Lila held out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Watson.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” Mr. Watson took her hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand and released it. “Please, call me George.”
“Thank you, George.” She glanced over at Stuart. “Your uncle is very charming. Does that sort of thing skip a generation?”
George feigned a sigh. “I did try to teach him some of the basics, but I’m afraid they didn’t all stick.”
“Hardy har har.” Stuart stuck his tongue out at her. “You’re both very funny.”
“Come on,” Lila said. “Let’s go inside with everyone else. I think dinner’s almost ready.” She led them inside and closed the door.
“Something sure smells good,” Stuart said.
“Thanks. We’re having brisket, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and homemade biscuits. For dessert, I made a big strawberry cheesecake.”
“That sounds heavenly,” George said.
“Sure does.” Stuart leaned in and kissed Lila on the temple. He held out the flowers and liquor. “I brought your mom some flowers and a good bottle of scotch for your dad. I hope that’s okay.”
“More than.” She beamed up him, impressed. “Thank you for being so thoughtful. Let me just call for Mom and Dad and you can hand them over yourself.” She called for them and seconds later Dad came out of the living room and Mom came striding out of the kitchen. “Mom, Dad... I’d like to introduce George Watson. He’s Stuart’s uncle. George, these are my parents... Henry and Lisbet Foster.”
“Nice to meet you both.” George shook hands with Dad.
Stuart held out the flowers. “These are for you, Mrs. Foster. Thanks for inviting us over.”
Mom took the flowers. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
Stuart turned to her father and handed him the amber-colored liquor. “And this is for you, Mr. Foster. I thought you might appreciate a good single-malt scotch.”
“Thank you, Stuart. That wasn’t necessary, but it’s definitely appreciated. Maybe we can share a bit of this after we eat, hmm?”
“That would be nice, sir.” Stuart turned to Lila. “So where’s Quinn?”
“That’s a good question.” Lila looked around.
“I think he took his little friend up to his room,” Mom shared.
“All right,” Lila said. “I’ll go up and get him and see whether or not Justin is staying for dinner. The food’s about done, right, Mom?”
Mom nodded. “Everything’s ready if you want to go ahead and eat.”
“Well,” Stuart said, “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m starving and smelling your delicious cooking is just making it worse.”
“All right then.” Mom waved to their left. “The dining room is just through here.”
Lila grabbed Stuart’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be right back.”
“Go on,” Stuart said. “I’ll be fine.”
Trusting her parents not to embarrass her, Lila darted up the stairs and stopped outside of Quinn’s room. She knocked on the door and reached for the knob. It didn’t turn. “Quinn! It’s time for dinner.”
“I’m not hungry,” Quinn yelled through the door.
“Open the door, Quinn.”
She was just about to knock again when the knob turned and the door crept open. Quinn fit his whole body in the gap between the door and the frame. “Can Justin stay for dinner?”
Lila exhaled and prayed for patience. “Do Justin’s parents know where he is?”
Justin appeared behind Quinn. “Yes ma’am. I told my dad where I was headed. He don’t care.”
She resisted the urge to correct his grammar. “Okay then. It’s fine if Justin stays for dinner, but I expect you both to be on your best behavior. You understand?”
“Yes, ma’am” and “Yes, Mom,” rang out at the same time.
“All right boys. Let’s go eat.” Lila headed back downstairs, followed by Quinn and Justin. She sent up a silent request to any deity listening that tonight wouldn’t be a complete disaster. It would make things so much easier if Quinn and Stuart could get along. She wanted her son to like her mate. Hopefully that wasn’t a pipedream.
She entered the dining room, spotted the food already sitting on the table, and scoped out the seating arrangements. Her parents sat in their usual spots, one at each end of the table. Henry sat on her mom’s left and Stuart sat beside him, leaving the spot between Stuart and her dad vacant and all three seats on the right side empty. She claimed the spot by her man and the boys sat across from them.
“Hey.” She rested her hand on Stuart’s thigh. “What did I miss?”
“Not a thing,” Stuart said. “We helped carry in the food, sat down, and now you’re here.”
“Good.” She was glad no one had been interrogated while she was gone. “So, how was your day?”
“Quiet. Just the way I like it. My friend Rick and his wife, Sophie, came by to show off their twins. Those little boogers have doubled in size since they were born. It was crazy.”
“They grow fast when they’re little. Sometimes it still seems like Quinn should be in diapers.”
Across the table, Quinn groaned. “Mom...”
Justin laughed. “Yeah, Quinn. I could totally see you in diapers.”
Lila wrinkled her nose. Oops. “Sorry.”
“I hope everyone brought their appetite. There’s plenty to go around.” Mom picked up the brisket, served herself, and then passed the platter to Henry. They passed one dish after another around the table until everyone had loaded plates sitting in front of them.
“So, Stuart...” Dad said. “How’s the campaign going? Do you think you’re going to beat McGovern?”
“I feel pretty good about it.” Stuart sawed off a big chunk of meat and stuck it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. “Wow. This brisket is amazing. Mrs. Foster, if I wasn’t already attached to your daughter, I’d ask you to run away with me.”
