I push down the sting of guilt, knowing I’m doing exactly that right now, and it doesn’t appear that she suspects a thing.
“What if I told you that you’re the first person I’ve shared the news with?” I toss it out there, hoping it’ll appease her.
Ma’s eyes brighten, and I know I’ve struck a chord. “Am I?”
“You are.”
Not that I intend to broadcast it later—everyone will know soon enough if they don’t already. Heath will definitely give me shit about it, and Pops will act interested only because it’s important to Ma. He’s never been as invested in our love lives as she has.
I let out a grunt as Ma throws her arms around me, drawing me in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you. It was exhausting having arake for a son.” She steps back slightly, placing her hands firmly on my shoulders.
I chuckle. Arake? That must have come straight from one of her historical romances. I’ve read plenty of those lately, and it never fails to amuse me how much women swoon over a dashing lord with a reputation for scandal.
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” I tell her.
I have no interest in anyone but Birdie, and as long as our arrangement stands, she’s off-limits to other men. I won’t hesitate to make sure everyone gets the memo that she’s taken.
Ma wipes her brow with exaggerated flair. “Thank the Lord. It’s about time you settled down and gave me some grandbabies.”
I lift a hand to stop her from going on about fictional children. “Whoa, you’re jumping the gun, don’t you think? Birdie and I just started seeing each other.”
“Can’t come soon enough,” she counters with a mischievous grin.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, saving me from having to answer.
Looks like Heath texted.
Heath: You’re late.
Shit. I was supposed to meet him in the south pasture half an hour ago, and he’s not the type to be kept waiting.
Walker: Sorry. Be there soon.
Ma clicks her tongue in disapproval. “What’s more important than talking with your mother?”
“It’s Heath,” I explain. “He’s waiting for me, and I still need to shower and change.” I’m still wearing my good jeans anda button-down—hardly practical for a day in the fields. “We’ll finish our conversation later, I promise.”
I turn to leave, but she catches my arm, stopping me short. “We most certainly will. And make sure Birdie is at the next family dinner. No arguments.”
“She’ll be there,” I promise, thinking back to my conversation warning Birdie about this very thing.
She’s been to more than a few, but this one will be different. This time, she’ll be there as my girlfriend, not just Briar’s friend.
Fuck, I love the sound of that. I’m already feeling territorial, even though our relationship is supposed to be pretend. Hard not to when I’m about to do everything I can to prove it’s real.
“We should have Birdie’s family over soon too,” Ma says with a smile. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen Elizabeth, and I’d love to catch up.”
Birdie’s mom taught at Willow Creek Elementary but retired early, nearly a decade ago. She never comes to town anymore and though Birdie talks about her often, she keeps details of her mom’s life private.
All I know is that Birdie is going through a lot, and I wish I could help more. For now, all I can do is offer my support from a distance and hope that she eventually realizes she isn’t alone. Fake relationship or not, I’ll be there for her, even if it means helping her navigate complicated family dynamics. Every family has them, even if things look picture-perfect on the surface.
“We’ll see. I’ll have to run it by Birdie first.”
Honestly, I’d rather skip dinner with her dad. Things could go sideways fast, and we’ll already have plenty of awkwardness at work as is.
“Okay, but if Birdie has any concerns, I’ll talk to her. I’m persuasive when I want to be,” Ma says, clearly pleased with herself.
“Oh, trust me, I’m well aware,” I tease, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek.
