“Are you going to introduce me?” I heard my mother’s voice from behind me.
Well shit, I’d almost forgotten she followed us to River’s to make sure I was settled and had come into the house right behind us. I slowly turned around with a sheepish look on my face.
“Sorry, mom, come in and meet everyone.”
“First we need to get you settled on the couch. Then the introductions can be made after,” River scolded in her best mom voice.
Damn that was sexy.
“Yes, ma’am.” My voice came out slightly gruff as desire ran rapidly through my veins.
River’s eyes widened and that pretty pink color sparked to life again, mapping her face, neck, and disappearing down her shirt. The woman was on to me.
I swallowed the groan about to break free when I found myself wondering just how far that rosy shade went.
“That sounds great,” my mother’s voice, like a bucket of cold water to my libido, broke in, causing me to get my ass moving before everyone else figured out what I’d been thinking too.
However, as I made my way over to the couch, I glanced toward Bronson and Lake finding I wasn’t hiding crap from them. They both had shit-eating grins on their faces.
Just as I sat down, Lennon came through the door muttering how the store had been like a madhouse. Someonemust have sent him to get something. He stopped when he saw me and gave me a chin lift. The sixteen-year-old was working to play it cool but I could see something in his eyes.
He needed praise and affection just as much as the girls needed their sweet-talk.
“Hey, dude, I missed you. Come tell me what you’ve been up to and meet my mom,” I called out.
Something sparked in his gaze and I knew I’d been right. He may have acted like a tough guy, but I had no doubt that after going through some bad shit, it was his way of coping. I may not have had all the details since River always said it was his and Bre’s story to tell, not hers, but he was just a kid who cared a lot more than he let on.
“Sure, let me put this away first,” he answered before heading to the kitchen.
My mom had made her way over and sat down beside me, while everyone else gathered around too. I took in the‘Welcome Home’sign—one that looked to have been made by Bre and Stormi—hanging on the wall and I smiled while my heart nearly burst wide open.
I knew that for me,homewas wherever River, Bre and Lennon were.
And I wasn’t the only one that adored the trio. Before my mother left it was clear that she adored the kids and they seemed to be taken with her too. I smiled, thinking maybe one day they’d call her grandma.
I wanted nothing more than to marry River. My mother already thought of River like a daughter. She’d held her in her heart since the night they met.
I’d watched their interaction as the two women said goodbye. My mom tenderly placed her hands on my girl’s cheeks, brushing away a few stray tears that had fallen after they exchanged words.
Then my mother leaned in and kissed her cheek,whispering something only River could hear. The others in the room looked on with curious glances and that was when I realized none of them knew about the connection those two had yet.
But I did.
It was beautiful and a bit surreal too.
Everything had been put into motion long ago.
River and I were always meant to be.
My womandefinitely had a stubborn streak.
It was because of it that I’d found myself taking up residence in her bed and not on the couch. I chuckled as I recalled our conversation about the sleeping arrangements.
With her hands planted on her hips, she’d glared at me. “If you insist on sleeping on the couch then I’m sleeping in the chair.”
We’d been going back and forth for a few minutes about it, the kids having already gone to bed, and she wasn’t giving in.
“With your size”—she fluttered her hand in a motion up and down my body—“and your injuries, the couch isnotacceptable.”
