Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Hadley
Easton walks into the backroom while I want to turn around and run. As if he predicts I’m ready to bolt, he grabs my hand. I widen my eyes and shake my head, but he tugs me forward. When I stumble into him, he catches me.
His parents are too enamored with Tanner to notice us. They’re crouched down, his mom tickling Tanner’s stomach, drawing a giggle and squeal from him. She’s got red hair and a paler complexion than Easton—maybe because he’s in the sun so much while playing.
His dad’s hair is grayer than on the camera, but there’s a lot of brown still mixed in. He spots me first, a smile pulling at his lips as he nudges his wife.
Easton’s hand tightens on my hip as his parents stand and appraise us.
“Hadley.” His mom rounds the stroller and throws her arms around me, pulling me into a warm hug. “I’m so happy to finally meet you in person.”
I freeze, my arms stiff at my sides, caught in her embrace, not sure when I’ve ever been hugged like this by a stranger. Easton nudges my arm, and I take the hint, wrapping my arms around her in return.
“You too,” I croak out.
She pulls back and doesn’t look away. Her eyes stay locked on mine, and I have no idea if I’m supposed to react or if she’s waiting for me to say something. “You’re more beautiful in person.”
“Thank you.” My cheeks heat.
“Hols,” his dad says.
“Oh, sorry.” She waves a hand and presses it to her chest. “I’m Easton’s mom, Holly.” Then she gestures to his dad. If I’ve ever wondered what Easton will look like later in life, it’s standing right in front of me. “This is his father, Austin.”
Austin steps forward, holding out his hand.
Holly smacks his arm. “She’s your daughter-in-law. You hug her.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to be hugged,” Austin says.
“Nonsense, she’s family now.”
“Oh, that’s not nece—”
Before I can finish, Austin pulls me into a hug. Not tight like his wife’s, but real, and all I can think about is him asking Easton later on why I was so stiff when he hugged me.
“Welcome to the family,” he says, stepping back beside his wife. “We’re really happy to have you.”
Austin is so warm and genuine that tears prick my eyes. I blink them back, refusing to make a scene over the fact that these two strangers have made me feel more welcome than my own mother did last week.
“Thank you,” I say, not sure what else to give them.
“No hug for me?” Easton asks, breaking the moment.
“If you haven’t figured it out, Hadley, my son craves attention.” Holly touches my arm as she moves past me to him.
They hug, and he closes his eyes for a second, his cheek pressing against the side of her head. “You could’ve called.”
It’s obvious to me that though Easton’s shocked by their appearance, he really enjoys being in their presence and he’s missed them.
She pulls back, cupping his face in both hands. “And ruin the surprise? Never.”
“Harper had the baby, and we booked the next flight,” his dad says, stepping in to hug Easton. “Congratulations, Uncle.”
“No one called me?” Easton sounds offended.
I glance at Decker sitting quietly at the table. Where are Penelope and Hazel? I could really use the backup right now.
“Because we wanted to surprise you, but we have a lot of pictures.” His mom turns back to Tanner, then looks at me. “Is it okay if I take him out?”
I almost say it’s not my decision—ask your son.
“He’s your grandson. I’m surprised you haven’t already,” Easton answers for me. “Are Harper and the baby okay?”
“She’s fine. Went into labor, and it happened so quick that Finn had to deliver her on the kitchen floor, but all is well.” His dad delivers this news as though it’s routine.
“Jesus.” Easton pushes his hand through his hair.
Austin looks at me. “Finn’s a firefighter and paramedic. He’s trained.”
I nod. “That’s a relief.”
“He’s also her husband,” Holly adds. She lifts Tanner from the stroller, and he doesn’t fuss, settling into her as though he knows she’s his grandma.
“He’s the cutest. He has your eyes.” She hugs him close, swaying slightly, her eyes closing just like Easton’s did earlier.
“I’m your grandma,” she whispers, and my chest tightens as tears threaten again.
Austin moves to his wife’s side, wrapping an arm around her and resting a hand on Tanner’s back. They both look at him as though he’s everything.
A chair screeches on the floor, and we all turn toward Decker. “I gotta get back upstairs. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
“Thanks for playing our game, Deck!” Holly says. “Tell Penelope and Hazel we can’t wait to see them.”
“Will do.” Decker gives Easton a look and heads out.
I want to ask if he’d mind grabbing me a paper bag to breathe into before I hyperventilate.
I’m unprepared for a parents’ meeting. Parents who think that I’m married to their son for real and not for pretend. But turns out I suck at fake marriages too because I almost kissed him on the mat in my bookstore about a half hour ago. Had we not gotten interrupted, I would have.
“Let’s sit. I’ll go get us some drinks. What does everyone want?” Austin asks, stepping toward the door.
“I’ll go with you,” Easton says.
My eyes go wide, and I shake my head slightly.
He walks up to me, and I think he’s going to say never mind, I’ll stay—but he kisses my cheek instead. “Be right back.”
A strangled noise slips out of me.
“Oh, they have a high chair,” Holly says, but she can’t get it while holding Tanner.
“I’ll get it.” I pull it over and set it in front of the table.
