“No reason.” His throat bobs with his gulp of beer.
Hold on… “Tell me you’re not scoping out women at our family fucking reunion. That’s incest, August.”
Loren chokes on her drink; red drops spill down her chin that she quickly swipes away before they can stain her dress.
August tilts his beer at me. “It’s not incest if they’re someone’s stepdaughter or related to us by marriage, now, is it?”
“You’re disgusting.”
“It’s this fucking place, man. Seeing all these pregnant women messes with your mind. Drives your testosterone through the roof. My dick is like:Must. Make. Babies.Fucking Nolan genes,” he mutters with a shake of his head.
Fucking Nolan genes is right.
Although I laugh into my beer, I take a good, long look at Loren, wondering if she’s ever thought about having kids. Probably not the sort of conversation to have after only dating for a month, but still…I wonder.
I immediately stop wondering the moment I see my mother climbing those brick stairs, her hair perfect as ever. She zeroes in on me and smiles. Then her head swings toward Loren and her eyes narrow.
This is it. The moment I’ve been dreading.
I’mnotashamed of Loren. I just need to get to my mombeforeshe gets to my girlfriend. Lay a few ground rules.
“Hey, August.” I clap him on the shoulder. “Do you mind showing Loren the treehouse we used to play in? I’ll just be a second.”
He seems to realize the situation I’m trying to avoid and casually steers Loren up the hill. “Come on, Loren.” Quieter, he adds, “If anyone asks, pretend you’re my girlfriend, okay?”
“Not a fucking chance, dickhead,” I bark.
He grins over his shoulder at me. “Hey, it was worth a shot.”
Time to face the most terrifying woman I know.
Mom comes to a stop by a hollowed-out stump that my aunt has turned into a flowerpot, but she’s too busy watching August rescue Loren to spare me a glance. When she looks back at me, the only thing that gives away her irritation is the slight twitch in her right eye. “Elliott. So good of you to finally show up.”
Would you look at that? It didn’t even take her a minute to throw in a subtle dig. This is going to be fun. “Nice to see you too, Mom.”
CHAPTER 47
LOREN
Megalodon
Come by the house when you’re done!
I assumethe woman who cornered Elliott is his mother since he is her carbon copy—minus the blonde hair. If she’s anything like his dad, I have nothing to worry about. When I bumped into Ernest Grant while trying to find my way through that maze of a house, I knew immediately who he was. Elliott might look like his mother, but the dark hair and blue eyes came from his father. It was like running into future Elliott, and let me tell you, the future looks bright.
Not for the first time, I wonder what the heck Elliott’s ex was thinking, giving him up. If anyone tried to take him from me, I’d cut them.
That’s right. I’m talking straight up shivving.
As long as that man wants me, I’m his, and he is all mine.
“That’s Elliott’s mom, right?” I whisper to August, not wanting everyone else here to realize I haven’t met Elliott’s parents yet. Not that I’m going to lie if asked; I just don’t see the point in broadcasting the fact that this relationship is brand new.
All I get is a nod of confirmation.
I guess any information I’m going to glean will have to be from the woman herself.
“Oh, shit.” August twists, burying his face in his beer. Whatever color was in his cheeks drains away completely.
