“Is that all?”
“One more thing. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to monitor your direct messages on Instagram, but a Penelope Williams—”
Miles’s face flooded red.
“—would like you to contact her. She’s coming to visit.”
Miles cleared his throat and hastily picked up his food. “Thank you for letting me know.” He darted off up the stairs.
Interesting. Very interesting.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Pleasedon’tembarrassme,”I pled with my parents as they were double-timing it toward the soccer field. I had to intercept them before they made it to Miles and Henry, who had arrived earlier with Chloe and me. Miles thought it didn’t make sense for us to take two vehicles this morning. The stares and wicked grins I had received from Emma and Sawyer and even Gwendolyn when we arrived this morning were more than obvious. I think Gwendolyn was considering husband number four or five by the way she kept ogling Miles.
With all that said, I didn’t need my parents giving him the third degree. They were intrigued that Miles and I had a close enough relationship already to where he was coming to Chloe’s game. Not only that, Mom was eager to give him her book report ofSilent Stones. I so badly wanted to yank that spiral-bound report out of her hands. She must have known, as she had a killer grip on it.
Mom patted my cheek. “Honey, we would never embarrass you on purpose.”
“It’s the accidental embarrassment I’m worried about.”
Dad chuckled.
Mom waved at Emma, who was doing warmups with the girls. They would need it this morning. It was cool enough to see your breath.
“Is she feeling better?” Mom asked me.
“She seems to be this morning.”
Mom set her sights on Miles and Henry at the park near the soccer field and picked up her pace.
Miles was letting Henry run around the park, hoping to get some of his wiggles out before the game started. Even in his “trousers,” Henry looked too proper. Miles insisted that Henry needed slacks, not denim. He said Sophie would roll over in her grave if he went from breeches to denim. Henry’s short double-breasted wool coat made him look like a fifty-year-old man. But the cutest fifty-year-old.
As we approached, Henry saw us and ran to me as fast as his little legs would go. Gosh, I loved that kid. Miles followed him, looking like he was walking at a fashion show in his own wool jacket with a scarf around his neck. His dark curls rustled in the light breeze.
“Wow,” Mom commented next to me. “He’s something.”
Dad, who was still a handsome guy even though he definitely had the dad body and thinning gray hair going on, gave Mom a pointed stare.
Mom gave Dad a side hug. “Russ, we’ve been married for almost forty years, I was only making an observation.”
“I would appreciate if you only observed me from now on,” Dad replied, making Mom and me laugh.
I bent down to pick up the boy who owned my heart.
“I slided and swinged,” Henry reported.
I kissed his nose, pink from the cold. “Are you ready to watch Chloe play soccer?”
“Yes!” He threw afist up in the air. “GO CO-EE!”
Miles was upon us. He grinned at me before standing right next to me. I told him my parents were eager to meet him and to prepare himself for anything. I never knew what to expect when it came to my mom. I mean, the woman had taken the time to write what looked like at least a twenty-page book report. She seriously needed a job or some more hobbies.
The way Miles and I were facing my parents had a meet-the-boyfriend vibe going on. My first instinct was to step away from him, but I knew that would hurt his feelings, which was the last thing I wanted to do. Day after day, Miles was chipping away my defenses. This morning was the perfect example. He’d made Chloe what he called his game-day protein shake. Then, on the drive in, he went over strategy with her. He had no idea how much that meant to me, especially considering her father was in town and hadn’t bothered to try and make contact again. But I did hear from Emma that he was spotted with Kylie at a local bar in Carrington Cove. I swore, if Chloe and I ran into them together and that was his first contact with her in years, the gloves might come off. I’d done my best over the years not to bad-mouth him in front of her, but in that case, I might not be able to restrain myself. Enough ruminating over my ex, it was time to make awkward introductions.
“Mom and Dad, this is Miles Wickham. Miles these are my parents, Russ and Cindy Parker.”
“I’m Henry.” Henry didn’t want to be left out even though my parents were already well acquainted with him.
