Amos glanced at me, his eyes softening, and then he slung his arm around my waist and pulled me in against his side. “We’re giving it a shot.”
His mom took both my hands in hers and squeezed them with a warmth that went straight through me. I could see where Amos got his charisma from. “Just remember what I said. I want grandbabies. And they’re currently overdue.”
Then she kissed Amos on the cheek and patted his face again. “Bye, baby boy. Sunday dinner? You better be there.”
He growled, low and affectionate, “You know I never miss it.”
Then she looked at me, her eyes piercing straight into my soul. “Andyoubetter be there too, Shelly-Rae. You hear me now?”
There was only one appropriate answer to that. “Yes, ma’am.”
She grinned at me, then looked at Amos and said, “Don’t fuck it up. Shelly’s got class.”
We watched her go, and Amos grabbed the cart as we finished our grocery shopping.
I kept sneaking looks at him, turning over what I’d just seen. The flush on his cheeks and the easy warmth in his voice when he’d spoken to her.
“I had no idea you’re a mama’s boy,” I said.
He winked at me. “Momma’s gotta come first.”
Then he leaned down and dropped a quick kiss right on my lips. “But you can be my number two for life, Shelly Bear.”
My face went warm, and I looked down at the cart, fussing with the grocery list on my phone so he wouldn’t see exactly how strongly that landed on me.
Amos frowned for a second. "Don't believe a word she says. She's already got three granddaughters. She's just gunning for more."
I laughed at that. My mom was the same way. She'd been ready for me to settle down the day I turned twenty-one.
“Uh, I understand if you don’t want me to come over for Sunday dinner.” I didn’t want Amos to feel trapped.
But he looked at me with an expression so serious, “You don’t want to come?”
“Oh, I do. But I didn’t want to presume, you know, because…”
Amos threw his arm over my shoulder. Then he ran his lips across my cheek before whispering in my ear, “I’dloveit if you came to my momma’s house for Sunday dinner, Shell.”
Then he pulled back to look at me, his lips only inches from mine. “Promise me you’ll come?”
His eyes were fixed on me, and I almost swooned in place.
“Yeah, yes,” I said breathlessly, as his mouth hovered dangerously close.
Was he going to kiss me?
Kissing was off-limits. It wasn’t part of the deal.
But we’d doneplentyof kissing on my couch.
I tipped my chin up as his lips found mine. Then I dropped the apple I was holding, as he gripped me tight and kissed me the same way he had last night.
Oh, holy hell, this man was going to ruin me right here in the middle of the produce aisle.
We only pulled apart when Kelly’s fiancé, Brady, came around the corner. He laughed when he saw us and hollered, “Get a room!”
Easier said than done.
“I thought we said no kissing after last night.”
