“Am I wrong?” His smug tone made me wish he was sitting next to me so I could poke him then kiss him.
Saying yes meant that I’d be answering his other question. “Yes, it was Haley. And I did her dishes because I lost a bet.”
“About me?” How could he know that?
“You ask a whole lot of questions.”
He laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You’ll really laugh when you know what the bet was about.” Telling him all my secrets might not endear me to him. It definitely didn’t fall into the category of coy.
“Now I’m intrigued.”
“She bet me that you had a dog.”
He was quiet for a minute. “And you wagered that I didn’t.”
“You hadn’t mentioned a dog. But the dog hair on that t-shirt should’ve convinced me. I was in denial.” Footsteps approached my bedroom door, so I slipped into my closet. Huddled against the far wall, I leaned my head back. “That wasn’t a bad thing.”
“Sorry about the dog hair. I wasn’t even thinking of that when I gave it to you.”
“Giving it to me was a sweet thing to do. When I was most vulnerable, you not only saved me from being impaled or crushed by the tree, you saved me from horrible embarrassment. And you were completely professional about it.” So much for acting like that day didn’t happen.
“While we’re breaking rule number one, I want to say that, professional or not, I thought you were cute and funny. Seeing you holding that rose the next night felt like getting a winning scratch-off ticket.”
I grinned. “Not the jackpot?”
“I’m still hoping I’ll win the jackpot.” How dare he say something like that when he was on duty where I couldn’t just show up and kiss him!
Or maybe I could. “Do they allow visitors when you’re on duty?”
“They do. You going to sneak out your bedroom window?”
“I’m tempted.” Flattered and excited, I giggled like a teen. “I’m sitting here, huddled in my closet, smiling from ear to ear.”
“Once upon a time, phones were connected to the wall, and you wouldn’t have been able to do that. I guess I don’t need to ask why you’re in your closet.”
“I’m pretty sure Mom was hovering outside my door. Don’t you just love technology?”
Loud noises sounded in the background. “Duty calls. Gotta go.”
“Be safe.” I ended the call and stared at my phone. So much for going to visit.
Never before had I thought about Adam being in danger. But right now, he was jumping into a firetruck to rush to an emergency.
I picked up my phone and called Haley.
Thankfully, she answered right away.
“He called me tonight. But our call was interrupted because the station got a call.”
“So he’s out doing his fireman thing, huh?” Haley giggled. When I didn’t answer, she grew serious. “Oh wow, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say someone was close to being smitten.”
“We’ve known each other two weeks.”
“And he has dogs. I know all the reasons it shouldn’t work, but I also know you’re an intelligent twenty-nine-year-old who knows what she wants in a man. I just don’t want you rushing into anything.”
“You cannot breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“Who am I going to tell? My business partner doesn’t care—no offense—and other than her, I pretty much only talk to you.” Haley sighed. “Remember how I told you about Zach dating the neighbor?”
“Yeah.”
“They are standing in the breezeway outside the apartment. She doesn’t look happy.”
“Are you looking out your peephole?”
“What if I am?”
“I thought you couldn’t stand that guy. He’s the one who treats you like a kid and calls you Carrot, right? Why do you care?”
“I don’t care. It’s just—never mind. I’m happy for you. To me, it seems like having him call you from the station is an achievement unlocked.”
“It does a little. I didn’t expect it.”
“I’m going to let you go. With you talking, I can’t make out what the argument is about in the hall. Bye.”
I stepped out of my closet just as Mom pushed open my bedroom door.
“Why were you in your closet? I thought you were going to do the dishes.”
“I’m going to go finish them now.” And just like that, I felt sixteen again, and not in a good way.
“And while you’re out there, scoop out the cat box. She may be little, but she left a big stink.” Mom waved a hand back and forth in front of her nose. “After that, you can come watch a movie with us. I wanted a romance. Your dad wanted an action movie. We settled on a romantic comedy.”
“Sounds like Dad lost.”
Mom shrugged, grinning. “Do you have popcorn?”
“I’ll make some as soon as I finish the dishes.” I tucked my phone in my pocket, hoping Adam would text once they got back to the station.
I could pretend like that day in the bathroom never happened, but it was always somewhere in the recesses of my mind. Adam showed his true colors that day. Everything after that was gravy—yummy, delicious gravy.
I stuffed popcorn in my mouth, glancing at my phone between handfuls. The woman in the movie tripped a lot and usually landed in the arms of the same guy every single time.
Never again would I poke fun at those scenes, saying that life never happened that way. Or maybe I should just avoid the word never.
My phone buzzed, and a text popped up on the screen: Back at the station. Mind if I call late?
I’d be sad if you didn’t.
“Why are you texting? Aren’t you watching the movie?” Mom nudged my shoulder.
“I’m watching.” I could’ve made a crack about starring in my own romance, but then Mom would start asking more questions. I didn’t want that.
Once the movie was over, I gathered the popcorn bowls. “That was fun.”
Mom nudged Dad, who had fallen asleep about ten minutes into the movie. “Thanks for keeping me company, Eve. Maybe next time, Adam can join us.”
“I’ll ask him. I think he’d like that.”
