The only downside was Ian was beyond tense. He was worriedabout this ludicrous lawsuit. It wasn’t the money that was bothering him. No, what worried him was me. He felt this need to protect me, and I think he was more than ready to put this chapter of his life behind him. He wanted to get rid of his baggage per se. I tried to put his mind at ease that I wasn’t going anywhere. Besides, I had a few tricks up my sleeve. Marissa and Alexa were going to be sorry they messed with me and mine.
Ian let me have the window seat, and I couldn’t help but feel excited, even under the circumstances, when I saw the big, white, peaked rooftop of Denver International Airport. It was the strangest looking airport I had ever seen, but oddly it made me feel, in a sense, that I had come home. I turned and grinned at Ian. He looked past me out the window and smiled, too. It was his only smile the entire flight.
“Have you missed Colorado?” I asked.
“I’ve missed being here with you.”
I’d missed it too. The more I was with him, the more I realized how much I truly missed him, missed us. He was like the harmony to my melody, and together we created a more complete and richer sound. I felt the more we were together, the more in tune we would become. At least I hoped. I was still having a hard time separating our personal and professional lives. While we were away, my plan was to be mostly Kelli and Ian.
Ian proved once again why he was the perfect boyfriend. We had just picked up our luggage in baggage claim when I heard two familiar voices call my name. I looked around to find Ian’s parents, Tony and Sheila.
I dropped my suitcase and hurried to them. “Tony, Sheila, what in the world are you doing here?”
They simultaneously hugged me. It was amazing to be in their arms.
Sheila kissed my head. “Ian told us you were coming to town with him, and it has been too long since we’ve seen you.”
My eyes began to water. “Yes, it’s been far too long.”
They looked almost the same as they had fourteen years ago, maybe a little more weathered and worn, but they were perfect in mymind. Tony was an older, grayer, jollier version of Ian, and Sheila reminded me of Jamie Lee Curtis, with her short, gray, spiky hair. She and Noelle shared the same mischievous gleam in their eyes as well as in their nature. Boy, had I missed them.
Ian sidled up to me carrying all our luggage. His parents stood back and beamed at us.
“It’s about time,” Tony said.
Ian put his arm around me. “I would say it’s long overdue.”
I leaned into him, but what I really wanted to do was grab his face and kiss him senselessly. It didn’t seem like the appropriate venue, but he had better watch out later. Ian did peck me on the lips. It would have to tide me over.
“Well, let’s get out of here so we can catch up,” his mom said.
Ian took my hand and Tony grabbed some of our luggage before we headed to our rental car. Sheila gave me one more hug. “It is so good to see you, honey.”
She had no idea how good it was to be seen.
IAN’S PARENTS FOLLOWED US TO our hotel where we were going to have lunch. I smiled to myself, thinking about how Ian thought maybe it would look better if we stayed in separate hotels. I didn’t care what his ex-wife and Alexa thought. It was none of their business what we did. We were consenting adults. Though we weren’t consenting to everything. I was still starring in theVirgin Tales.Ian didn’t seem to mind playing the role of costar. He said he wanted to give me what I wanted and deserved. Though he did book us five floors apart, like that was really going to stop us if we wanted to do something. And let’s be honest, we both did; but I had waited this long, and I wanted all the ingredients to be there and so did Ian. I was beginning to think I was falling in love with him all over again.
When we pulled into the hotel’s parking lot I leaned over and kissed Ian. “Thank you for inviting your parents down.”
“They didn’t wait for an invitation when I told them you were coming.”
I rested my hand on his cheek. He was acting so subdued. His chocolate eyes swirled with worry. I was going to make sure, before we returned to Nashville, that those babies would be all alight. “It’s all going to work out. I promise.”
Ian’s lips landed on mine. His tongue slid across my lips. “Mmm,” he groaned before deepening the kiss. It was over too quickly. “I guess we better not keep my parents waiting.”
I hated that he was so melancholy. I knew part of him was happy to see his parents and to have us all together, but when there was a problem to be solved, Ian had a hard time focusing on anything else.
When we sat down to lunch it reminded me of the nights at the Greyson’s table playing games and eating leftovers from Thanksgiving. It was amazing how fourteen years could be erased in the course of lunch. There was no awkwardness or lulls in the conversation. It still puzzled me after all this time how such carefree individuals ever raised such an uptight person like their son.
Tony and Sheila were both loud and laughed easily. They had great stories to tell about goats getting on roofs and chickens escaping and finding their way into their kitchen.
Poor Ian barely cracked a smile. He was beyond uptight. He was meeting with his attorney after lunch.
When it was time for Ian to leave, I walked him out to his car. His parents were going to stay with me for a while before they had to head back to Glenwood Springs, a few hours away.
“I’ll go with you if you want. You know I was raised by a lawyer, and I have some good ideas.”
He squeezed my hand. “I have it under control. Please don’t worry.”
