coldness slid through my core. “Mom, hi. What are you doing here?”
My mind raced with reasons for why she could be here. Had I inadvertently given her the impression it was okay to visit? I didn’t think I had. My hands flew to my hair as soon as she released me from her hug, and I immediately began to worry what my appearance looked like. Did I look like I’d been practically screwing my boyfriend on my kitchen counter just a minute ago? I hoped not.
“Oh, your father had to go to some chiropractic convention.” She waved her hand as she side-stepped me and wheeled her suitcase in behind her. “So, I decided to come spend the weekend with you. A little getaway by the beach.”
I closed the door and spun to gape at her. “Okay…”
“I’m here until Sunday morning,” she said as she glanced around the house. “I saw a car parked outside. Whose is it?”
I took in a deep breath. Until Sunday? “That’s, umm...Kace’s car.”
“And who is Kace? Is this the guy you’re suddenly dating?”
“That would be him,” I said, feeling my face grow warm because I knew Kace could hear everything we were saying from in the kitchen.
“Well.” Mom spun around. “Where is he?”
“Right here,” Kace said as he emerged from the kitchen. He leaned against the wall and sipped from a glass of water.
“Oh,” she said, surprise ringing clearly in her voice. “Nice to meet you. I’m Addison’s mother, Vikki Harmon.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Kace said politely.
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Mom shifted to face me. “I didn’t know I needed to.”
“You don’t…really.” I stumbled on my words, searching for the nicest way to handle the situation. “I’m just surprised to see you is all.”
She started toward the stairs, dragging her suitcase behind her. “You shouldn’t be. I told you I’d probably come visit for a weekend sometime.” I couldn’t remember that conversation, but it could have happened. “I’m going to set my things in the room your father and I stayed in last time we were here.”
Once she reached the top of the stairs and was out of view, I bolted to Kace. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she was coming,” I said. I buried my head into his chest.
His arms wrapped around me. “It’s fine, really. You’ve already met my parents and now I get to meet yours.”
“But what about tonight? The bonfire by the beach, the other movie—” The doorbell rang again before I could finish my sentence. “Dinner! Oh my God, this is going to be so awkward.”
Kace chuckled. “No, it’s not. It’ll be fine. Parents love me. You’ll see.” He winked and moved to answer the door. This time it was the delivery driver. Kace took our food from him and gave him a tip before closing the door and heading to the living room. “We can still eat, drink, and watch the movie. It’s not like you’re fourteen or anything.” He smirked.
He was enjoying my discomfort a little too much.
“Right,” I said. “You’re right. We can still do all of those things with her here.”
I grimaced and strolled into the living room behind him. He obviously didn’t know my mother. Because if he did, then he would know how much of a rule stickler she was. He’d also know the reason she was probably here was because she wanted me to not be—which meant that she’d do anything to get me to leave, including tear him down to size.
A few minutes after we’d set our food out on the coffee table and started the movie, Mom came down and sat in the recliner.
“You guys are eating dinner a little bit late, don’t you think?” she asked, pushing the sleeves up on her long-sleeved dress shirt. I’d rarely ever seen my mother in a T-shirt, and never in shorts or a skirt no matter the temperature.
“We had a busy afternoon,” Kace said, flashing me a knowing grin.
My stomach rolled. Why on earth had he just said that? He’d left
My mind raced with reasons for why she could be here. Had I inadvertently given her the impression it was okay to visit? I didn’t think I had. My hands flew to my hair as soon as she released me from her hug, and I immediately began to worry what my appearance looked like. Did I look like I’d been practically screwing my boyfriend on my kitchen counter just a minute ago? I hoped not.
“Oh, your father had to go to some chiropractic convention.” She waved her hand as she side-stepped me and wheeled her suitcase in behind her. “So, I decided to come spend the weekend with you. A little getaway by the beach.”
I closed the door and spun to gape at her. “Okay…”
“I’m here until Sunday morning,” she said as she glanced around the house. “I saw a car parked outside. Whose is it?”
I took in a deep breath. Until Sunday? “That’s, umm...Kace’s car.”
“And who is Kace? Is this the guy you’re suddenly dating?”
“That would be him,” I said, feeling my face grow warm because I knew Kace could hear everything we were saying from in the kitchen.
“Well.” Mom spun around. “Where is he?”
“Right here,” Kace said as he emerged from the kitchen. He leaned against the wall and sipped from a glass of water.
“Oh,” she said, surprise ringing clearly in her voice. “Nice to meet you. I’m Addison’s mother, Vikki Harmon.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Kace said politely.
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Mom shifted to face me. “I didn’t know I needed to.”
“You don’t…really.” I stumbled on my words, searching for the nicest way to handle the situation. “I’m just surprised to see you is all.”
She started toward the stairs, dragging her suitcase behind her. “You shouldn’t be. I told you I’d probably come visit for a weekend sometime.” I couldn’t remember that conversation, but it could have happened. “I’m going to set my things in the room your father and I stayed in last time we were here.”
Once she reached the top of the stairs and was out of view, I bolted to Kace. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she was coming,” I said. I buried my head into his chest.
His arms wrapped around me. “It’s fine, really. You’ve already met my parents and now I get to meet yours.”
“But what about tonight? The bonfire by the beach, the other movie—” The doorbell rang again before I could finish my sentence. “Dinner! Oh my God, this is going to be so awkward.”
Kace chuckled. “No, it’s not. It’ll be fine. Parents love me. You’ll see.” He winked and moved to answer the door. This time it was the delivery driver. Kace took our food from him and gave him a tip before closing the door and heading to the living room. “We can still eat, drink, and watch the movie. It’s not like you’re fourteen or anything.” He smirked.
He was enjoying my discomfort a little too much.
“Right,” I said. “You’re right. We can still do all of those things with her here.”
I grimaced and strolled into the living room behind him. He obviously didn’t know my mother. Because if he did, then he would know how much of a rule stickler she was. He’d also know the reason she was probably here was because she wanted me to not be—which meant that she’d do anything to get me to leave, including tear him down to size.
A few minutes after we’d set our food out on the coffee table and started the movie, Mom came down and sat in the recliner.
“You guys are eating dinner a little bit late, don’t you think?” she asked, pushing the sleeves up on her long-sleeved dress shirt. I’d rarely ever seen my mother in a T-shirt, and never in shorts or a skirt no matter the temperature.
“We had a busy afternoon,” Kace said, flashing me a knowing grin.
My stomach rolled. Why on earth had he just said that? He’d left