Mom helped Dad up off the couch. “If you’re going to be talking to him and texting him day in and day out, it would be nice to get to know him a little.” Her jab was anything but subtle.
Was there any question why I battled guilt half the time? “All right. I’ll talk to him about it.”
“Goodnight.” Dad grabbed Mom’s hand and tugged her down the hall.
I loaded the rest of the dishes, served myself a bowl of ice cream, and crawled under the covers. Pookie—who had been MIA all evening—climbed up and stared at me.
“I’m not sharing my ice cream with you. But I will give you a treat.” I fished kitty treats out of my pocket. “I grabbed a few because I knew you’d eventually come begging.”
Pookie purred as she gobbled her treats.
Waiting for my phone call, I read my book and enjoyed a bowl of vanilla ice cream. When I finished eating, I set my dish aside and kept turning pages. Somewhere in the middle of a chapter, I closed my eyes just for a second.
Except it wasn’t just for a second.
My phone vibrated, and I slapped the bed, trying to find where I’d laid it down. Pookie’s face was buried in my bowl, taking her turn at dish duty.
When I found my phone, I swiped at the screen. “Hello.”
“Sorry I woke you.”
“I don’t mind. Really.” I tucked the bookmark in its place and rolled onto my side. “I’ll sleep better after talking to you.”
“I’ll be tucking in for the night soon.”
“Mom wants you to come over so they can spend time with you. Maybe dinner and a movie.”
“Just say when.” Then he hesitated a second. “And I’m sure my parents would like to meet you and put a face to the name.”
“I’d love to meet them.”
&nbs
p; Adam yawned. “I’ll let you go back to sleep.”
“Thanks for calling. Goodnight.” I hugged the phone to my chest.
Just like that, Adam and I moved into a new stage in our relationship. Now, he called me even when he was on duty, and we were planning family dinners.
I sniffed the roses which were now sitting on my side table. “Pookie, if I’m meeting his parents, and he’s coming over here to hang out with Mom and Dad, then it probably won’t be long before you get to meet the doggies.”
Surely somewhere on the internet, I could find a good method for introducing kittens to dogs. I didn’t see that going well.
Chapter 14
After two weeks of talking every day and a few under-the-radar dates, we scheduled a time for Adam to come over for dinner.
But somehow with my Mom, nothing was ever simple. Instead of a quiet dinner with Adam, she’d asked his parents to join us. I didn’t mind that his parents were coming, but I did mind that Mom invited them before mentioning anything to me.
I marked a few more X’s on my calendar. It wasn’t that I didn’t like having Mom and Dad here, but I wanted my house back.
Pebbles hit my window.
After locking my bedroom door, I opened the window. “You came early so we’d have a few minutes to talk?”
“Something like that.” He wrangled himself through the small opening. “I’m glad you gave me a heads up about my parents coming. My mom didn’t tell me until I was about to walk out the door.”
There was no laundry on my floor. I’d even fixed my bed. He’d snuck through my window enough times that I half expected it when I knew he wasn’t working.
“Kiss me. I haven’t seen you in days.”
He backed me against the wall and did as he was told. There was an extra zing to it. “Who cooked?”
“Mom.” I hadn’t cooked anything since my mom moved in.
“Do you cook?”
I gave into impulse and toyed with the buttons on his shirt. “You waited until now to ask me that?”
He glanced down at my fingers and quirked an eyebrow. “I cook, so what difference does it make? I was just curious.” He grabbed my hand and kissed my fingers. “If your mom cooked, I guess that means we’ll be doing the dishes.”
“It might be the only time we get alone after walking out of this room.”
“I’m not walking out of the room. I’m climbing back out the window and then knocking on the front door.” He winked.
“What if tonight doesn’t go well?”
“It’ll be fine.” His pinched brow didn’t add much confidence to his statement.
I ran a finger through the crease in his forehead. “And what if it isn’t fine?”
“I’ll have to find more pebbles.”
Cradling his face, I kissed him. “You are amazingly irresistible.”
“I think I have a good chance of winning that jackpot.”
I wanted to kiss him again, but the doorbell rang. “That must be your parents. Where did you park? Never mind. Tell me later.”
He contorted himself to get through the window then leaned in for one last kiss. “See you in a second.”
I freshened my lipstick then walked out of my room, prepared to survive the most embarrassing night of my life. And considering what I’d already lived through, giving it that label wasn’t insignificant.
“Hello.” I hurried toward the entryway where Mom stood talking with the Cardonas.
A woman who had the same soft brown eyes as Adam smiled. “You must be Evelyn.”
“Yes, but everyone calls me Eve.”
A man with the same boyish grin walked up with his hand extended. “Meeting you explains a lot. Adam knows how to pick ’em.”
At least my parents weren’t the only embarrassing ones. In an odd way, that made me feel a little better.
“Come in. I expect Adam will be here soon.” I motioned toward the living room.
No one moved.
His mom glanced out the front window. “I’m surprised Adam isn’t already here. His truck is parked down the street.”
Sheer determination was incapable of preventing a blush. I could feel the heat exploding under my skin. “I hope neither of you are allergic to cats. If so, I can put Pookie in the bedroom for the evening.”
