“My son. What a sweetheart he is. I knew I taught him well. Even if he doesn’t return his mother’s phone calls.”
“Mom,” Hunter groans, burying his face in his hands. “I’m busy.”
“I’m glad I could peel you away from your trees long enough for dinner,” she says.
“You didn’t complain when I brought one over for you.”
“Which reminds me,” she ignores Hunter, “Ollie, since Hunter hasn’t been over to hang his ornament, I saved one for you to hang too.”
“W-w-what?”
An ornament? That seems like something arealboyfriend would do. Damn it. I am his real boyfriend. It’s fake to the two of us, but to everyone else? It’s the real thing.
“It’s fine, dear. Now, can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll have whatever Hunter is having.”
“You can have whatever you like,” Karen says. “I do have a spiked hot apple cider if you’d like some.”
“Actually, that sounds good.”
“Just not too much, Ol,” Hunter says, nudging me in the elbow.
“Sounds like there is a story there.”
Karen pours three glasses of cider and hands one to each of us.
“I had a few too many drinks at my work party. I was a bit nervous for them to meet Hunter.”
Her gaze snaps to Hunter’s. “His coworkers got to meet Ollie before I met him?”
“Mom, you’ve known Ollie since we were babies.”
“Not as your boyfriend.”
“See!” I slap him on the arm. “I told you it’s different.”
She looks at me. “I swear, I raised him better than this.”
Her smile helps put me at ease.Finally.
“I don’t like you two ganging up on me,” Hunter says before taking a gulp of his cider.
She quirks a brow at him as I hold the warm glass between my hands.
“Deal with it, Hunter. I like Ollie and I’m glad you finally found someone.”
“He did date a lot,” I tell her.
“Excuse me, I am right here,” Hunter interjects. “And I didn’t datea lot.”
Karen beams at me. “He was waiting for you, Ollie.”
“I guess I was.”
Hunter leans over and kisses my cheek.
Holy shit.
