I place my coffee cup on the table between us, then maneuver my chair so I’m facing him.
“Okay, don’t comment until you’ve heard the entirety of what I have to say. All right?” He nods. “I would like to rent the cabin.” A huge grin spreads across his face. This I expected. “But… I don’t want to deal with you on the details.” His brow furrows in question. “I want to deal with Henry. I’ve already been in contact with him, and he agrees. I-I don’t want it to feel like my boyfriend is also my landlord.” I pull my lower lip between my teeth and wait.
He shrugs. “I can live with that.” This reaction I didnotexpect.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why are you so calm about this? I’m not complaining, but I thought for sure you’d be upset that I wanted to deal with Henry instead of you.”
“I don’t love that it’s not me. But I get it. If that’s how it needs to be so you’re comfortable staying, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“Wow. Okay. Just when you think you know a guy,” I tease.
“Can I ask one question, though?”
“Uh, sure. Go ahead.”
“Do you realize you called me your boyfriend? And that there are no takebacks.”
“Really, you’re going to waste your question on that? I figured after your chest-pounding, ‘You’re mine, I’m yours’ speech at Lester’s yesterday, it was probably a safe assumption.”
“Oh, it was, Bets. I’ve been your boyfriend for weeks, babe. You just had to come around.” His sexy smirk and a wink give me butterflies in my belly.
That’s the perfect segue, Delaney. Don’t miss it…
As fast as the butterflies came, they’re gone and replaced with a tightness that I get when I’m nervous.
“Since you’re my boyfriend, h-how do you feel about meeting my mom today?”
Chapter Forty-Four
Harrison
I’m a selfish jackass, and I don’t deserve her. That’s never been clearer than it is this morning. I’m sitting in the passenger seat of Teresa as Delaney drives us to her mother’s house.
This morning, after inviting me to meet her mother, I got my head out of my ass and asked Delaney about her family. She has no siblings, no living grandparents, and her dad has never been around. As far as she’s concerned, even if she had twenty blood relatives on his side, they’re not her family. It’s just her and her mother, and I didn’t know that until today because I didn’t ask.
“Harrison?” Delaney’s voice quivers.
I glance over at her and force a smile. “Yeah?”
“If you don’t want to go see my mom, we don’t have to.”
Delaney keeps her eyes on the road, so I can’t read her expression. However, I know her well enough by now to know that she’s trying to sound like it wouldn’t matter if I canceled, but she’s vulnerable right now.
“Hey, no. Of course, I want to meet your mom. I’m just…”
“Just what? Say it. Whatever you’re thinking, say it.”
I put my hand on her shoulder, and she’s tense.
“I feel like shit because I never asked you about your family before. How self-centered can I be?” I brace for her wholehearted agreement, but a hearty laugh escapes her. “What’s funny about that?”
“Um, maybe that I throw off nothing but ‘don’t ask me personal questions’ vibes.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of true,” I tease. She lightly slaps me on the thigh in response.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to agree with me so quickly.”
Over the next several minutes, things are lighter, and I pepper her with questions about her mom and what her life was like growing up. I barely take my eyes off her.