“Oh Stuart. You’re so cute.” Mom giggled. Actually giggled. Lila couldn’t think of a single time she’d ever heard a noise like that come out of her mom.
“Hey now,” Dad said. “That’s my woman you’re talking to.”
Mom giggled harder.
Lila felt like she’d stepped into the Twilight Zone, but in a good way. She glanced at Stuart in awe. With one little compliment, he’d charmed Mom, and in doing so, gotten on Dad’s good side as well.
She pulled out her phone and texted him. “Well played.”
His phone chimed. He pulled it out, read over the message, and smiled. His fingers moved over the screen. “Piece of cake. Any advice on how to win over your son?”
“He likes graphic novels, hair dye, and swallowing the souls of insecure men who try to date his mother.”
“Show no fear. Got it.”
George cleared his throat. Lila glanced around Stuart just in time to see George shoot a pointed look at Stuart’s phone. She knew exactly what that expression meant. Feeling chastised by extension, she stuck her phone back in her pocket.
“So George,” she said. “What’s it like to work on the council?”
“I enjoy it. Being on the council is a lot of responsibility, but all the stress is well worth it.” The pride he felt toward his job echoed through his voice.
“That’s awesome,” Lila said. “I feel the same way about nursing.”
“We’re very proud of your career, sweetheart. It takes a special person to devote their life to caring for others.” Dad smiled at her. “I’m sure George is just as proud of Stuart for working to keep our community safe.”
“Indeed.” George sipped from his water glass. “Stuart is a fine young man.”
“Yes, he is.” Dad set down his fork. “He’ll be a fine mate for my little girl.”
“Dad! Ixnay on the atesmay.” Lila glanced at Quinn, whose eyes were as round as saucers.
“Thank you, sir.” Stuart nodded at her dad.
“I’m glad we have your approval.”
“Whoa,” Justin exclaimed. “Quinn, man, you’re going to have a pig in the family?”
Mom shot Justin a stern look. “Justin, we don’t disrespect the law in this house.”
Justin dropped his head and pushed his food around on his plate. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry.”
“No way.” Quinn narrowed his eyes. “Mom. Set them straight.”
“Well,” Lila hedged. “This wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to break the news to you, but you know Stuart and I have been seeing each other for the past few weeks. As it turns out, in addition to caring about each other, we’re also mates. That doesn’t mean we’re rushing into anything. There will be plenty of time for you and Stuart to get to know each other before we make any drastic changes to the status quo.”
“No.” Quinn shook his head. “I don’t want to get to know him. I don’t want to have my life uprooted again or have a cop for a stepfather.” Quinn pushed his chair back and stormed from the room. Justin got up and followed behind Quinn.
Lila sighed and looked over at Stuart. “I’m really sorry for Quinn’s behavior. I know there’s no excuse for his attitude, but he’s been through a lot this year.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll win him over eventually. There’s no hurry.”
She bumped shoulders with Stuart. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
“Excuse me,” Dad said. “I’m just going to go up and check on the boys.”
“Thanks, Dad.” So much for their nice dinner. At least it was almost over. Lila glanced at the men’s empty plates. “Would either of you like some dessert?”
“None for me, thanks.” George sipped his water. “I wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee though.”
“All right. I can do that. What about you, Stuart?”
“I’d love to try your cheesecake, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” She pushed away from the table and stood. “I’ll brew a quick pot of coffee and grab your dessert. I’ll just be a second.”
“I’ll help you,” Mom offered.
Lila hurried into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Thankfully it would only take a few minutes. While she started up the coffee maker, her mom pulled out the cheesecake and plated enough for four out of the five adults.
Lila propped her hip against the counter and watched. “Thanks for all your help with dinner tonight.”
“You’re welcome, honey. I’m just sorry your father had to let the cat out of the bag in front of Quinn. I know you were working up the nerve to tell him yourself.”
“It’s all right. Dad meant well. It’s not his fault I kept putting off talking to Quinn. I guess I just wanted to give Quinn a chance to see Stuart outside of his uniform first.”
“You’ll get your chance. You just have to be patient.” Mom covered the cheesecake and put the leftovers back in the fridge.
“Patience is not my forte.” Lila pulled five mugs out of the cabinet and fetched the sugar and creamer. Looking at the supplies, she realized she had no idea how George took his coffee. “Be right back.”
She headed out into the dining room to ask, but stopped shy of entering because she heard the men talking.
“This is the family you want to tie yourself to for the rest of your life?”
“I fail to see anything wrong with Lila or her family. They’re good people.”
“Are you delusional? They’re lower middle-class at best and that youngster is obviously suffering from some issues and will probably end up in juvenile detention. These people will do nothing but drag you down to their level. They’re damaging to your public image.”
“This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t live my life by ordinance of the public. Regardless of what you or anyone else thinks, Lila is my mate and I love her.”
Lila’s pulse stuttered at hearing Stuart use the L word. He loved her. Affection bubbled up inside her like a geyser. She’d heard enough. She walked into the room with her head held high. “George, the coffee’s almost finished. I was just wondering how you take yours.”