“I don’t want to overstep, you know. I’ve been here five minutes, so I can give him back and you do whatever you usually do.” She moves to hold him out to me.
“No. It’s fine.” Because he’s not my kid—and yes, he’s my stepson through my faux marriage, but that won’t mean anything. In less than a year, I’ll probably be out of his life, and you’ll have free rein until Easton meets the love of his life.
There goes that nausea churning in my stomach again.
I take the diaper bag out of the stroller and put down the plastic tablecloth so he has a clean surface.
“He really likes these yogurt things lately.” I hand her the bag.
“Thank you,” she says with as much gratitude as if I just agreed to give her one of my kidneys. She pulls one out of the bag. “Do you like these?” she says to Tanner.
I take a seat across the table to give his dad a place to sit on the other side. I’m the outsider in this group, and I need to remember that.
Easton and Austin come back into the room, both holding two drinks. They’re laughing and talking about something. Easton comes to sit next to me, placing a drink in front of me.
“Got you something stronger,” he says. “Vodka soda with a lime.”
“Thanks.”
He slides his chair closer, his arm draping along the back of mine, resting on the top of my chair, but his fingers trail along my bare arm as if we really are a couple and it’s natural for him to be touching me like this.
“Feed him one of these.” Holly gives one of the yogurt drops to Austin.
“He’s not a dog, Hols.” He accepts the drop anyway and sets it in front of Tanner.
They’re used to babies for sure, and Tanner must sense their ease because he hasn’t fussed once. Holly sits back and eyes us again, her smile growing the longer she watches.
“Go ahead, Mom.” Easton motions with his hand for her to get on with it.
Their comfort with one another is envious.
She shrugs. “You guys make a cute couple.”
“And?”
I want to tell Easton let’s not push question time, because whatever he’s sensing from his mom, I’m not sure we want to address it.
“I just have a few questions.”
“Holly…” Austin continues feeding Tanner, glancing at his wife. “Let them be.”
“I just wondered how you two met.” She looks between us.
I turn to Easton, and we stare at one another, both of us smiling.
“She climbed into my Uber,” Easton says. “I asked her out.”
All true, but it just happened two years ago, and he didn’t ask me out. He asked me back to his place. Semantics.
“So you’ve been seeing one another in secret?” She takes a sip of her white wine, and her body language isn’t like my mom’s. She seems genuinely curious, not waiting to pounce.
“Yeah, pretty much.” I watch Easton’s hand fist under the table on his thigh. I know it has to be hard to lie to his parents.
“We’ve known one another a while. It wasn’t anything—and then it was. We were always friends,” I chime in, trying to take over the lying for him.
“Listen.” Holly sets down her wineglass. “East, you know how your dad and I met, so I’m not saying you two should’ve been dating for years before proposing. I mean, we had a one-night stand in his Jeep behind a bar.” She playfully rolls her eyes at me.
I hold back a laugh, not so much from the story itself but from trying to picture my own mother ever saying something like this.
“FYI, they still have the Jeep,” Easton says. His mom gives him a look, shaking her head, but still smiling. “They tried to give it to me when I turned sixteen. I told them that’s their kink show, and I wanted nothing to do with it.”
Austin rolls his eyes, and Tanner pats his wrist to keep the snacks coming. “Oh, excuse me, are we not giving you enough attention?” He bends down and kisses Tanner’s temple.
“Anyway, I don’t really care how long you knew each other. You seem like you love one another. At least from the pictures online and what I see here.” Holly sips her wine again. “Can I ask you one question—and I’m not doing this for any reason but that I’m curious.” She looks right at me.
I straighten in my seat, feeling as if I’m on the stand for some criminal case and I’m the only eyewitness.
“Why did you want to marry Easton?”
“Mom.” Easton sounds exasperated.
“I agree. Holly, we aren’t those parents,” Austin says.
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough for my little boy. Quite the opposite. I love him, he’s mine, but he’s had a hard time slowing his life down, if you know what I mean.”
Easton looks at Austin, eyes wide, but I’m not worried. I can answer this question easily.
“I think I’m a little like Easton. Commitment hasn’t exactly been my strongest skill either.
” I shrug. “I like to travel, and much to my family’s disappointment, I’ve never stayed anywhere long enough to call it home.
” I glance at Easton. “But with him, it doesn’t feel like I have to give anything up to stay.
” My hand settles on his knee, and I stare at him.
“He makes life fun… and most of all, he sees me.”
We smile at one another before facing his parents again.
“Oh, Mom.”
Holly is wiping tears from her face. “I can’t believe you won her over. We were worried. His sister most of all. Who would he bring home one day? But I should’ve known he’d find someone who really saw him and loved him for who he was too. It makes my mom heart proud.”
Austin shakes his head. “How about you give out the gifts?”
Holly jolts. “Yes, of course!”
While his mom is busy getting something from a bag next to her, Easton’s hand squeezes my shoulder, and I turn to him. He leans forward and presses his lips to mine.
It catches me off guard for half a second, just long enough to feel it before I give in.
It’s short, but when he pulls back, his mouth lingers close and he murmurs, “Thank you.”
That felt like a mistake I don’t want to take back.