“But you’re seeing him?”
I purse my lips.
“Okay…” she holds up her palms. “I’m going. You shouldn’t underestimate the value of a mother’s advice,” she adds, turning back towards the kitchen, “especially when it comes to men.”
Upstairs, Dylan and Laurie are playing some game that involves a lot of shooting. I slump on Dylan’s bed. “Hey Doc.”
“Hey sis.” He barely looks up from his game. He’s the image of my Dad, tall and lanky, but with the green eyes we both took from my mom. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“You have to shoot down the helicopter,” Laurie says urgently.
“What?” I reply, puzzled.
“On it,” Dylan says simultaneously, and I hear the sound of electronic gunfire. I roll my eyes, relieved when my phone vibrates in my pocket.
I look at the screen, and anticipation fills my chest at the sight of Landon’s name. I slide to answer and hold the phone to my ear. “Hello hotness.”
“Hmm, hotness. I like that.”
His voice washes over me like warm velvet. I’ve missed him so much. Too much. “Are you back?”
“Just arrived. Where are you?”
“At my parents’.”
“Where is that?”
“I thought you knew everything about me,” I tease.
“It’s probably in a file somewhere,” he admits, “but you can tell me.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to see you.”
I let out a slow breath. There’s an urgency in his simple statement that mirrors my own desire. “I’ll be back by evening.”
“I can’t wait that long,” he says. “I want to come over.”
“To my parents’?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
Of course! My mom would put two and two together and come up with wedding bells.
I shake my head. “I don’t think you want to meet my parents.”
“Why not?”
Because that’s not the kind of relationship we have! Because I won’t be able to deal with their questions when you leave me.
“Because they’re parents. My mom will probably start planning our wedding.”
He laughs. “Really? That sounds interesting.” I hear a series of beeps from his side. He’s probably searching some electronic device for my parents’ address among all the information his security team gathered on me. “Just tell them we’re friends,” he continues. “Tell them that I’m in the area, and I’m picking you up or something. I really want to see you.”
I sigh. “Fine.”