“No network people stay here overnight. I am not curtailing my sexy times with my lady or wearing a gag to keep from yelling out when I come inside you.”
“Youarenoisy,” she teased.
“And you love every minute of it.”
“I do, and that love grows stronger every day.” Maegan turned around toward the stove, put the cooked burger she’d already browned back into the pan with the vegetables then added two cans of diced tomatoes, one can of beef broth, and one can of tomato sauce into the pot and reduced the heat. “This soup needs to simmer for thirty minutes. Think I can make you yell and come in that amount of time?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“MOM,I’M NERVOUS ABOUT TODAY,” I said into the phone as I drove to Memphis’s house to pick the lovebirds up for our trip north. They couldn’t rouse themselves out of bed long enough to attend Sunday brunch, so I wasn’t even sure there would be a trip north.
“About rummaging through someone’s belongings looking for a rare treasure? Honey, you’ve loved that since you attended your first garage sale at five years old,” Mom said. “Do you remember trying to talk Mrs. Darling into lowering the price on that Care Bear?”
“Mom, I even knew back then there was a difference between merchandise in mint condition and those with wear and tear. I wasn’t willing to pay a buck for that bear when it was only worth a quarter in the shape it was in. I bought it for a bargain, and you helped me get the stains out and repair the slight tear around the embroidered cupcake in the center of its belly.”
“And you turned around and sold it for a buck twenty-five the following week. Boy, Mrs. Darling wanted to be pissed, but you convinced her there was no way your bear could be the same raggedy stuffed animal you bought from her.”
“Hey, I didn’t cheat her out of a cent. When I sold the bear, it was in much better shape.”
My mom laughed warmly on the other end of our connection. It helped soothe my nerves. “I suspect your nerves have more to do with meeting a certain someone’s parents.”
Even though my folks had figured out Elijah’s relationship with his parents was strained, they never pushed him or asked me to betray his trust. They knew a good man when they saw one, and the only thing they cared about was how Elijah treated me. I had told my mom about our plans when she texted me that morning to invite us to dinner. Just telling her “sorry, we can’t make it,” would never do.
“To be honest, Mom, I shouldn’t care a damn what those people think about me.”
“Except you do.”
I did. There was always the chance Elijah would patch up the relationship with his parents, and I didn’t want to be a source of contention between them. This meeting felt every bit as important to me as it did for Elijah, although for very different reasons. “I do,” I admitted.
“Are you willing to hear some very sound advice from your mother?” she asked.
“Always.”
“Here’s what you do, my darling daughter. You go into their home, or wherever you’re meeting up, with your chin up and shoulders back. Remember whose daughter you are and smile and be gracious even if it’s the last thing you want to do. Know who truly loves you and where you’re wanted, needed, and loved. And, Maegan, if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, remember the one thing women have been doing since the beginning of time.” Jackie Miracle paused for dramatic effect. “Fake your enthusiasm, darling.”
“Mom!” I blurted out before laughter rumbled in my chest and spilled out of me, echoing loudly through the interior of my SUV.
“Darling, at thirty years old, I’m positive you’ve had to fake your way through something, although I suspect the skill has gotten rusty the past six months. Not everyone is as lucky as you and me, Maegan. Faking-it skills are useful in many situations and meeting Elijah’s parents might be the most important one of all.”
“M-m-mom, stop,” I said, trying to catch my breath. I pulled to a stop in front of Memphis’s house, expecting I’d have to knock on the door so he’d come up for air long enough to get in the SUV or tell me he wasn’t going. “I need to get off here and let Memphis know I’m here.”
“I bet he’s forgotten all about your plans.”
“Maybe, but—” My words cut off when the front door opened. “I’ll be damned. They look exhausted, but apparently, we’re still on.”
“Drive safe and have fun. Call me tonight after you get home from meeting Elijah’s parents.”
“Will do. Love you, Mama.” She returned the affection and blew kisses through the phone at me before disconnecting the call.
“Good morning, fellas,” I whispered once they were inside the vehicle.
Memphis snorted and leaned over to kiss my cheek in greeting. “We’re not hungover, Mae.”
“Drunk on love, my dear. Same difference. You fellas look like you need a damn nap. You’ll want to be sharp for our hunt this afternoon, Memphis. I have a good feeling about this one.”
“It’s probably a good idea,” Memphis said before his face cracked open in a big yawn. He reclined his seat and Lyric stretched out in the back. They were both asleep before we crossed the town lines.
The quiet trip gave me plenty of time to think about how I wanted to approach the afternoon. I realized my mom was one hundred percent right. I didn’t need to love Elijah’s parents, and they didn’t need to love me either. We just needed to be respectful of each other, which meant I had to keep my opinions to myself.
