine, I am going to need to hear that from Rosemary herself. Not some random bloke at her door. For all I know, you’ve broken in and tied her up somewhere.”
Rosie had to stop the laugh escaping her lips. Her father’s horrified expression was priceless.
When Louis pushed past him, Rosie’s father’s jaw dropped at the audacity, and then it was moving rapidly. No sound came out as he was so astounded at Louis’s invasion. Rosie snorted.
“How dare you!” her father snapped finally. “I demand you get out. Right now! She is busy.”
“How dare I?” Louis asked coldly, stepping in close to her father. The size difference was astounding. “Some random man answers her door and tells me to leave. Nah, I am checking on her.”
Turning back down the corridor he spotted her and his whole body relaxed. His face softened as he approached her.
“You want me to go?” he asked. “If you say yes, I will not argue. I will head straight out that door, but I need to hear it from you.”
“No. I really don’t want you to leave.”
Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear, “Blink if you need rescuing.”
He was staring at her intently and she eventually had to blink. Scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder, she screamed in surprise. Then laughed.
“Rescue it is,” he declared.
“Louis!” she shouted between giggles, slapping his back. “I promise I don’t need rescuing from my parents.”
Gently putting her down, he kept her slightly behind him. That meant he was still ready to defend her if needed. Her father was still staring, mouth wide open. But his eyes told her how furious he was for not being obeyed.
A meow erupted from upstairs. Clearly not interested in her owner’s parents, she heard a voice she loved and appeared for pets.
Louis’s face lit up as he knelt down to scoop the cat up that rushed toward him.
Many times, Louis had taken Rosie home. Cashmere had appeared for a fuss from her new favourite human every time.
“There is the love of my life,” Louis cooed.
That tortoiseshell cat adored him, especially when she tucked herself in his jumper under his chin. Which was exactly what was happening right then. The big, burly hockey player was picking up the small cat and tucking her in. She purred happily as he rubbed her chin.
That was when her mother appeared and paused in the doorway. “How vulgar. That animal could be filthy, and now your tie is all awry.”
Louis’s expression changed. Just like he did during a game, he watched the opposition to figure them out to deal maximum damage.
Calm as could be, he smiled at Rosie’s mother. “Says the woman with smudged lipstick.”
With a small squeal of alarm, her mother rushed off. Rosie held still, not daring to move in case she laughed hysterically. Louis was here, and he couldn’t care less who he was upsetting in his quest to defend her.
Her father seethed as he watched and waited.
Turning to Rosie, Louis asked, “What is happening right now?”
The poor man was epically confused, and rightly so.
“My parents decided to visit without telling me, then expected me to cancel my plans to host them. And they have organised a dinner party tomorrow, with my house being the venue,” Rosie answered.
His lip curled at that, knowing how controlling that was.
“Louis, I would like to introduce you to my father, Hampton Eddison. My mother is Anastasia. Father, this is my boyfriend, Louis Ledger.”
Louis’s concerned gaze met hers, which then became delighted shock. That slow smile sent shivers down her spine. There was no arguing or correcting her, he was pleased by her announcement.
“The hockey player?” her father asked, surprised once again.
To be fair, Rosie was flabbergasted that he knew that. Then again, he would want to know all about her job and who she worked with by doing research so it could be used against her if needed to get his way.
“That would be me.” Louis offered his hand, and her father shook just to be polite. “I apologise for my rude entry, but as you can imagine, I care for your daughter and her welfare. You are a stranger to me; I had to make sure she was safe.”
That actually got a grunt of agreement from her father. He liked that answer.
“And why are you here?” her father asked.
“I was intending to take your daughter out for dinner. Is that a problem?” Louis answered.
Oh, that deep voice got gruffer at that question. Her father gulped, but he was saved by his wife. Rosie’s mother reappeared, this time with pristine lipstick. Even her blonde hair had been brushed back to make sure it was still in the correct place.
“I am so sorry, however, as you can imagine, we want to spend time with our daughter. We have not seen her in many months. You have parents, I am sure you understand.”
Raising an eyebrow, Louis answered curtly, “I have parents. Parents that love me and respect my time. My privacy. My life. They call me, and I call them, to arrange things.”
“And they are agreeable to you saying no to them?” Rosie’s mother asked, confused by this strange concept.
Louis’s lip twitched. “My mother has been known to let herself into my house and leave lasagna in the fridge if I cannot visit. And when they are busy, I do the same. It’s become a family tradition. We cannot always see each other, life gets busy, but we are always there for each other.”
Tilting her head as she watched this amazing man, Rosie sighed. That actually sounded pretty perfect.
Rosie’s mother stammered. Then straightened her spine. She was not one to back out of an argument. She got her way, or else.
“Honestly, I can see why she is being so rude. You are a bad influence, and she could do so much better than a ruffian. A hockey player.”
“Mother!”
Louis surprised them all by laughing. In fact, he was laughing so hard he started to cry. “I should be offended, but this is funny.”
“Louis!” Rosie snapped. “That isn’t helping.”
It really wasn’t. It riled both her parents up.