Lena laughs, and I let her lean against me, both of us relaxing. My hand finds hers and squeezes.
How is this going so well?
Mother doesn’t fake her true feelings much when she’s not impressed, and if she’s already joking about herself, that’s a damn good sign.
If Mom’s determined to like her, and Lena can handle being liked, I’m confident we won’t be derailed anytime soon.
Wendy returns with more drinks—tall glasses of lemonade we sip while Mom peppers Lena with more questions about her work. What she thinks about every cat, dog, turtle, parrakeet, and hedgehog under the sun, and how she got into it.
Casual questions, but assessing.
She might be the more open-minded one compared to my father by a mile, but she’s still searching, trying to see if Lena’s trulygood enough.
It’s not just the old money factor.
It’s that invasive way mothers have when they think they know what’s best for their kids. Particularly when their sons have bad habits and a whole history of idiocy to their name.
Even though Mom is pretty decent with respecting my boundaries and letting me make my own choices—and lots of damn mistakes over the years—she isn’t immune to checking in, with love.
Once our glasses are empty, Lena frowns and glances around. “I think I left my jacket by the laundry. I’ll be back in a second.”
“Of course,” Mom says. The moment Lena leaves the room, she turns to me. “I like her. She’s very authentic. Down to earth, obviously kindhearted. Exactly the kind of centering feminine energy you need.”
“Again with the energy talk?” I scoff. “I don’t need centering, Mother.”
“Regardless, she’s good for you, Brady. Don’t let her get away.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“But you should get the poor dear home and truly cleaned up. I feel awful, making her stand here and chitchat while she’s soaked to the bone. No young girl should be that dirtied up and stressed out when she’s meeting her future mother-in-law.”
“This wasn’t the plan, Mom.” I smile, feeling a success—and also no point in pushing it further. “Thanks for coming out here and humoring me. Lena loves this farm, too, mud and all.”
“I’m so glad I got to meet her. I think I’ll slip out before she’s back so there’s no pressure to entertain me. I’m going to that little orchard up the road, the one with the cider your father loves.” She rises and gives me a kiss on my cheek. “Now go get your girl.”
That’s one hurdle down. With Mom on our side, it’ll be easier to prod Dad into accepting our arrangement without wanting to strangle me.
He might pretend he’s emotionally dead to the world and Mom doesn’t influence him, but she’s the one who rules the roost.
Mostly because she’s become an expert at pushing his buttons over the years, including the ones for logic and whatever little dregs of human emotion he has left.
I find Lena while she’s grabbing her jacket, and steer her outside, giving Mom’s orchard excuse as a reason to leave.
Mostly, I’m greedy to have her to myself again.
Didn’t think sleeping with her would change so much, but I was wrong.
It’s not just the harsh desire churning in my blood, hounding me to ravish her again, especially if she needs a shower and she doesn’t lock me out.
I fucking wish it was just that.
No. With her, everything feels like a cotton candy adrenaline rush, and I’m chasing that high.
I couldn’t control the thoughts that flooded me after we fucked either. The ones still knocking around my head even after the drama today.
“You’re sure you want to rush out like this?” she asks, glancing behind me to where Wendy and Mom are still visible in the living room, chatting away.
Mom doesn’t have quite the same fondness for this place I do, but she and Wendy have always been friendly.