“Oh no. We have no trouble with cats.” Mr. Cardona tucked an arm around his wife.
Mom leaned close as if she was going to whisper, but she didn’t. “Putting Pookie away for the evening would be polite.”
“All right.” It wasn’t a night for arguments. I ran into the kitchen and found my kitty stuffing her face. “Hey, sweetie. I’m going to let you play in the bedroom while we have company.”
I hadn’t made it two steps out of the kitchen when Adam knocked. At least I hoped it was Adam.
Mom opened the door.
He walked in, holding two small gift bags. “Y’all didn’t have to stand here waiting for me.” He met my gaze and winked. “I brought something for Pookie.”
Seriously. Could this guy be any more amazing?
“Thank you. I was just about to put her in my room for the evening.”
He handed me the gift bags and took Pookie. “I’ll help.”
Somehow, we made it down the hall and to my room without the cat scratching him. And our moms didn’t follow. Bonus!
He pointed at the smaller gift bag. “That’s for Pookie. The other one is for you.”
As soon as I set Pookie’s gift on the bed, she buried her face in the tissue.
“It’s a little catnip toy.” He pulled it out of the bag for her.
Inside my bag was a mug. Emblazoned on the side in red letters was one simple sentence: I love you.
I stared at the mug.
“I saw that you had a collection, and I thought one more might be good.” He leaned down to meet my gaze.
“It’s my new favorite.” I leaned my head on his chest, overcome with emotion.
He wrapped his arms around me. “I love you, Eve. I don’t care if tonight goes horribly. It won’t change the way I feel.”
“I love you too.”
As soon as the words left my lips, his were touching mine, and for a second, all the world was perfect.
“Jackpot.” His brown eyes twinkled.
I inched up on my toes and snaked an arm around his neck, pulling him to my lips again. “They are going to wonder why we’re taking so long.”
“True. We should probably go back out there. But I wanted to tell you before dinner. My parents—my mom—will likely bring up my ex. It’s not because I talk about her or because I’m harboring feelings.”
“You’re just warning me that your mom wants you to get back together with your ex, is that it?”
“Maybe.” He crinkled his nose. “But I don’t share her sentiment.”
“We’ll talk more later. I can’t believe you planned to give this to me in front of everyone.” I started toward the door.
He caught my arm. “Following you down the hall wasn’t an accident. Did you notice that I didn’t say anything about a gift for you? I wouldn’t make things awkward on purpose.”
My gaze swept over him, taking in the man who held my heart. “What’s better than best?”
“I’m not sure there is a better than best. By definition, it’s the best.” The dimples appeared.
“Well, we have to figure out something because you just moved up a tier. And prior to all this, you were at best.”
Grinning, he opened the bedroom door. “Bestest?”
“That’ll work for now. But if we put our heads together, I think we can come up with something better.”
“If putting our heads together means kissing, I’m on board with that.”
I glanced down the hall to make sure we were still alone. After one more kiss, I patted his chest. “Stop kissing me. We need to go have dinner.”
He grinned.
Thankfully, Pookie didn’t even try to run out. She was rolling a
round on the bed with her catnip-filled fish, acting happy as a clam.
Hand in hand, Adam and I walked down the hall and into the dining room. Everyone was already seated at the table.
Mom jumped up. “Eve, will you help me in the kitchen?”
Lecture time.
“Sure.” After Adam squeezed my hand, I followed her into the kitchen. “What do you need me to do?”
“Dear, you really want to make a good impression. It’s important that his parents like you. What are they supposed to think when the two of you go off to your bedroom?”
Silly me, I thought the really important part was Adam liking me. “We were talking.” And kissing, but I wasn’t about to say that. “Do you need my help?”
She handed me a basket and pulled a tray of rolls out of the oven. “Put those in the basket. I’ll carry in the casserole.”
Dinner was off to a great start. If I kept my thoughts on the mug sitting in my bedroom, I could make it through the evening with my sanity intact. I set the rolls on the table and sat down next to Adam.
Pale, he offered a weak smile and clasped my hand under the table.
His mom looked up and met my gaze, “I was just telling them about why I hatched the plan to set Adam up. After he broke up with Lilianna—she was such a sweet girl—anyway, after that, we worried about him. I don’t think he went on a single date for over a year. But clearly, he doesn’t tell me about every date.”
Adam’s hand tightened around mine.
“But when your mom and I started talking, we knew what to do.” She turned to face Adam. “Did you know that Lilianna got a new puppy? She dropped by the other day to let us see him. So cute. We’ll be pet sitting for her at the end of the month, so we wanted to spend a little time with the new puppy.”
Clearly his mom was a dog-lover. Fabulous.
“What kind of dog?” I served myself food one-handed, hoping no one would notice.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen a dog so cute. She bought a Chipoo, a cross between a pure-bred Chihuahua and a pure-bred Poodle.”
“I bet that is a cute combination.” Mom beamed.
When Adam was the only one not eating, I shot him a look. He let his fingers slip off my hand then picked up the serving spoon. “Mrs. Taylor, dinner looks amazing. Eve tells me you’ve been a big help by cooking most nights.”
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