“Of course.” Aaron walked them all past the spacious living room and dining room into the kitchen.
“Wow. My mom would go ape in here,” Mack muttered and goggled at the kitchen. “This place is amazing.”
“Yeah. My mom doesn’t cook that much, but when she does, she has pretty much every doodad needed to make anything, from bread to macarons to soufflés.”
Stainless-steel appliances, a walk-in pantry, and a huge island with a butcher-block space, prep sink, and marble countertop, which could also seat six, made the kitchen a designer’s dream.
“Cooking is Mom’s hobby. Well, that and Dad.” Cass laughed at her father. She moved to kiss her mom on the cheek. “Hey, Mom. This is Mack. Mack, my mom.”
Her mother blinked. “I sure hope Cass isn’t responsible for that bruise.”
Mack grinned. “A love tap. I’m kidding. Just a scuffle with a guy at work. No biggie.”
“Ah. I see. I’m Jennifer. So nice to meet you.” She waved at him, her hands gunked in something she’d been making. “I’d shake your hand, but mine’s covered in flour.”
“Hi, Jennifer.” He smiled.
Cass frowned. “Flour? That implies you’re baking something. Aren’t we eating at six?”
“Six-thirty,” her dad said. “We need time to grill your date.”
“Seriously?”
Mack laughed. “Hey, at least he’s honest.”
Her mom chuckled. “Aaron’s kidding.” She gave him the death glare. “We just wanted to spend some time with you, Cass. We hardly ever see you.”
Talk about exaggerating. “We talk all the time and only missed dinner last week because you guys had a thing to attend.”
“It was your father’s thing,” her mom said. “And it was very nice, though the meat was dry.”
“Terrible.” Her father shook his head. “But our award dinners usually are.”
“Award? Did you win something?” Mack asked, taking a seat at the counter to watch her mother work, as if he came over all the time and tonight was nothing new.
Her mom smiled at him. “Apricot tarts for dessert. And an apple one in case you don’t like apricot.”
“I like everything.” Mack smiled wide. “Especially Cassandra.”
“Oh, how sweet.”
Mack hadn’t been lying. Parentsdidlike him. Her mother glowed as she smiled at him, and her father laughed. Sean had once made a similar comment, and her parents hadn’t so much as nodded in his direction.
Her dad was saying something about being nominated for his clinic, and she turned to him. “You never told me that.”
“You never asked.”
She sputtered, “Well, I mean, I just assumed it was another one of those fancy dinners for the letter people.” At Mack’s look, she flushed and mumbled, “You know, people with letters in front of or behind their names, like DR or PhD or MD…”
Mack’s eyes widened. “W. O. W.”
She glared at him, but her parents chuckled.
“My clinic didn’t win this year, but to even be nominated is a huge deal.”
Jennifer added, “And it looks really good when you’re trying to get new clients. Not that you are, honey, I’m just saying.”
Her dad blushed and accepted all their congratulations. Cass noticed Mack wasn’t overly effusive, just sincere.Such a great guy,she seemed to think just about all the time.
