16. Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Spencer
W e make it to the waterfall at the end of the first part of the path. Lis tells me she’s never bothered to continue on and so doesn’t even know where the rest of the path leads. Most people only hike to the lower falls and then turn around. I want to see where we could go from here, but Lis says Cerberus wouldn’t be able to do much more, so we head back.
We talk about our childhoods. Lis tells me about growing up in Maple Ridge and I tell her about growing up in Vancouver and going to private schools with Vic. If she notices my lack of family anecdotes, she doesn’t mention it.
She’s pretty observant. I’m sure she notices.
But I don’t want to talk about my family. Especially not now that I’ve realized that’s what my dream is. I told Lis I wanted to think about it, but the truth is, as soon as she asked the question, I knew.
I want a wife and kids.
I’d tried so hard to build a family for myself with Vic, Derek, and Adalie. We love each other and have each other’s backs. But when it comes right down to it, I want the thing I never had growing up. I want to be the man my father never was. And, since I’m in the mood to be completely honest with myself, I want to see if Lis was the person to do that with.
We’ve only known each other a short time, but I feel like we connect in all the right ways.
We reach the car and Lis spends a few minutes cleaning Cerberus’ feet while he gulps down some water. Then she gets him buckled in and we leave the park.
“So, what did you think?” she asks. “I know it’s no Grouse Grind, thank God. But it’s a nice walk.”
“It’s gorgeous. I looked it up and there are some harder hikes here, too. Maybe one day we can leave Cerberus at your parents’ place and do a difficult one.”
“Sure,” she says. “I’d have to check if they’re working. But we can probably plan something. And if it means I’ll be out here for a visit, Mom will agree in about 0.2 seconds.”
I laugh. “You’re really close with your parents, then?”
She nods, telling me another story about her childhood and growing up with two parents who loved her and her sister to the point of distraction. I’m smiling as I listen, but the closer we get, the more nervous I am.
Lis doesn’t want to date me right now. I feel like I might be able to change her mind, eventually. But if her parents hate me, that will never change.
Cerberus dozes in the back seat until Lis turns off the main road onto a side street. He picks up his head and sniffs. Then he stands and starts wagging his tail and vibrating with excitement.
“He knows where we’re going?”
“He does. And he knows that they’re going to spoil him rotten.”
She pulls into the driveway of a nice, two-story house on a quiet street. It’s blue with a white door and white trim. The front lawn is neatly mowed and there’s a rhododendron with bright pink flowers to one side of the front stoop. She doesn’t bother with a leash for Cerberus, partly because she lets him out of the car and he races straight to the front door, pawing at it and looking back at us like we need to hurry up.
His excitement eases something in me. No one who can make a dog this excited can be bad. Of course, no one who could raise a woman like Lis could be that bad either, but there’s something different about seeing it from a dog’s point of view. He’s staring at us, wiggling and waggling in his impatience to get inside.
Lis just laughs as she opens the door, calling out, “Mom. We’re here.”
Cerberus takes off into the house, up the stairs. We remove our shoes and follow him. At the top, there’s a woman crouched down, smiling, giving Cerberus a treat.
“That’s enough, Mom. You’re going to make him fat.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Until I get some human grandbabies, I just have to spoil my fur grandbaby.”
“Mom!”
I grin as I watch Lis’ face turn red.
Her mother doesn’t even acknowledge us until after Cerberus has eaten his treat and received plenty of head scratches. Then she stands and turns to us with a smile.
“Mom. This is Spencer. A friend from work.”
“A friend or friend ?”
“Mom!”
I stretch out my hand to shake hers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Stone. I feel like we’re going to get along great.”
“Please. Call me Linda. Would you guys like some coffee or tea? Your father should be home in about an hour, so we can sit and chat for a bit before he gets here.”
“Coffee would be amazing,” I say.
“I’ll make a pot,” Lis says and then heads into the kitchen. I follow Linda into the living room where we sit down.
“Tell me about yourself, Spencer. You work with Lis at Blue Vista?”
I tell her about what I do at the venue. Cerberus jumps onto the couch and snuggles up with her. Lis brings out the coffee. She hands her mom a mug and then me one. She’s already added cream and sugar. I take a sip and it’s exactly how I like it.
I don’t remember telling her how I take my coffee. And given how much sugar she adds to hers, I’m impressed that only put a small amount into mine.
We chat for a while. Lis tells her mom about the wedding this weekend and I jump in with commentary and praise for Lis’ quick thinking and impeccable planning.
“That’s my Lis,” her mom says with a proud smile. “She always wants everything to go perfect.”
Cerberus lifts his head and hops down from the couch, his butt wiggling as he looks up at the women with a doggy grin.
“Does he need to go out?”
“No,” Lis says with an eye roll. “Dad’s home and he knows he’s about to get another treat.”
As soon as she’s said the words, the front door opens and a male voice calls, “Where’s my grandpup?”
Cerberus takes off, all excited wiggles. They take their time coming back.
“That’s my cue,” Lis says, standing.
“Cue for what?”
“To start making dinner.”
“I thought the point of going to your parents’ place for dinner was not having to cook? I mean, I don’t have a lot of experience myself, but that’s what Adalie and Derek are always telling me.”
“Lis is very territorial of the kitchen,” her father says as he comes up the stairs, Cerberus walking beside him looking up adoringly. “She always has been. Hello, Lissy.”
