“I missed you too.” She kissed me back, but it felt different.
“Everything okay?” I leaned down and looked her straight in the eyes.
Nodding, she pulled the door closed and took my hand. “Where are the horses? I thought we were riding tonight.”
“I’ve got a surprise. Lloyd called this afternoon and said the rocking chair was ready. We can squeeze in one more ride tomorrow night or Saturday before the party. I thought you might want to go with me when I give it to her.”
“You want me to meet Mama Mae?”
“Actually, she wants to meet you. She made me promise to bring you over.” Roxy hadn’t reacted the way I expected. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“I’d love to meet her.”
“Great.” I opened the door to the truck and waited for Roxy to get settled inside before rounding the back and sliding in behind the wheel. “We’ll probably only need to stay for a few minutes. If you still want to get out for a ride, we can run by the ranch after. Sound good?”
“Sure.” Roxy nodded, but something was off. Her smile didn’t shine as bright as it had last week, and her eyes didn’t hold the same sparkle. We needed to talk about what the future held after the parade on Sunday, but it could wait. My top priority was getting the two women I cared about most together.
We pulled into Mama Mae’s long drive and my stomach dropped. She must have invited a dozen of my foster brothers to come over. Trucks and cars lined the drive. I reached for Roxy’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Is she having a party?” Even in the dim light from the console, I could make out the worried look.
“Probably just a few of my brothers.” I’d asked Owen to stop by since he lived just up the road and could help me unload the rocker. No telling who the rest of the vehicles belonged to. I recognized Brody’s truck and maybe Kane’s bike, but the rest were unfamiliar. Not a great sign.
Owen stepped out onto the porch as I got out of the truck. “Hey, brother. I didn’t think you’d ever get here.”
I clapped him on the back as we gave each other a half hug. Roxy had already climbed down out of the truck and walked over to stand next to me. “Owen, this is my girlfriend, Roxy.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” Owen held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Roxy. ‘Girlfriend’ is one word I never thought I’d hear coming out of this guy’s mouth.”
She looked so damn pretty as a deep shade of pink swept over her cheeks and she shook my brother’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Mama Mae’s in the kitchen. Should we get the rocker into the family room before she realizes you’re here?” Owen asked.
Made sense to me. The two of us unloaded the heavy, hand-carved rocking chair and carried it up the few stairs onto the porch. Roxy held the front door open so we could maneuver it into the family room. Once we crossed the threshold, a few of the other guys cleared away the hand-me-down recliner she’d been using since her rocker was attacked.
“Why’d it get so quiet out there?” Mama Mae called out from the kitchen. “Y’all know I get suspicious when the noise dies down.”
“Come on out and see,” I said as I looped the big red bow Lloyd Junior gave me over the arm of the chair.
“Jake, you’re here. How come nobody told me?” She came down the hall, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and a huge smile spread across her lips as she turned to look at Roxy. “Come here and give me some sugar, son.”
I pulled her into a warm hug then introduced her and my brothers to Roxy. Everyone always said Mama Mae had never met a stranger. She welcomed Roxy like an old friend, and I was glad to see the two of them hit it off just like I knew they would.
“What’s with the chair?” One of the younger guys came down the stairs and squinted across the room at the rocking chair.
Mama Mae nudged me to the side so she could see around me. “Good gravy, Jake. What have you done?”
“Happy Anniversary, Mama Mae. I know it’s not exactly the same as it was when your husband gave it to you on your wedding day, but—”
“Where did you get the money to pay for something like that?” Mama Mae wagged her finger in front of my face while her eyes filled with tears. “You should be saving for that ranch you want to buy, not wasting your hard-earned money on an old woman like me.”
“I’m not wasting a dime.” I took her hands and led her over to the chair. “No matter how long I live, I’ll never be able to repay you for the love you’ve shown me and all of my brothers.”
“Pshaw. Now you’ve done it. You’ve gone and made me cry, and I’ve got chicken and noodles bubbling away on the stovetop.”
“I’ll stir the noodles.” Owen headed to the kitchen.
“Try it out,” I urged.