Stuart’s eyes widened at the sight of her. George, on the other hand, showed no outward reaction to being overheard. “Two sugars and a splash of creamer, if you have it, please.”
“Sure. We’ll be right out.” She waltzed back into the kitchen and found her mom already pouring the coffee. “George takes two sugars and a splash of creamer.”
“Got it. What about Stuart?”
“Black.”
They put everything on trays and carried it all out into the dining room. Her dad had returned to the table while they were handling the coffee. Mom handed out the mugs, while Lila gave everyone who wanted one a slice of cheesecake.
Lila sat back down beside Stuart and toyed with her dessert, her mind on both the important guys in her life. She wasn’t sure what to do about Quinn’s dislike of Stuart, but she was more sure than ever about Stuart’s place in her life. “Dad, how are the boys?”
“They’re fine. They’re playing video games in Quinn’s room.”
“Thanks for checking on them.”
“No problem.”
“This cheesecake is perfect,” Stuart said.
“Thanks.” She smiled at her mate and rubbed elbows with him. “I’m glad you like it.”
Stuart popped the last bite in his mouth and set his fork down on the plate. He turned sideways in his seat and looked her square in the eyes. “I more than like it.”
She gazed back at him, sure he was talking about more than the dessert. “I more than like it, too.”
The moment was broken by George’s deep baritone. “Thank you for the lovely meal, Mr. and Mrs. Foster. As much as I hate to eat and run, I’m afraid I do have an early appointment in the morning.”
Stuart’s brow furrowed. He glanced over his shoulder at his uncle and then turned back around to face Lila. “Well, I guess we’re going to call it a night. Want to walk out with me?”
“Of course.” She wasn’t about to let him leave without at least getting a minute alone with him.
“Mr. Foster, thank you for having us over. I guess I’ll have to take a raincheck on that drink.”
Dad smiled and nodded. “You’re welcome anytime, Stuart.”
They rose to their feet. Lila glanced at her parents. “Stay and finish your dessert. I’ll see Stuart and his uncle out.”
She followed the men through the house and stopped on the front porch. While George continued on to the truck, Stuart paused on the steps and took both her hands in his own. “So, how much of that did you hear?”
Lila shrugged. “Enough to know your uncle doesn’t like me.”
“Don’t pay him any attention. I love the old man, but he’s an old-school snob. He doesn’t like anyone without a silver spoon shoved up their ass.”
Lila snorted. “That’s the last thing I need.”
“Did you happen to hear what I said about you?”
“I did.” She moved closer, pressing up against him, and caressed the side of his face. “And you should know that I feel the same way about you.”
“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.” Stuart leaned down and kissed her slow and deep. Long before she was ready to call it quits, he eased away from her. “As long as we’re both on the same page, then I’m not worried about everything else. We’ll figure it all out together, okay?”
“Sure.” Unable to resist, she leaned up and pressed another closed-mouth kiss against his lips. “You better go before your uncle comes back looking for you.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Call me later?”
“I will. You drive safe.”
“Always.” Stuart trotted down the steps and headed toward his truck.
Lila waited until Stuart was in the truck before she turned and went inside to have a much-needed talk with her son.
* * * *
By Wednesday evening, the need to see Stuart was like an itch she could
n’t reach. She waited until Quinn had done his homework and had his dinner before seeking her mom out for a favor. She found her mom in the living room with her knitting supplies and sat down beside her. “Mom, I need a favor.”
Mom looked up from her project. “What is it, dear?”
“Would you mind looking after Quinn for a little while this evening?”
“That’s fine. I’m not like I’m doing anything else.”
“Thank you.” Lila sighed in relief. “I just want to pop by to see Stuart for a bit.”
Mom smiled knowingly. “Go on. I remember what it was like to be young and in love.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. Just tell Quinn I ran an errand and I’ll be back before his bedtime.” Lila practically skipped out of the house she was so excited.
The short drive to Stuart’s house felt excruciatingly long in light of her anticipation. By the time she pulled into his driveway, she was bouncing in her seat. Stuart’s truck and police cruiser were both parked in front of the house, leading her to think he was definitely home—which had been a concern since the trip was so spur of the moment. She jumped out of her car, hurried to the front door, and rang the bell.
The door flew open a minute later, revealing a shirtless Stuart dressed in nothing more than a pair of low-slung cotton lounge pants. A smile spread across his face the moment he laid eyes on her. “Hey! I was just thinking about calling you, but this is so much better.”
“Hey yourself, handsome. I hope it’s okay that I dropped by without calling first.”
“You’re welcome here anytime you want. Come on in.” Stuart stepped back and held the door open for her.
She walked inside and barely waited until he’d closed the door before she pounced. She pressed up tight against him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and lifted up on her toes to slide her lips over his. Stuart groaned in surprise and kissed her back. His strong, muscular arms wrapped around her back and pulled her in tight against him.
The kiss went on and on until her head spun with want and her body ached for Stuart to take her. The proof of Stuart’s desire pressed against her hip, long and hard, and was too tempting to resist. She reached down, slipped her hand into his pants, and wrapped her fingers tight around him.
Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters) Page 15