“I don’t know,” Aspen said as she glanced back toward the counter. “I think there’s something there.”
“That’s probably the romance author in you wanting to couple them off.”
Her smile softened. “I do like a good love story.”
Just another thing he adored about her. He looked back at Holden. “So, are you spending the day settling in?”
Holden shot a look at his watch. “Actually, the agent to the place I bought is giving me the keys today.”
Jesse’s brows shot up. “You’ve got a place already?”
“Sight unseen. Guess I’m brave or stupid.”
“Shit, you reallyarehere for good.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I thought you’d stay for a few months, maybe a year, then be back on the move.”
Holden shook his head. “Nah, it’s about time I settled some roots. And Amber Ridge is as good a place as any.”
CHAPTER 24
“Should I be nervous? Because I’m kind of nervous.” Butterflies-in-the-stomach, clammy-hands kind of nervous.
Aspen was well aware that her level of nervousness was unwarranted. She’d met Jesse’s mother before. She’d met his siblings too. But this was different. This was dinner in his mother’s home. A meal with the entire family, where she needed to slot herself into their dynamic and not embarrass herself.
Jesse reached over and set a hand on her thigh as he drove. “Why are you nervous?”
“What if I say something wrong? Or try to use humor as a way to distract them from my complete awkwardness and I’m not funny? My humor never drops well when I’m nervous. Think strange-looks-and-cricket-silence kind of doesn’t drop well.”
“I think you’re overthinking this.”
“Am I? Or am I thinking about this the perfect amount because it’s important that I make a good impression? If I make a joke, I want it to be funny.”
He pulled up in front of a single-story ranch-style house. A truck was parked in front of them, and a small red convertible sat in the driveway.
Jesse turned to her. “You already made a good impression on my family when you met them. And your jokes are always funny.”
“Not true. The other day I told you that I might kill off some characters in the book I’m writing and then added that it would spice up my autobiography, and you didn’t even crack a smile.”
And again now, not even a hint of a smile.
“If anyone’s going to kill someone, it’s me. You’re to stay well away from dangerous situations.”
She rolled her eyes as they climbed out, then grabbed the rhubarb pie from the back seat. She’d attempted to make a peach cobbler, but it was a disaster…think burnt crust and over-sweetened filling kind of disaster.
Luckily, Mrs. Gerald saved the day.
“What if they’re disappointed that I didn’t make the pie?”
Jesse slipped an arm around her waist. “They won’t be. But you could always lie to them and tell them you did.”
“Um, bad idea. My lying is as bad as my line dancing.” Not that she’d done much line dancing in her life. “What if—”
“Aspen.” They stopped at the door and Jesse cupped her cheeks. “You could knock the entire pot roast onto the floor, give everyone food poisoning with the pie, and theystillwon’t hate you. They will love you.”
She swallowed, her gaze shifting to the door, then back to Jesse. “I’m sorry, it’s just…my mother’s love always felt…conditional. Conditional to me being a certain way and her being in a certain mood. To me making herfeela certain way.”