“Hi, Dad. This is Spencer. A friend from work.”
“Friend or friend ?”
I burst out laughing. Lis rolls her eyes.
“You guys. Can’t a woman and a man be just friends?”
“Of course they can,” Linda says. “But a mother can hope. You two would make adorable babies.”
“I’m sorry, Spencer. My mother is baby crazy. But Daze and Sophie have stated outright that they won’t be having kids until after they’re married, and they’re not even engaged yet. So I bring a man home, it’s all Mom can think about.”
“It’s not a problem,” I say, grinning. “I think she’s right. We would make adorable babies.”
She rolls her eyes again, but I notice the blush creeping along her cheeks. Then turns and escapes into the kitchen. I’m not sure if I should follow her or stay with her parents, but then her father makes the decision for me, holding out his hand.
“I’m Dan. Nice to meet you, Spencer.”
We shake and he sits next to his wife with just a bit of space between them. Which Cerberus happily jumps right into.
“I don’t want to pry,” Linda starts, and then stops. “Well. Maybe I do. May I ask what you meant about not having experience with dinners with your parents?”
Shit. I’d said that, hadn’t I? I sigh, deciding to answer, but keeping it short. “My mother passed away when I was young, and my father and I are estranged.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Linda says. I notice her eyes are a little brighter than they’d been before.
Dan puts a hand on her knee. “Linda wants to be a mother to everyone. She’s taken in a bunch of Daze’s friends. Some of them came out to their parents and it didn’t go so well. So Linda would always try to be their surrogate mother.”
I smile at that. “Every kid deserves a mom like that. I think you and my mom would have been good friends.”
“So what is the real relationship between you and my daughter?” Dan asks, changing the subject. Though this one isn’t a lot easier.
There’s a crash in the kitchen and Lis appears, waving a wooden spoon. “Just because I’m in another room, doesn’t mean I’m not listening. You leave him alone. No third degree.” She walks up to me and takes my hand, glaring at her parents. “In fact, Spencer, why don’t you join me in the kitchen? I can protect you better in there.”
I laugh again but follow her.
“I don’t need protecting. Your parents are pretty great.”
“They are. But they like to tease. And they like to push buttons and ask hard questions.” She huffs as she gathers a few ingredients and starts cutting and mixing. She moves around the kitchen, finding exactly what she needs in the first place she looks.
“You learned to cook in this kitchen, didn’t you?”
She flashes me a smile over her shoulder. “I did. This one and my granny’s. She taught me how to make cabbage rolls. It’s one of my favourite things to make. But it takes forever, so I usually make a huge batch and freeze a bunch. I have some at home. I can bring them to work this week.”
I love how she casually throws out that she’s going to bring me food. Feeding people really is her love language. “I’d like that.”
She whisks something and then sets the bowl aside.
“Your mom and granny taught you to cook?”
“And my dad.” She organizes some meat in a pan and then pours the stuff from the bowl over top. “I used to spend nights with Granny, and she would tell me stories and we’d cook. She had this ring that I loved. It had a blue stone that would sparkle in the dining room light whenever we sat down to eat. That sparkle always reminded me of family dinners.”
“Where’s the ring now?”
“She left it to my mom. But it’s not really Mom’s style, so she keeps it safe somewhere.” She waves a hand toward the rest of the house. “I think it was those family dinners that really fostered my love of cooking. Feeding people, bringing them together.”
When dinner is done, she sets out the food and her parents and I sit at the table. They start filling their plates—and it all smells awesome—but Lis still putters around the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” I ask. “Come eat.”
“I just have a couple things I need to sort out first,” she says.
Linda rolls her eyes. “She’s always like this. Never sits with us until the kitchen is clean.”
“Can’t she do that after she eats? Her food will get cold.”
“You try telling her,” Dan says, pointing his fork in her direction.
I twist in my seat to see that she’s putting dishes into the sink and loading it with soapy water.
“Nope,” I say, standing. Then I go to her, lift her, and literally carry her into the dining room.
“Spencer! Put me down.”
I do as she says, setting her in the chair next to where I’d been sitting. I don’t look at her parents, but I know they’re both laughing.
I lean toward her, one hand on the back of her chair, caging her in the spot at the table. “Dishes are patient as fuck. They will literally wait forever. Right now, you’re going to sit and have that family dinner you love so much. While the food is hot. Or else.”
She glares at me. “Or else what?”
“Or else I’m not going to eat until it gets cold. And then, I’ll put the food in the microwave to heat it up.”
“Ooh,” Linda says. “I never thought of threatening her with that.”
Lis’ eyes widen. “You wouldn’t.”
I sit back, my arms crossed, eyebrows raised, waiting.
“I will help you with the dishes after dinner,” I say.
Finally, she rolls those beautiful eyes—she’s been doing that a lot today—and picks up her fork.
“Sweetheart,” Linda says. “You need to marry this man.”
Lis chokes on her first bite.
“I actually asked her to marry me, Linda. I think we’d known each other for about twelve hours.”
“What did she say?” Dan asked, as though he was asking about the weather.
“If I remember correctly, she didn’t say anything. She just laughed at me.”
“Great,” Lis mumbles under her breath, staring hard at her plate. “Now there’s three of you.”