“I never said you did.”
Yeah, she’s saying one thing, but implying another. I don’t have a chance to ask more because the front door opens, and Jack steps into the kitchen a few moments later, grocery bags in hand. “Next time, I vote we don’t have dessert. I had to go to three different stores because everywhere was still out of everything after the holidays,” he says, setting the bags on the counters, just as the timer on the stove goes off.
“Perfect timing. Thanks for going and letting me borrow Al. She’s wonderful,” Penny says, patting Jack on the cheek.
His eyebrows raise at the empty bottle of wine sitting on the table, and our two glasses. “I was out running around so you two could drink?” Jack mocks, his eyes shining as he smiles at me.
“If you stopped eating all of the cookies, you wouldn’t have had to go out for dessert,” I remind him, and Jack scoffs, rolling his eyes.
“I have not eaten all of the cookies,” he argues, but his mom laughs, pulling the chicken pot pie out of the oven.
“Sure, sweetie. We must have a monster who stuffs them all into his mouth when no one is looking,” she teases, and Jack nods.
“Totally must be it,” he says, and I laugh, drinking my wine. “So what were y’all talking about?” Jack asks, and Penny grins, winking at me.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Well, yeah, Momma. It’s why I asked.”
She waves him off, ignoring his question as he walks behind me, his hand drifting across my back. “Dinner just needs to cool off for a bit, so why don’t y’all go hang out, and I’ll call for you when it’s ready. After the mess yesterday, I’d rather handle the rest on my own.”
I can’t really blame her for that. We got a little distracted before we could clean up, and Penny definitely got home as we were still trying to clean up all the flour we splashed everywhere.
“Are you sure you don’t need help? I can . . .” He wisely stops talking after the look his mom gives him, and he laughs. “Got it. Going to go hang with Alondra.”
Penny smiles at me, and I’m really glad we had a chance to talk about everything. She’s given me a lot to think about. “Thanks for the help, Al. I can see why he likes you.”
Jack stumbles over literally nothing as his cheeks turn bright pink. He grumbles something under his breath I can’t hear, andI follow Jack into his room where he flops onto the bed, kicking off his shoes in the process.
“Since when have you started calling me by my full name?” I ask, sitting on the edge of the bed. I’m trying not to think about everything his mom told me about his dad, but Jack makes more sense to me now.
“Since you told me how much it bothers you,” he replies, smirking at me. His fingers wrap around my wrist, gently pulling me to settle into the spot next to him.
“It doesn’t bother me,” I insist, even though the way he says it totally does.
He rolls his eyes, his chest shaking with quiet laughter. “Sure. Whatever you say.”
I stick my tongue out at him, pulling my phone out of my pocket to respond to a few texts from earlier, before setting my phone down and rolling to face him. “Is it bad I don’t want to go back to Minnesota?”
“No, I don’t want you to go back either. I’m enjoying having you all to myself,” he admits, and I wish he could see himself how I see him—how everyone sees him.
So the game continues. “I’m glad you and Momma are getting along.”
“Does she not get along with many people?” I ask, doubting it from everything I know about her.
Jack’s eyes widen for a moment, and he shakes his head. “No, Momma does. It’s just nice to see you two get along. She seems to really like you.”
“She’s great, and I know I keep saying it, but your mom really loves you, Jack.”
“I know,” he says, his eyes trailing over my face. “She was right about you, though. You are wonderful.”
I smile at him, leaning forward to press my lips against his for a moment. “Thanks.”
“Will you tell me what you and Momma talked about?”
“Nope,” I say, laughing as I cup the stubble lining his jaw.
Jack’s protests about how it’s not fair and he deserves to know send me into a fit of laughter. I’m glad I came here, but more importantly, I’m really glad I met Jack in the first place.
